The Secrets Of The Williamstown Line!
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
- The Williamstown Line Is A Historic And Ever So Beautiful Part Of Melbourne Opening In Early 1859, And Is Full Of Secrets...
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Williamstown also had some extensive and important railway workshops along the pier line. They closed about when Newport workshops opened.
Yes, I remember in the mid 1970s as a young kid our family would drive there in summer and there was sidings with mostly red rattlers stabled there. In those days there were no fences and you could get into the trains.
If you went down to Williamstown back then you always went for fish n chips at the local shop and hung out near where the sidings were near the beach.
After Geoff Marshall’s “Secrets of the Underground”, I am impressed with this video series you are making.
That is the inspiration. My videos have more history than his but I need to find some more secrets, his video standard is my goal for mine, thanks!
YES! Willy! Well Done Trainman, another fine video as usual. Looking forward to more from this side of town 😁
Me too, as long as restrictions ease soon, you shall see Werribee and Sunbury lines with videos very shortly!
The Train Man,
Brilliant !
Stay safe.
Nice vid, man. My 2yr old loves trains and watching your vids and learning bout the local history with him is pretty cool.
Wow, I am very happy to hear that, that is so cool! I try to make my videos appropriate for nearly all ages, and your comment really shows that, thank you very much, hope this continues for future videos!
I love watching your videos and I love the research and work you’ve put into them. Great job! 😉👍
What a terrific video! I really loved it, particularly because I use the line regularly. But I was really impressed by your work, and will check out your other contributions. Well done, and all the best with your future projects.
Thank you very much Andrew, I'm glad a local liked the video! I appreciate support :)
This is fantastic! Love it and love you! I just shared it with a local mind Facebook page as I reckon all our kids who live along that line like me would love knowing the history - and from a big kid instead of a boring adult too, I think you’ll inspire the next generation of local historians - thank you!
* local mums
Thank you very much Kate, sorry for the late reply, but that is very kind of you to share it, it means a lot! Hopefully I can make videos like this for many years to come, thanks again :)
Great info! Just a small correction, the Williamstown Pier station was not down at the Timeball Tower, but up next to the Titanic Restaurant, as the line then continued onto the pier in the Dockyards. The train would take the workers to the gate, but the freight train had the ability to go onto the pier if required...
The timbale Tower carpark was the termination of the freight yards though, as there was grain, wool etc being stored there in large sheds. It was also the site of Williamstown's first Cemetery, which was moved to allow for the rail extension into that area.
Thanks a lot Patrick.
Many people have pointed my mistake on Williamstown Pier haha, sorry about that.
That whole reserve though must have been full of yards and sidings, looking a whole lot different to today!
Absolutely delighted by your informative and fun vlogs. Bringing back so many memories. Keep up the good work.
Thank you for such kind words Peter, the support means a lot :)
@Peter Keogh now I have found your comment again I can show a rare film from an unusual source showing the earlier swing door dog box carriages mostly in the rarely shown in use compartment interiors :
ruclips.net/video/st1PIMYEBLE/видео.html
Being an "art experimental" film they did not worry to much about continuity of location.
Clearly shows the indoor door handles being used on these 1880s era carriages converted to electric operation. Unlikely that indoor handles would be added after 1959. Unless their vandals stole the ones in your carriages for scrap brass value.
Some weird passengers in the clip, but not giganticaly removed from some you would encounter on the St Kilda line shown.
Love the video!! Very interesting.
Would be great to hear about lines heading to Ballart or Geelong 😊
Keep up the great work 😊
As usual fascinating and interesting videos, love your history relating to the stations and surrounds.
Glad you think that, hope you learnt something, thank you!
Awesome, look forward to your video's, keep 'em coming TooT TooT
Thank you again Mark, trying to get the videos out weekly now, hoping to keep it up!
I grew up in Newport and have always wondered when the Melbourne Road overpass was built! Now I know - thank-you! What a curious passion for train history you have; most enjoyable and fascinating.
Glad to hear you learnt something from the video, that's my goal :). Happy to hear you enjoyed the video, I appreciate the support!
