The Carriageway Story
Anyone who travelled on the New South Wales rail network prior to 1989 would remember with some fondness the old ‘Red Rattlers’. These famous old train carriages were in commission for over six decades and were legendary for their durability.
The Rattlers made their journey to Dungog station, the most northerly station on the Sydney Urban train network. Dungog station is also listed as a heritage building as it represents one of the first examples of “Functionalist” architecture in a Railway setting. The station displays fine decorative brickwork, well detailed parapets, strong horizontal planes and wide steel awnings, which make it aesthetically congruous and representative of the Functionalist design.
Production of the Rattlers began in Newcastle in 1927 at the now defunct Walsh Island Dockyard situated in Newcastle Harbour, and the finished carriages were transported to the railyards by the steamer SS Minerva. Between 1927 and 1929 some 248 cars were produced at the site with a peak workforce of 2,200 workers. After more than sixty years of service they became affectionately known as the ‘Red Rattlers’due to their fading brick-red colour scheme and their noisy nature.
The Carriageway has five of the original carriages, four that have been lovingly converted to fully self-contained accommodation and the amazing dining room for the aptly named ‘Rattlers’ restaurant. The 1920’s art-deco aesthetic has been carefully respected in the conversions and delivers a truly unique experience for all who visit.
Carriageway has five original carriages
Westwood Dungog Group
Carriageway is an integral part of the Westwood Dungog group of businesses. Westwood Dungog is proudly owned by Tracy Norman and Bernadette Skuse who have built a highly dedicated team who share their values and vision.
Our philosophy is simple: sustainability and hospitality under one roof
The story of Westwood starts in 2003, when Tracy Norman and Bernadette Skuse decided to move to the Dungog area, building their house at Salisbury. In 2012 they acquired the first business in the group, the Settlers Arms. Together they have built a group of people who share their vision, with businesses extending into agriculture, primary food production, butchery, education, health and wellness, commercial cookery and hospitality. The philosophy is simple “sustainability and hospitality under one roof”.
The Westwood Dungog group has an unswerving dedication to the provision of a sustainable future for the Shire in both a social and agricultural context. It is also deeply committed to the provision of employment and training opportunities, all staff are actively encouraged and supported to continue their learning and skill development to ensure we deliver the very best standards in their chosen field.
