The former Victorian Railways, the state railway authority in Victoria, Australia built a number of experimental narrow-gauge railway lines around the beginning of the 20th century. Although all were closed by the early 1960s, parts of two have been reopened as heritage railways. The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. ... Emblems: Pink heath (floral)Weedy Seadragon (Aquatic) helmeted honeyeater (bird) Leadbeaters possum (faunal) Motto: Peace and Prosperity Slogan or Nickname: Garden State, The Place To Be, On The Move Other Australian states and territories Capital Melbourne Government Const. ... Narrow-gauge railways are railroads (railways) with track spaced at less than the standard gauge of 4 ft 8 in (1. ... A scene on a heritage railway. ...

Background

A depression in the early 1890s brought a halt to the rapid expansion of railways in Victoria. Politicians promoted narrow gauge lines as a way to link remote communities, particularly in hilly country, without the expense of the 5' 3" (1600 mm) broad gauge railways. Railways officials opposed them, citing the inconvenience and expense of a break in gauge. A parliamentary committee eventually identified 14 possible locations for narrow gauge railways, and recommended that four experimental lines be built. They were: Great Western Railway broad gauge steam locomotives awaiting scrapping in 1892 after the conversion to standard gauge. ... States currently utilizing parliamentary systems are denoted in orange and red—the former being constitutional monarchies where authority is vested in a parliament, and the latter being parliamentary republics whose parliaments are effectively supreme over a separate head of state. ...

• Lilydale - Warburton
• Wangaratta - Whitfield
• Upper Ferntree Gully - Gembrook
• Colac - Beech Forest

The Warburton line was built in broad gauge, however authority was given for the construction of the other three lines. Subsequently, a further two lines were built, the Moe to Walhalla line, and an extension from Beech Forest to Crowes. At various times other lines and extensions were proposed, but none came to anything.

None of the lines constructed ever made a profit. Freight rates were the same for broad and narrow gauge railways, despite higher direct costs. Most of the loadings were goods such as timber, potatoes and lime, which were charged at a low rate. Most freight was outbound, so many trains travelled towards the terminals almost empty. And despite originating the traffic, the lines were only credited with a portion of the freight charge. The amount credited to the lines did not cover the cost of running trains, and the more traffic the larger the loss. However, particularly in the 1920s, the traffic generated by the narrow gauge lines was appreciated by the railways and the lines survived for up to 60 years before closure.

Right of way and safeworking

A number of studies were made of overseas narrow-gauge railways such as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in India and the Ffestiniog railway in Wales. An initial decision to build the lines in 2' (610 mm) gauge was changed to 2' 6" (762 mm) gauge for the Victorian lines. This gauge was being adopted on other lines in the British Empire at this time, such as the Kalka-Shimla Railway and the Sierra Leone Government Railway. The railways were construced using 60lb rail, initially obtained from broad gauge lines that were being upgraded. A maximum grade of 1 in 30 was adopted, while the minimum radius of curves was 2 chains (132ft, or 40.6 metres). The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, nicknamed Toy Train, is a 60cm narrow-gauge railway from Siliguri to Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal in India. ... The Ffestiniog Railway (in Welsh Rheilffordd Ffestiniog) is a narrow-gauge heritage railway, located in North West Wales. ... Motto: (Welsh for Wales forever) Anthem: Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau Capital Cardiff Largest city Cardiff Official language(s) English, Welsh Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Rhodri Morgan AM Unification    - by Gruffudd ap Llywelyn 1056  Area    - Total 20,779 km² (3rd in... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Kalka Shimla Train The Kalka-Shimla Railway is a 26 (762mm) narrow gauge railway in North-West India travelling along a mostly mountainous route from Kalka to Shimla. ... The Sierra Leone Government Railway was unusual in that it formed a national railway system constructed solely to 26 (762mm) rail gauge. ... As a unit of measurement within the Imperial system, the chain (surveyors chain, Gunters chain) is defined as 22 yards, 66 feet, or four rods. ...

Apart from a couple of experiments with other systems, all lines were operated by the Staff and Ticket method of safeworking, as per standard Victorian Railways practice for this system. On railways, a token (also staff or tablet, depending on its shape) is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have before entering onto a particular section of single track. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into railway signalling. ...