Another great presentation. During my apprentice ship I spent a couple of months at Spotswood Workshops and also Newport Workshops. For the workshop staff there were trains that ran directly into the shops . There were a couple of platforms near the Clock Tower. Trains ran in the am and pm. Newport Technical College was situated between the substation and Mason St and was partly demolished for the overpass.
That's awesome, thank you for yet another story, it's fascinating how many apprenticeships were around/ advertised when you were younger in comparison to nowadays. Also, having trains straight into the workshops, now that is cool.
Yeah remember the workshops trains in the morning and afternoon whilst doing my apprenticeship at Newport.
Old driver once told me he was amazed at how quickly a train load of workers could disappear upon arrival at the garden platform.
More great work young man, keep up the good work.
did not know about the williamstown pier station. Thanks for that tidbit of info!
Glad I could teach you something Stan :)
Keep 'em coming Train Man!!
Thanks again Adam, the videos are flowing now!
The 'click' station transition - brilliant! Great work researching all that info and having the passion for the history.
Haha, glad you liked the transition, it's good fun doing them. Thanks for the support, happy to hear you enjoy the videos :)
Great videos Train Man! Williamstown Pier station terminated at the corner of Kanowna St and Battery Rd, you can see old tracks continuing into the ship yards across the road on google maps. Where you were walking near the Timeball Tower there used to be several large grain silos, great place to hang around as a teenager back in the day.
Awesome video! Getting better and better
Glad you think so, thank you!
I work at Visy Glass, and I can remember the siding into the factory for the sand cars. We still have some of the tracks embedded in with the concrete roads of the factory.
Just keep going do them all you make a informative and pleasurable video.
Good work young fella.
Thank you John, hopefully all lines have a video within the next 3-4 months depending on corona lock downs
@@thetrainman548 That would be great looking forward to them.
Yes this virus thing certainly gets in the way..
Stay safe in your travels..
Great rail show...Thanks for sharing
No worries 😄, glad you enjoyed!
Fascinating video, and another line to add to my list to visit someday! I had no idea there was a station beyond Williamstown.
Up until I went, I didn't know about it either, glad I could teach you something :)
@@thetrainman548 that's because it was a secret of the Williamstown Line! I imagine there's many more secrets out there. Eg did you know about the Rosstown Railway? (apparently there's a rail trail which traces some of the old line)
@@ozdazz yes, I am aware of the Rosstown Railway, hoping to do a video on it soon!
First live stream! Well done dude 👍
Haha, decided to give it a go :)
Another great doco, bloke!
Thanks again, great to hear you enjoyed another video 😄
Love your videos. Very enjoyable to watch.
Glad you think so Andrew, I appreciate the kind words, thank you!
Great Vid man!...( i learnt a lot!)....Not sure about the "new covered trains" as the best thing about North Willi station , but!..... 😊
Haha, thanks for the support, I should say one of the many good things. Can't wait to properly visit the railway museum there!
The actual position of the Williamstown Pier station was immediately opposite and parallel to the old pub (Now Titanic Theatre Restaurant) at 1 Nelson Place. The railway line came in along Kanowna Street. The station itself primarily serviced the needs of the 100's of workers of the "Royal Navel Dockyards"" (Now BAE Systems Williamstown) just across the road where the train line terminated. The area that you were walking in, near the Timeball Tower, was once a massive railyard full of railway tracks and massive wooden warehouses where goods were either taken from ships for import OR taken to ships for export; all serviced by the massive system of tracks that terminated in the goods yard (separate to the station). A lot of this was still in existence, though abandoned in the 1970's through to the mid 1980's. It was all removed when the Point Gellibrand Coastal Park was built in the late 1990's. Good work being distributed by the train network. Good wor!
Thank you John, I was made aware that I may have made a mistake on the station site, thank you for all of that information on the location and purpose of the station. Didn't know that most of the abandoned yard was still there in the 90s, fascinating. Thanks again!
Quite right about how massive this yard was. Even as late as 1965, as per this available diagram from 1965 : www.victorianrailways.net/signaling/completedia/willbeach.html
From the great site www.victorianrailways.net
Was favoured spot for VR to store wagons into the 1980s. So many railfans would go there to photograph rolling stock that was harder to do elsewhere. Many photo archives say wagon XXX etc photographed at Williamstown Pier.
