It connected the small Upper Hunter township to the rest of the valley and Newcastle like never before and sparked a period of dramatic growth.

The town's population of 400 exploded to more than 2000, sparking a building boom.

More people meant the demand for houses increased, and more businesses were established.

April 4, 2022 will mark 150 years since the opening of Murrurundi Railway Station and when the Great Northern Railway reached the town.

To mark the major milestone, Murrurundi will transform into festival central on Saturday, April 2 and Sunday, April 3. A full program of events boasting "something for everyone" has been created to celebrate the 150th anniversary and to conserve Murrurundi's history.

A ceremony will be held on Monday, April 4 to officially commemorate the 150^th anniversary.

It has been a long 12 months for the MurruRail 150 committee who, at times, was uncertain whether the anniversary event would even be able to go ahead due to the constantly changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But two weeks out from the big 1-5-0, everything is "full steam ahead" and all signs are pointing towards a big anniversary weekend for Murrurundi.

"From drought, a mice plague, COVID-19, fires and floods... we've all really been through it the past two years. I think people really need events to look forward to and ours seems to be a really popular choice," MurruRail 150 committee chairman Peter McGill said.

"Everything we've seen - responses on social media, ticket bookings and general talk - indicates that a lot of people will be coming to Murrurundi that weekend, which is great. People can come and experience Murrurundi. It's a lovely little town with a lot to offer."

The MurruRail 150 committee was formed under the auspices of the Murrurundi Historical Society Museum a year ago to develop a program of events for the railway milestone.

In March, the event received a $20,000 one-off state government grant, secured by MurruRail 150 committee through advocacy from Upper Hunter state MP Dave Layzell.

From steam coming back up the valley to model trains, fireworks and market stalls, the village of Murrurundi will for two days become a thriving metropolis on April 2 and 3.

Commonly called The Picnic Train, the Baldwin 2-8-2 5917 Mikado steam locomotive will transport about 300 visitors from Maitland to Murrurundi on April 2.

While tickets for this journey have all been snapped up, a limited number of tickets are still available for two short steam train rides throughout the Saturday.

The Picnic Train will travel between Murrurundi and Murulla. Tickets cost $15 per child and $25 per adult.

The Murrurundi Museum has also arranged for five of the most important model train organisations to show their layouts across the weekend.

The biggest layout in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the most detailed, courtesy Coffs Harbour Model Railway, will take over the town's biggest hall, the RSL.

The group has a model of a Mikado 5915, a Bayer Garrett and the 3801 - promising to excite train lovers and entertain the young.

The Armidale-based New England Model Railway organisation will present a layout along with Sydney's Arncliff Model Railway Society Inc, with a detailed representation of Australian diesel layouts.

Also out of Sydney will be a display by Hills Model Railway Society Inc.

For variety, the museum has organised for the Canberra-Monaro N Scale Group to show off what is termed a T-Trak table top configuration.

The model trains will be on display at five halls in Murrurundi from 9am to 5pm on Saturday and 9am to 2pm on Sunday.

For the adults, there will be a bevy of market stalls courtesy of the Quirindi and Murrurundi market organisations set up at the Wilson Memorial Oval from 9am to 2pm on Saturday. Among them will be The Murrurundi Collective's Farmers, Growers and Producers Market.

The Murra County Markets featuring art, craft, produce and plants will be set up at the town's information centre, in Remembrance Park, on Sunday from 9am to 2pm.

Cobb & Co will be completing circuits of the town between 10am and 2pm both days. Clydesdales will be pulling a carriage from the railway station, along Haydon Street to Royal Street and back to Mayne Street.

Saturday's program of events also includes a twilight picnic fun fair at Wilson Memorial Oval and fireworks by Pyro Oz at 7.50pm. Fair rides will operate from 10am to 8pm.

For history lovers, a wander around Murrurundi will yield QR codes which, once scanned, will direct the reader to a website full of information about the town and the railway.

On Monday, April 4 - the day Murrurundi Railway Station opened 150 years ago - a commemorative ceremony will be held at 4pm where a memorial noting the anniversary will be unveiled.

"We are excited to see Sydney Rail commence a repair and restoration project of the Murrurundi Railway Station in November 2021. The works are scheduled to be ready for the 150^th," the MurruRail 150 committee said.

"We would like to see the location of Temple Court acknowledge with a sign.

"A larger long term project the Committee wish to see come to fruition is the conservation of the Murrurundi Water Tower. The Tower is the most tangible link to the Steam heritage of the Great Northern Line."

From 1855 onwards, construction of the Great Northern Railway inched its way from Newcastle up the Hunter Valley, across the Liverpool Plains to the New England, and into the Northern Tablelands.

By 1888 the line was completed to the NSW and Queensland border.

In April 1871, the railway had arrived at Scone.

For the next 12 months an army of 412 labourers aided by 158 horses carved the line to Parkville, Wingen, Murulla, Blandford and finally on to Murrurundi.

The Railway Station at Murrurundi opened on April 4, 1872 with great fanfare.

Murrurundi would become the "end of the line" for the next five years as a tunnel was hewn through to Ardglen and the line was extended in 1877 to Quirindi and Werris Creek.

Also in 1872, Dooleys Store opened. The business is still operating today.