Locomotives and rollingstock

Seventeen 2-6-2 tank locomotives and two Garratt locomotives, plus a range of passenger and goods vehicles, were built to operate on the narrow gauge lines. Six of the locomotives, including one of the Garratt locomotives, plus at least one example of each type of rollingstock, have been restored to working order on the Puffing Billy Railway. A Pairie type built for the Burlington by Baldwin. ... A locomotive (from Latin loco motivus) is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train, and has no payload capacity of its own; its sole purpose is to move the train along the tracks. ... Garratt on the Welsh Higland Railway South African Garratt Diagram of a Garratt locomotive A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated, normally in three parts. ... One of the Puffing Billy steam locomotives. ...

Apart from light maintenance that could be done locally, the locomotives and rollingstock were maintained at the Victorian Railways' Newport Workshops in the suburbs of Melbourne, requiring the transport of the vehicles by broad-gauge flat wagons. The locomotives and other vehicles would be moved around the various narrow-gauge lines as appropriate, so that in most cases, no equipment was dedicated to particular lines. Melbournes Yarra River is popular area for walking, jogging, cycling and relaxing on the banks with a picnic Melbourne (pronounced either or [1]) is the second most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3. ...

The trains were all fitted with Westinghouse air brakes and, originally, with chopper couplers. In the mid 1920s the couplers were replaced with small 'knuckle' couplers. The air brake was invented by George Westinghouse of New York State in 1868. ... Knuckle (AAR Type E) couplers in use. ... Knuckle (AAR Type E) couplers in use. ...

Locomotives

NA locomotive No. 12 at Belgrave on the Puffing Billy Railway.

Baldwin Locomotive Works in the United States supplied the first two 2-6-2 tank locomotives, as well as parts for a further two locos. One each of the supplied locos and the parts kits was a simple loco, and the other a compound. The new class was classed "A", however confusion with the broad gauge A, AA and A2 classes lead to the prefex "n" being applied to written records, making it the nA class. The Victorian Railways Newport workshops assembled the parts to give an additional two locos, and subsequently built a further 13 of the simple cylinder version. The last one, number 17, was built in 1915. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2160x1440, 1356 KB) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2160x1440, 1356 KB) Please see the file description page for further information. ... Belgrave (Puffing Billy) railway station is situated in Belgrave, a suburb of Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria. ... Puffing Billy is a narrow gauge (26) steam railway in the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne, Australia. ... Baldwin Locomotive Works builders plate, 1922 The Baldwin Locomotive Works was an American builder of railroad locomotives. ... A Pairie type built for the Burlington by Baldwin. ... A tank locomotive (occasionally tank engine, especially in England, notably used in reference to Thomas the Tank Engine) is a steam locomotive that carries its own fuel and water on it, instead of pulling it behind it in a tender. ... A compound locomotive is a type of steam locomotive where steam is passed that has already passed through one cylinder is then passed through another; i. ...

The locomotives weigh 36 tons and produce a tractive effort of 12,170 lbf, allowing them to haul loads of 90 tons up grades of 1 in 30. Nos. 6, 7, 8, 12, and 14 have been restored and operate on the Puffing Billy Railway, and No. 3 is also on the Puffing Billy Railway, awaiting eventual restoration. The remaining locomotives have all been scrapped. Tractive effort is the pulling force exerted, normally by a locomotive, though the term could also be used for anything else that hauls a load. ...

By the mid 1920's, traffic was growing with up to 7 trains a day on the Beech Forest line. To decrease train mileage and therefore costs, two Garratt locomotives were purchased from Beyer-Peacock in England. Weighing 69 tons, these 2-6-0+0-6-2 locomotives produce a tractive effort of 26,860 lbf, making them among the most powerful steam locomotives ever built for 2'6" gauge. They were designated as the "G" class and given the numbers 41 and 42, and entered service in 1926. G41 spent its entire life on the Crowes line, whilst G42 was originally allocated to the Walhalla line, then transferred to the Crowes line, and is currently running on the Puffing Billy Railway. G41 was scrapped. Garratt on the Welsh Higland Railway South African Garratt Diagram of a Garratt locomotive A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated, normally in three parts. ... Beyer-Peacock Locomotive manufacturer with factory in Manchester from 1854 untill 1966. ... In the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives by wheel arrangement, a 2-6-0+0-6-2 is a Garratt articulated locomotive using a pair of 2-6-0 power units back to back, with the boiler and cab suspended between them. ...