@@johnd8892 .... Added bonus; it was a great place to ride your Malvern Star Dragster bike through and explore during hot summer school holidays during the 1970's!!!
So I guess its where the carpark is?
@@Alexander_Dunn The carpark near the time ball tower has been there as long as I can remember. The yard occupied thea area back towards Williamstown station.
Beautiful Railway Station Yarraville That's For Sure 2 Friends Of Mine Grew Up In Yarraville Back In The 1950s And 60s!🏚️🛤️🚇
Nice work! I lived in Spotswood for a while so know the area. The best thing about being on that line is pretty regular services due to it servicing both Willy and Werribee.
That's correct, more trains than usual, which assisted in a shorter filming session (still about 4-5 hours though ha), glad you enjoyed the video on one of your home lines!
Are you planning on doing this for all lines or specific lines? Its always awesome to learn more about Melbournes train network.
Yeah, definitely planning it for all current lines, it's great fun. You should see the Alamein one next, followed by the Belgrave and Lilydale lines. Thanks!
Another enjoyable video young man. well done. Keep 'em coming but please stay safe out there... covid19 is getting a bit out of hand down there in melbourne right now. All the best.
Yes, the second wave is very scary, I shall stay away from the western suburbs for a month or two, shame because I was going to do the Werribee and Sunbury lines. Thank you for your thought :)
Williamstown ! Wonderful 👍 Kudos again for a great vid.
Thanks again, great to hear you've enjoyed another video :)
Well done. I really enjoyed your informative video.
Thanks a lot Rae, very happy to hear of your enjoyment!
Finally on my side of the tracks as they say. I remember being very young in the Willy hospital and the only thing I enjoyed was watching the blue Harris trains out the window. I was in hospital for about a week I would have been about 7yrs Old. The old Willy pier station was on the corner of kanowia and Nelson place which you can see the embankment which is now a car park. Between the station and the carpark on the foreshore was a big goods siding and sheds. Brought back many memories for me as I grew up in the western suburbs in Altona North and spent a lot of time in Willy. Another great video.
Thanks Steve, I have since had a look on Google Earth and seen the embankment for the pier station, can't believe I didn't see it, must admit, I was rushing to get back for the train (I missed it, karma). Thank you for your stories about your experiences, I wish every hospital had Harris Trains driving past. Glad you enjoyed, it was the first time on the line for me so I am glad a 'Willy' expert enjoyed, thanks again :)
I also spent some time in Williamstown Hospital when very young. But I also got to see lots of wheat trains heading to the wheat stacks and then shipping near the pier station. Also a flour works near Willi station, so some bulk flour wagons. Long strings of GY wagons often behind a steam R class or J class. Also W class shunters pulling the shorter wheat trains as well as T classes and a few of the then new Y class. As well as the new Harris Blue trains but much more common were lots of red Tait trains. All from my prime position Hospital window view for nearly a week.
Can't forget the connection between Nelson Pier and the train station, can you? N, R and J class steam locomotives were unloaded from that pier and the trackage can still be seen at the shipbuilding facility going out onto the pier.
@@bigmart932You have reminded me that the piers at Williamstown also saw the unloading of nearly all imported VR locos, equipment and rollingstock back to 1857. From the George England locos onwards. So it is a rare loco that did not first turn a wheel on the Williamstown line, from the Willi or Newport Workshops. The rest spread out over number of lines.
@@johnd8892 It's a shame that the only pictures of the unloading process (at least the ones I found) are of the Z van that was used to house electrical equipment for the crane.
8:31 I just realised at Williamstown station there is still a second row of catenary for the 2nd track
another excellent video.
What would be great is episodes exploring the "old" outer rail ring and other lines that are no longer used, having been converted to walking and bike tracks.
i.e. East Camberwell up to Kew
also the many other country lines closed down over the years
found it; you have already done it .............
Thank you!
