Railway construction commenced in New South Wales during the early 1850s and culminated with the opening of the Sydney to Parramatta railway in 1855.

When the railway reached Junee in 1878, the township of Junee became known as Junee Junction. A line was opened between Junee and Narrandera on 28 February 1881, and later extended to Hay. Junee became the centre of rail operations in the late 1800s.

The Great Southern Railway Line from Bethungra to Junee was officially opened on 6 July 1878. At this time the train took 13 hours and 35 minutes to travel from Sydney to Junee but the return journey took only 13 hours 15 Minutes. A branch line to Narrandera was completed by 28 February 1881. The Junee Station (renamed Junee Junction) consequently became an important railway depot. In addition to the railway station, various sidings and the stationmasters house, the Junee station had refreshment rooms, an engine shed providing accommodation for nine locomotives and, by 1883, a 50 hand operated turntable.

Traffic on the southern line increased dramatically from the early 1900s. The steep grade over the Bethungra Range between Cootamundra and Junee proved a severe handicap. A bank locomotive had to be used at the rear of all goods trains working in both directions and the new D57 class steam goods type locomotives had to terminate at Cootamundra.

This was rectified with duplication and reconstruction. A second line was located more or less alongside the existing line but made use of a neighbouring hill around which the line was built in a spiral loop with 281 metre radius curves. This allowed a 1 in 66 gradient to be obtained. Once D57 class engines could operate Sydney to Junee, Junee became the most important railway centre south of Goulburn. The Junee Roundhouse began operation in 1947. When built, the 30 metre turntable was the largest in the Southern Hemisphere.

The extent of the Junee roundhouse, turntable, ash and coaling arrangements, workshop and repair capacities, watering facilities, and other structures show the importance of Junee as a major locomotive servicing point.

Picture this…

In the 1940s, through to the 1950s period (arguably the pinnacle of steam locomotive operations in the state), the railway precinct at Junee consisted of a large railway station, a relatively large and important shunting yard, a Train Control Centre, two large signal boxes, junction arrangements for the Junee-Narrandera-Hay-Griffith branch line and a relatively modern locomotive depot.