Historic photo of the day: A two-car diesel set 706+606 sits in the dock platform at Narrandera ready to run the branch line train to Tocumwal, 37 years ago on August 27 1983. The South Mail, having run overnight from Sydney, sits in the main platform before continuing the last stage of its journey to Griffith. The previous few days had seen torrential rain causing many rivers across the Riverina to flood. Even the tracks beneath the mail train in the station are still partly submerged. Less than three months after this photo was taken, most of the remaining rural branch line passenger trains across NSW were withdrawn, including the Narrandera to Tocumwal service. This really was a first and last chance to experience this wonderful way to travel. The South Mail no longer runs, but there is still a passenger train service from Sydney to Narrandera and Griffith, but it runs just two days per week each way and now runs in daylight rather than overnight. This is an image of an era that was just about to draw to a close.