Funny you mention, other old lines, because I have done several videos on now closed lines including the Outer Circle Line, and the Kew Line! The videos aren't at amazing standard, but still good to watch :)
Really enjoyed watching The Train Man so I just subscribed 😎👍
Thank you! That's really great to hear :)
Agree, Yarraville station keeping its historic feel and mixing in with all the heritage buildings around the shop area. makes it a shopping area people want to visit
Agreed! When I visited the line for the video, I was amazed by the historic beauty at pretty much all the station, especially Yarraville, so pretty, surprised more people don't visit it!
I've gone on the Williamstown Line once, June of 2022 when coming back from the Creative Tech Hub in Williamstown, which is only a street away from the station. But I can say that Williamstown Beach has had a station overhaul, and I know that one of the three existing Williamstown Line stations are close to the Bayside P-12 College 7-9 Willi Campus (Just based on the couple of times I've gone up for booklist collection, I personally went to the Altona North campus of the school for years 7-9 and currently go to Paisley Campus)
Thank you for this.
No worries Susan, glad you enjoyed!
Very interesting your you tube video of the Williamstown line. The Seddon station was the access to the Hyde St school their band used play at every footscray game as a fundraiser.Seddon was named after local boy who went on to be prime minister of New Zealand. I remember the goods yards at yarraville, blue stone paved but no longer utilised in the 70's. The spotswood station was bleakest on the line. Newport was a hub with the country trains stopping and the altona branch trains timed to arrive and depart before each Williamson service. Altona was serviced by two red rattlers well into the eighties. The 8 15 Geelong flyer would get to Spencer Street by 8 40 so it was filled to capacity with commuters from Geelong with a 9 amstart in the city. On both sides of Newport station we're buses that service the surrounding suburbs. It was also station that the hundreds of workers got of to go in the new port railway workshops. It hard to imagine the number of people these places employed. The north williamstown stationed the southern end of the railway work shops and also was the station to go to the railswys museum. The beach station served the beach two blocks away which would be jammed packed in summer. It was also the station for williamstown high school and williamstown hospital. Willamstion station sat in big grounds that never had the passenger to fill the big sweeping entrance to the station which was built on in the eighties the footbridge provided easy access to the Seaside Oval once home to williamstown VFA Football club. The present day footage shows no evidence of the wooden warehouses of the Victorian Oat and barlely board even by the seventies these buildings were delapidated and then the entrance to williamstown naval dockyards and their workers in green overalls only some services went to the peir station. You had a nice shot of the williamstown time ball tower which singled noon to ships before radio time signals. Each of the stations were manned and their staff were identites on the line as well as the newspaper sellers at many of stations and the kiosk attendents at newport. For me a nice trip down memory lane. Looking forward to another video
Wayne Corker
That is awesome how you cam recall all that information, the line must've been a big part of your life. Interesting you brough up Newport Workshops employment, even today there would be a big amount of people working there. I hope to visit the railway museum at North Williamstown for a video after Covid Lockdowns. Thanks again for sharing your insights and memories :)
Seaside oval is still home to the Williamstown Football Club although under pressure from Covid . From the President:
ruclips.net/video/EYyhwLI7Pe0/видео.html
Lots more RUclips coverage of their recent successes on their site or searching for Williamstown Football Club. Same ground since 1864 formation, unlike new clubs like Collingwood.
Some interesting points to which I could add a little. Newport Workshops also had its own train services and platforms. Indicated on public timetables and train destination boards when I was using the Williamstown line up to the early 1980s. My estimate is near the majority of the workers travelling by train there, used these "Garden" platforms on the direct free services. Garden station in the Workshop is still indicated on my Melway edition 38. Many workers also used North Williamstown station if they were working in the Southern end workshops buildings since it was nearer. The Workshops were so vast that they were served by three stations. Now the workers mainly used cars to travel there to work.
A search for Garden Platform Newport will show many photos, but tend to be from more recent fan based events.
Travelling by train to Melbourne from North Williamstown near daily from about 1972 to 1982, I did see a few container trains being loaded or unloaded onto trucks in Yarraville goods yard on a few rare occasions in this mainly 1970s period.
I loved this. Great job!
Thank you Maureen, great to hear you enjoyed!