Rollingstock

A range of passenger and goods vehicles were also built at Newport or by contractors. While most Victorian Railways broad gauge goods vehicles of the time were 4 wheel wagons, all the narrow gauge rolling stock were bogie vehicles and most were built on a standard underframe. A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. ...

The initial stock were all built on a 25' long underframe, with the coaches being the open saloon type with balconies for end loading. Various vans were supplied together with stock cars, but the predominant goods vehicle was the NQR class open truck, of which 217 were eventually supplied. Later some 32' side opening coaches were built to cope with increasing traffic. A number of simple open-sided coaches were also provided for excursion traffic on the Gembrook line.

The lines

Wangaratta to Whitfield

The first line, from Wangaratta to Whitfield, was unlike the other lines in that it was built through mostly flat, open, agricultural country, following the King River. The 30.5 mile (49 kilometre) line was built as a narrow-gauge line because it was thought that it might be extended into the mountainous country to the south, but this extension never eventuated. The line was opened in March 1899, and was the first line to close, in October 1953. The line relied mostly on local agricultural traffic, and opened with a daily mixed train. By the 1930's this had been reduced to a weekly goods service, and stayed at this level until the railway closed. There was only one lineside industry, a dairy at Moyhu, and the majority of stations were nameboards at road crossings. A mile is the name of a unit of length, usually used to measure distance, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, United States customary units and Norwegian/Swedish mil. ... km redirects here. ... A mixed train is a train that hauls both passenger and freight cars. ...

List of stations

Wangaratta is a railway station on the Albury railway line in Wangaratta, Victoria, Australia. ... Laceby is a village in North East Lincolnshire, located on the A46 road just outside the western boundary of Grimsby. ... Oxley is a suburb of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands. ... British non-derogative slang for a dock worker, i. ... Byrne, meaning raven, is derived from the Irish name Ó Broin. ... Moyhu is a small (population 300) town in North East Victoria, Australia. ... Claremont is the name of several places in the world: In the United States of America: Claremont, California Claremont, Minnesota Claremont, New Hampshire Claremont, North Carolina Claremont, Oakland/Berkeley, California Claremont, South Dakota In Canada: Claremont, Ontario In Australia: Claremont, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart Claremont, Western Australia Claremont, Queensland... Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is the computer-to-computer exchange of structured information, by agreed message standards, from one computer application to another by electronic means and with a minimum of human intervention. ... Whitfield may refer to: Whitfield County, Georgia Whitfield, Florida Whitfield, Pennsylvania This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Upper Ferntree Gully to Gembrook

See also: Puffing Billy Railway Puffing Billy is a narrow gauge (26) steam railway in the Dandenong Ranges near Melbourne, Australia. ...

The 18 mile (29 kilometre) Gembrook line opened in December 1900, through the southern foothills of the Dandenong Ranges just east of Melbourne. It was closed in 1954 following a landslide between Selby and Menzies Creek, but continued to operate tourist services for the Puffing Billy Preservation Society over the remaining usable section of the line to Belgrave. However, this came to an end in 1958 when the line was closed to allow conversion to a broad-gauge electric line as an extension of the suburban railway system of Melbourne. Through the efforts of the Puffing Billy Preservation Society, the landslide was bypassed and the remainder of the line from Belgrave to Gembrook has been restored and operates daily for tourists. The railway is now administered by the Emerald Tourist Railway Board. Gembrook general store circa 1918 // Gembrook Gembrook is a small picturesque town located roughly 54km from Melbournes CBD. Gembrook was settled in 1873 for farming and timber, the surrounding countryside was suitable for both dairy and orchards. ... The Dandenong Ranges are a set of mountain ranges, east of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. ... This is a stub related to the city of Melbourne. ... Menzies Creek Station was opened with the line on the 18th December, 1900. ... Belgrave is the terminus of the Belgrave railway line in Melbourne, Australia. ... Melbourne, capital city of the State of Victoria, Australia, has a long history of railway development. ...

