tearoom

How many shy and demure ladies lined up at the sign 'Reserved ladies'? AFAIK I have had breakfast at this one. By the 1960s, it wasn't in the league of the majors: no full bacon & eggs style, but matched a few minors: baked beans on toast style. Roderick B Smith Rail News Victoria Editor

This refreshment room and the one at Yass Jn had been closed before 1957. Harden was the operational junction for the cross-country line via the important towns Young and Cowra, so the room would have been useful for those changing train. From Sydney, rooms were spaced about 1-1.5 h apart. Moss Vale: an important breakfast and supper stop for Melbourne trains until 1962, when the advent of through sg resulted in new trains, with onboard refreshments. Moss Vale was closed. Goulburn: People changing, and the through minor Canberra service (the major had onboard refreshments). Later it was a supper stop for holiday-extra Melbourne trains, and an occasional breakfast stop. Yass Jn: so minor that it was closed early on. Harden: likewise. Cootamundra: an important breakfast and supper stop for people connecting to branchlines. It has been remodelled, and is still convenient for people changing from train to many radiating bus services there. Junee: likewise. It was also the changeover point for onboard crews, who stayed in the bedrooms on the second floor. It has survived as a general-public tourist facility. Wagga Wagga: May have had a minor one, but certainly gone by 1957. Albury: In the days of break of gauge, it would have some breakfast & supper use, certainly at holiday times. It wasn't a grand room originally: it was expanded in several stages by taking over a verandah, and a lamp room, with a bit of new construction filling the gap. Roderick B Smith Rail News Victoria Editor

Things have changed a bit!

Superb photo thanks for joining and posting it to the group.