@@thetrainman548 I live in Williamstown so it means a lot to me to see these. Great to see you are a young guy keeping the spirit alive. I also used to travel to Willy Pier station back in the 70s.
@@maureenrichards2560 Thanks very much for the kind words, I am glad you think that way about my videos :)
my house is right in front of a train track so every time we walk we see some remnants of the old train tracks next to the lane.
That's awesome, whereabouts do you live, in which suburb?
Thanks mate 👍👍👍
That was fantastic thanks Train man
Good vid. There was another station with Williamstown in its name, but on the Altona line near the Koroit Creek Road bridge. That was Williamstown Racecourse to serve the horse racing meeting at the Williamstown Racecourse track on the other sea side of Koroit Creek. Until closure, due to a suspicious fire in 1946, it was only behind Flemington and Caulfield for attendances. The famous Phar Lap won a race there around 1930. Might have been the Williamstown Cup. No photos of this station exist that I have seen despite my searching high and low.
Didn't know about Williamstown Racecourse station. When I do a video on the Altona Line, I must check it out, after the new lockdowns :(. Thank you very much!
I think Phar lap won the Underwood Stakes in 1931 when it was held at Williamstown racecourse. The Underwood is still raced today, but at Caulfield.
Yes the Williamstown race course was located where the Rifle Range housing estate is now. Was named the rifle range because it was the site of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics Rifle shooting event. Brilliant video. Shoot me your email and I'll send you the pic of Phar Lap crossing the post 1st and winning the 1931 Williamstown cup
Phar Lap won the Melbourne cup in 1930.. he also won the Caulfield cup in 1930.. a rare double... Won the Williamstown Cup in 1931.. the day before the Melbourne Cup.. The next day (his last race in Australia) in the Melb Cup he carried 68kg (still no horse since has carried as much) anyway at the start of the race he was still clear favourite to win... But came 8th and a horse called White Nose won.. it was such a shock Phar Lap lost that it overshadowed White Noses epic win.. but now looking back Phar Lap was at a huge disadvantage because 68kg is too much weight for a horse to carry as a penalty.. so if it was less like 60kg like today instead of 68kg then he would've won the Cup again.. but that's speculation I guess.
@@JaronChris-pf9uq No. The Williamstown Racecourse was located south of the Kororoit Creek in what was then the Shire of Werribee but later became the Shire of Altona. The racecourse area is now the Altona Coastal Park. The grandstand remains and other building ruins remained into the mid sixties.
The Rifle Range Housing estate was previously the Rifle Range funnily enough. The Rifle Range did not extend est of the southernmost portion of Maddox Road. The Rifle Range was used from about 1875 to 1990 not just the 1956 Olympics.
I really wish that all our younger generation could appreciate Melbourne history like you do... keep up the videos. Maybe you could branch out to our tram history too?
Thank you for the kind words! Eventually I will definitely look into trams once I have completed more train videos. Thanks for the suggestion!
Nice video mate!
Thank you! I appreciate support :)
I Remember Back In The Early To Mid 1980s Seeing Usually Harris Blue Trains Heading For Williamstown Pier!🤔🚇🛤️🏖️🌅
Awesome Train Man. You will have to do a video about the Werribee line with all the abandoned stations like Paisley on the express line
Of course, it was going to be my next video, however, with the new lock down measures, I am unable film the whole line, with all of the cool abandoned stations! Hopefully I can film in a month of two!
Yeah hopefully it won’t take long to be out of lockdown.
The Reason i mentioned Paisley was because I filmed there in my latest video if you want to see it
I shall watch it when I get home!
Ok thanks
Great video, well researched. Willy Pier station was actually located alongside Kanowna Street not near the timeball tower which made the curve from Willy even more tight. Not many trains went there only a few in the mroning and afternoon peaks for the dock workers. How about a video on the Willy, Newport and Spotswood railway workshops which were massive in their day.
Was originally near the timeball tower though.
Another photo of Williamstown Pier Station. But from about 1870, so 150 years ago, when the Pier station was nearer the Timeball Tower, as can also be seen with the original Timeball .
acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/_Zoomify/2011/D13950/a2825213.html
A huge amount of detail available by zooming in with the mouse wheel tools.