The Gembrook line always had a higher passenger loading than the other lines. The junction station of Upper Ferntree Gully was a terminus for the Melbourne suburban rail system, so the line was popular with weekend visitors from Melbourne. Thirteen special excursion coaches classed NBH were built to cater for this traffic. Travelling through a region with rich soils and high rainfall, agricultural products such as potatoes formed much of the freight traffic. Nobelius Nurseries over the years dispatched thousands of fruit trees from a packing shed located on Nobelius siding, between Emerald and Nobelius stations. Sawn timber was also important, and sidings were located at Gembrook to serve a private 3' (914 mm) gauge tramway that brought timber down from further up the mountains. Melbournes Yarra River is popular area for walking, jogging, cycling and relaxing on the banks with a picnic Melbourne (pronounced either or [1]) is the second most populous city in Australia with a metropolitan area population of approximately 3. ... Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburbs are inhabited districts located either on the outer rim of a city or outside the official limits of a city (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation. ... Look up excursion in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A plum tree Flowering almond tree A fruit tree is a tree bearing fruit — the structures formed by the ripened ovary of a flower containing one or more seeds. ...

List of stations

Upper Ferntree Gully is a railway station on the Belgrave railway line. ... View of Upwey station towards the city. ... Tecoma Station Tecoma (station code: TCM) is an unmanned railway station on the Belgrave line in Melbourne, Australia. ... Belgrave is the terminus of the Belgrave railway line in Melbourne, Australia. ... This is a stub related to the city of Melbourne. ... Menzies Creek Station was opened with the line on the 18th December, 1900. ... Clematis Station is situated on the Puffing Billy Railway. ... Emerald Station is situated on the Puffing Billy Railway. ... Nobelius Station is situated on the Puffing Billy Railway. ... Lakeside Station is situated on the Puffing Billy Railway. ... Wright Station is situated on the Puffing Billy Railway. ... Cockatoo Station is situated on the Puffing Billy Railway. ... Fielder Station is situated on the Puffing Billy Railway. ... This is a stub related to the city of Melbourne. ...

Colac to Beech Forest and Crowes

The third line to open was in the Otway Ranges in south-east Victoria. The line from Colac to Beech Forest opened in March 1902, and it was extended to Crowes in June 1911. Nearly 44 miles (73 km) long, this was the longest of the narrow gauge lines. It was also the last to close, finally succumbing in June 1962, although the line had been truncated in 1954. Otway is a national park in Victoria (Australia), 162 km southwest of Melbourne. ... Colac is a town in the western district of Victoria, Australia, situated on the southern shore of Lake Colac. ...

Both the Colac and Crowes lines entered Beech Forest yard from the same end, creating a junction. Trains had to be turned to run down the Crowes branch and a balloon loop was provided at the other end of the yard. A tennis court occupied the land within the loop. Crowes, the terminus of the line, was the most southerly railway station on the Australian mainland.

The primary traffic was sawn timber and firewood, with many sawmills located adjacent to the railway, or accessed by short tramways. Seasonally heavy potato traffic and a lime kiln added to revenue. Traffic grew to require up to 7 trains a day each way by the mid 1920s. The introduction of the Garratt allowed a new timetable with two trains each way between Colac and Beech Forest, and a third train each way to Gellibrand. The Crowes branch saw a single mixed train daily. The arrival of the Great Depression and competition from motor vehicles saw traffic decline to a point where only one train each way operated over the line three days a week. Increased wartime loadings saw traffic increase to two trains each way daily, however this improvement was only temporary. By the time the railway closed, the timetable listed only one train each way a week, and most of the traffic was pulpwood. Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction or wood... Wood burning is the largest current use of biomass derived energy. ... The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view. ... Binomial name Solanum tuberosum L. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is a perennial plant of the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family, commonly grown for its starchy tuber. ... A 19th century limekiln A limekiln is a kiln used to produce quicklime by the calcination of limestone (calcium carbonate). ... Great Depression was a worldwide economic downturn which started in 1929 (although its effects were not fully felt until late in 1930) and lasted through most of the 1930s. ... German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ... Pulpwood refers to timber stocks that are cut in order to make wood pulp for paper production. ...

