[3] The single railway line from Singleton to, and station of Musclebrook was completed and opened on 19 May 1869, by the Earl of Belmore, Governor of NSW.
[7][3] Major changes and alterations included installation of a turntable in 1869 and its replacement by a larger one in 1890, lengthening of the platform and provision of an ash pit in 1891.
At the time, the Singleton Argus reported:[3][8] The new refreshment rooms at the Muswellbrook railway station were opened on Monday on the arrival of the passenger train from Tamworth.
Miss Lawson, who acted as manageress at Glen Innes for seven years and fiveyears in a similar capacity at Singleton, is in charge of the rooms.
At the northern end of the building on the ground floor are the cooking quarters, consisting of kitchen, scullery, pantry, storeroom, washhouse.
[10] In 2007 approval was given for 2-staged refurbishment of the railway refreshment room as a museum; provision of stair & entry ramp and install lift, then for construction of a stand-alone visitor information centre, storeroom, toilets, deck & landscaping.
Upon completion, freight trains are to pass through the yard area at 80 kilometres per hour (50 mph), improving travel times.
The original station building was a small well proportioned brick structure with simple stone lintels and hipped roof.
Its entrance is via steps leading to a stone flagged verandah with a hipped roof of corrugated galvanised iron, supported by timber posts.
Two hipped roofs clad in diamond pattern slate tiles with terracotta ridge capping and ram's head finials.
Internally the building features pressed metal cornices and ceilings, hardwood floors, a pine staircase and balustrade.
It is an elevated, two storey signal box on a timber frame, with pre-cast concrete and asbestos cement cladding.
A hipped roof with broad overhanging eaves, clad in fibro asbestos laid in a diamond pattern and terracotta ridge capping.
[3] Changes of level of the rear of both station and refreshment room buildings have occurred after construction, as follows:[15][3][18] The heritage site does not include the former locomotive depot or its turntable.
[3] The station group represents an excellent example of an early complex surviving in its basic form and adapted with the addition of other structures as passengers increased.
[3] The Muswellbrook railway station was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999 having satisfied the following criteria.