The original Williamstown Workshops in the background and some grain related sheds that I think lasted until around 1986 or so.
More modern photos are thin on the ground online and much less detailed because modern photos do not use the very large format glass plate negatives that were used back then.
Not from a Victorian library collection, but from NSW. Good series of photos they have, but they get confused about some localities.
Wikipedia states, unreliably, that the Williamstown Pier station opened in 1905. However that seems to be when the station was moved nearer to Nelson Place and the Naval Dockyard. Seems the Wiki contributors did not know about the Pier station dating back to 1858 and used by Geelong & Melbourne company trains for a few years.
Very nice! Beautiful part of Melbourne down there.
A little ways down Ann St is the Stags Head Hotel where I used to work. Lovely little old locals pub, and I believe it's heritage listed.
That's awesome, very close to Williamstown Station. Did you take the train, or did you live locally?
@@thetrainman548 Had to train from Windsor station. Another one of your favourites. 😁
The site of Williamstown Pier station is actually on the corner of Battery Rd and Kanowna St. Some remains are still in place on the northern side of Battery Rd going into the docks. The area you pointed out was however a goods railyard. Great video
That would make more sense, didn't really know the true sight, so thank you for the information. Glad you enjoyed!
The line behind Newport station is goods line to Sunshine and Tottenham, the dual gauge track was added when the standard gauge to Adelaide opened in 1995, prior to that the main line to Adelaide ran thru Bacchus Marsh, Ballarat.
The standard gauge line behind Newport station is mainly used for goods trains but does see a few passenger trains, mainly the Overland taking this route after the standard gauge to Adelaide caused this longer route to be taken.
3801 on a passenger special did pass through there on a special run from Sydney in the late 1990s.
10:18
The carpark used to be an 1800's artillery battery. The curve of the carpark is the rough shape of where the battery used to be. This battery gives the name to the road - Battery Road. This battery was counted as a separate gun emplacement to Fort Gellibrand that is 400m South.
The Williamstown Pier Station, on the other hand, was next to Kanowna Street near to the Titanic Theatre Restaurant.
Point Gellibrand Coastal Heritage Park was a huge Hobson's Bay Railway Company complex, I haven't seen any plans, maps, or photos of how close HBRC was to the gun emplacement, but my guess is fence line close.
This railway line is so cool mate. :)
Definitely, surprisingly one of, if not the most beautiful line in Melbourne. Glad to hear you enjoyed!
I enjoyed all of your videos mate
Great video! :)
Thank you Sam, happy to hear you enjoyed:)
it was amazing
If you walked up to the somerville rd bridge (under it) you can see a bigger portion of tracks and where the line split off from main line.
Also the fact that the level crossing used to have a pedestrian underpass till it was filled it (not sure on year)
Yes! I saw that fact about the underpass, but didn't put it into the video as I could find little evidence of it. That is cool about the Somerville Road split off, must check that out sometime, thanks :)
u blew up in subs like from 300-1.38k! I'm impressed
Thank you Alex, Hoping to hit 2.5k by the end of the year!
i expect u to hit 10k really early
Train Man, the Williamstown Pier station was actually located close to where the road crossed the rail line, not where that green open grassland is. If you go around to where the cars come into the area from the main street you should see where the tracks crossed the road, the station was very close to the road on the south side.
I took a ride to Williamstown Pier one weekday morning in 1987 before it closed. The train wheels used to really screech as it made its way through the tight curve although the Comeng trains were quiter than the others.
The North Williamstown Station from the late 1930s to the late 1940s also used to be the home of the Williamstown Trugo Club, the unique Melbourne game that was played by retired railway workers. The game is still played today but there are no longer any age restrictions. The courts were moved from the station in 1948 for the railways to build prefabricated houses for displaced people after the War. This was all around the car park area you pointed out in your video. Be warned the ghost of former railways worker Vernon Williams Wordsworth has haunted the station since they removed the Trugo courts. He died on the courts in 1942 and now can't find his way home.
