It was with great pleasure that we welcomed Councillor Lynda Summers to Cooma Railway Station this morning to return an important piece of railway history to the Monaro. Lynda was recently able to acquire the original Nimmitabel – Bombala Staff Box from a private collection and has generously loaned the box to Cooma Monaro Railway for display in our museum.
The Staff Box, originally located in the Signal Box at Nimmitabel Railway Station, was an integral part of daily train operations for almost 100 years. Know as the “Staff and Ticket” procedure, the driver was required to obtain the metal ‘Staff’ that accompanied the box before the train could travel between Nimmitabel and Bombala. Once the driver had the staff in his possession, no other train could enter that section of track.
To find out more about how this process worked and the role that this box played on the railway, visit the Cooma Monaro Railway Museum which opens to the public next Sunday, 11th December from 9.00am.
Thank you Lynda for your generosity and returning an important piece of local history to the region.