The line opened using the Staff and Ticket method of safeworking. However Train Section Orders were adopted between 1927 and 1939, after which Staff and Ticket working was resumed.

List of stations

Coram may refer to: Coram Boy, a novel and stage play by Jamila Gavin Coram Family, English charity Coram, Montana, a place in Flathead County Coram, New York, a hamlet in Suffolk County Coram nobis, legal term, a petition to the court Coram non judice, legal term Thomas Coram, English... Birnam is a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. ... Buchanan is the surname of: Barry Buchanan (born 1968), professional wrestler (Bull Buchanan) Bay Buchanan, sister to Pat Buchanan, President of The American Cause Claudius Buchanan (1766-1815), English divine Edgar Buchanan, American actor Francis Buchanan, (1762-1829), Scottish surgeon, geographer and naturalist Franklin Buchanan (1800-1874), Confederate admiral George... Ferguson can refer to many things. ... kincaid. ... Look up Stalker in Wiktionary, the free dictionary Stalker may refer to: A person who follows another obsessively; see stalking. ...

Moe to Walhalla

The last of the narrow gauge lines to open was the 26 mile (42 kilometre) line to the gold mining town of Walhalla, in 1910. Walhalla had a history of gold mining dating back to the 1870's, and was one of the largest towns in Gippsland. Local residents had long lobbied for a railway, as all goods had to be brought in by bullock cart over rough terrain. However, the gold mine in Walhalla closed in 1914, and the town quickly fell into steep decline. It was reputed that the major source of traffic from Walhalla were the houses of residents leaving the town. Gold mining consists of the processes and techniques employed in the removal of gold from the ground. ... View of part Walhalla, showing mainly original buildings - including the fire station built over the creek - as well as some reconstructed ones. ... John Longstaffs Gippsland, Sunday night, February 20th, 1898, depicting the Red Tuesday bushfires that ravaged Gippsland For the electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives, see Division of Gippsland. ... Bullock may refer to: bullock or ox, castrated male cattle Sandra Bullock, actress Alan Bullock, historian This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... A simple wooden cart in Australia A cart transporting watermelons in Harbin, China. ...

The line did pick up significant traffic from sawmills in the area, some of which had their own sidings. A connection was made with the Tyers Valley Tramway at Collins siding, between Watson and Erica. While the tramway used the same gauge as the railway, there was no physical connection, timber being transhipped by hand. A temporary connection had to be put in place to move locomotives to and from the tramway. A small copper mine and two lime kilns near Platina provided additional traffic. A series of "Back to Walhalla" days in the 1930s caused the railways to put on special passenger trains for these occasions, and such was the demand some were double-headed.

The line was truncated to Platina in 1944 then to Erica in 1952, before finally closing in 1954. The section of the line from Thomson to Walhalla has been rebuilt and now operates as the Walhalla Goldfields Railway. Narrow gauge (2ft 6in) tourist railway located in the Thomson River and Stringers Creek valleys in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia, near the former gold-mining town and popular tourist destination of Walhalla. ...

List of stations

Categories: Regional railway stations in Victoria | Australia-related stubs ...

Welshpool to Port Welshpool horse-drawn tram

Unlike the other lines, the 3 mile (5 kilometre) line connecting Welshpool and Port Welshpool was operated as a horse-drawn tramway, and had very little in common with the other lines. This line, also known as the Welshpool Jetty line, was opened in 1905 and closed in 1941.

References

• Houghton, Norman 1992 The Beechy Light Railway Research Society of Australia, Melbourne ISBN 0909340-29-3
• Cuffley, Peter 1987 That Little Train The Five Mile Press, Fitzroy ISBN 0-86788-136-4
• various 1980 G42 Puffing Billy's Big Brother Puffing Billy Preservation Society ISBN 0-9598392-7-5
• Watson, Stephen 1980 Rails to Walhalla Part 1 Stephen Watson ISBN 09594371-Q
• Thompson, John 2002 Focus on Victoria's Narrow Gauge Whitfield Line Puffing Billy Preservation Society ISBN 0-9579792-2-3

External links

• Puffing Billy Railway (official site)
• Victorian Government Narrow Gauge Railways
• Government Railways of less than 1067 mm Gauge