I’m waiting patiently for the Werribee line
Sorry! You might have to wait a little longer, due to the new Covid-19 restrictions in some of the areas that I want to film, I will try to get over there ASAP
Another cool video.
Glad you think that, thank you :)
Would love to see Sandringham (Sandy) line. I used to travel along that line in the 1990's with my parents quite regularly. But now i'm in the UK. Great video by the way :)
I have done a video on the Line! Check out my channel and you ought to find it!
@@thetrainman548 Ah thanks, I shall check :)
Good job.
Thanks again John!
i saw the hcm trains in action and that was when I went to the museum of trains
That's awesome, haven't seen them in motion, very jealous!
The Williamstown Pier station was to serve the ship building dockyards. I believe it closed as it was only 500 metres from the previous station, and was barely used.
Williamstown Pier Station built well before the Dockyard opened. 1858 before Williamstown. A photo from about 1870, so 150 years ago, when the Pier station was nearer the Timeball Tower, as can also be seen with the original Timeball .
acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/_Zoomify/2011/D13950/a2825213.html
A huge amount of detail available by zooming in with the mouse wheel tools.
The original Williamstown Workshops in the background and some grain related sheds that I think lasted until around 1986 or so.
More modern photos are thin on the ground online and much less detailed because modern photos do not use the very large format glass plate negatives that were used back then.
Not from a Victorian library collection, but from NSW. Good series of photos they have, but they get confused about some localities.
Wikipedia states, unreliably, that the Williamstown Pier station opened in 1905. However that seems to be when the station was moved nearer to Nelson Place and the Naval Dockyard. Seems the Wiki contributors did not know about the Pier station dating back to 1858 and used by Geelong & Melbourne company trains for a few years.
Great video. Could you do the secrets of the Sunbury line?
For sure, after the western lock downs, the Werribee and Sunbury lines will both be done, thanks for the suggestion Tahlia!
Some where in your vids you said your on the Glen Waverley Line? Something you might be interested in!
Is, when i was a state school student at Bayview state school at Jordanville (a long time ago) they duplicated
The rail. The part l remember was where they widened the cut for the station on the north side and when they ran the rails.
The workers and passengers had a lot of trouble with magpies attacks because of the disturbance.
All the nests were in the massive pine trees along the side of the golf course.
Because of this workers wore hard hats and women and men passengers wore hats too.
It's the only part of the duplication they wore the hard hats and i think some were ww2 tin hats
Anyway, things quietened down when they finished the underpass on the west end for passengers.
SORRY! I forgot to say thanks for the vids you are doing! They're interesting and your persona keeps it that way! Cheers
Glad you are enjoying the videos Graeme, I actually think I have a relative that went to Bayview! Regarding you Jordanville story, that is so interesting about the magpies during duplication. I don't think I have seen many magpies at Jordanville, and the WW11 helmets, fascinating! Thank you for sharing!
Another excellent video!
What happened to your bike?
The first video without the bike, I missed it :(, I just decided to not use it, I didn't need to travel too far from the line. Never the less, we have it back today for Lilydale and Belgrave filming!
Around the time the line was first opened williamstown was considered a town separate to melbourne. Also williamstown, geelong and Melbourne were all considered as potential candidates for the capital of Victoria. Melbourne was selected but I imagine if williamstown was, the city of Williamstown would be the size of Melbourne, with Williamstown as the CBD, and Melbourne being a small suburb
That's an interesting thought! I knew that Geelong was considered, although I was unaware of Williamstown consideration. Hope you enjoyed
@@thetrainman548 Not just considered but planned in advance of settlement with wide streets to be the capital. When the government officials actually arrived they found a lack of fresh water supplies at Williamstown. The John Batman inspired settlement up the Yarra had ample fresh water from above a set of rocky falls near the Queen St bridge. A similar barrier to salt water as Dights falls.
Williamstown then only progressed as much as the early water wells allowed in the 1830s and 1840s.
WRONG. Castlemaine was the first capital of Victoria. Then Melbourne replaced later.
@@thetrainman548 Castlemaine was chosen as Victoria's first capital. Melbourne replaced it in later years.
In future I would do the new sidings on the side of the Williamstown Station as a part of my new job!
That's a great idea, looking forward to seeing it in the future!
The Train Man yeah, thanks!
I love this young person’s Vids
Haha, glad you think so!
@@thetrainman548 you're also very cute!
Pretty annoying how hcmt’s are a whole year late lol 😂, I think Williamstown beach and Brighton beach were often confused between, as they were both called beach!
That's correct! Interesting to see they were both originally 'beach'. Can't wait for the new trains, pretty frustrating we aren't on them already though!
It will be more than 2 years late I’d say.
Floyd Bromley I agree 😂
Alex The Noobish Gamer body is too stiff I’ve heard. Won’t flex enough on our terrible tracks.
Yeah we need to fix our tracks
There are a few corrections / additions:
* Construction of the line started on 12 June 1854 by the Melbourne, Mount Alexander & Murray River Railway. Construction was taken over be the government (Victorian Railways) on 19 March 1856. Part of the line was used by the Geelong & Melbourne Railway for 3 October 1857. It open on 17 January 1859. It is the oldest government line, and oldest surviving suburban line.
* Yarraville opened 20 November 1871.
* Edom (Spotswood) opened 1 February 1878.
* Greenwich was only open for about 34 day. It closed when the line from Geelong connected to Williamstown Pier station.
* (Williamstown) Beach opened 12 August 1889.
* Williamstown opened 17 January 1859.
* Williamstown Pier opened 3 October 1857 as Pier (used by the Geelong & Melbourne Railway until 16 January 1859). It was renamed Williamstown Pier in 1878. It was relocated in 1905 to opposite the Titanic restaurant (not where the car park is in the video).
* The park at the end of the line was the site of the former Williamstown workshops from 1858 to 1889, when the Newport workshops opened. It was then used as a freight deport until the 1960's.
Thank you very much for all of this information and corrections Andrew, I am certainly not close to an expert on the line, having only ridden on it a handful of times, I knew I would have a few mistakes, so thank for giving me corrections, you are definitely an expert of the line!
Freight depot until the late 60s? There were sidings at Williamstown Pier upuntil at least 1976 as our family used to drive down there, park along the water, get fish n chips or ice creams in the main street, walk back to where the red rattlers were stabled.
So maybe the freight operations closed in the 60s however suburban trains were still kept there up until about 1976?
I've been waiting for the willy line for a while. I love it!!!
Great to hear you enjoyed the video Jack, sorry it wasn't out earlier haha
@The Train Man ... HEY bud... good vid.... any word on the old spring vale centry line from spring vale. old general motors station , morington rail line. rostown line...
Mornington should get a special long video. I am trying to get special permission to visit General Motors station, that will be exciting. With lots of videos planned, I forgot about the Cemetery Line! I must check it out soon. Rosstown is another good one that is planned. Thank you for all the video suggestions, it is awesome
@@thetrainman548 not a problem !!! great hististory of melbourne trains....cool.
You are truly doing God's work. I thought you would mention the Railway Workshops station that was an offshoot from the Willi line. I was a regular user in the days pre V/Line.
Made it to melway edition 38 on map 55 J6 as Garden station, maybe some earlier and later editions also.
My seventies timetables for the Williamstown line showed the trains that headed there at morning starting times or departed around knock off times.
@@johnd8892 It's funny that I can remember using that station for work, and also for Newport TAFE, but I can't picture the platform etc. I am sure it would have been working at least until 1987, but as I get older the memory plays tricks!
The level crossings are due to be removed soon. Maybe after they are done, do a follow up on the new stations. Also include further history of the connections such as the former goods yard, the Titanic (yes, you read correctly!) and Fort Gellibrand. Just a thought, anyhow!
I should do videos on the level crossing removals and will include this information, that's awesome about the Titanic!
I'm very surprised that you didn't mention the Newport Train Museum at North Williamstown.
Yay!
Haha, hope you liked it :)
looks like u have 100 subs each day now!
Ha, not quite yet!
Not sure if it's still there but the signal from the yard at the down end was still standing amongst the trees behind the station building at Yarraville.
I'm not sure too, but that would be cool if it was still there, thanks for the interesting fact though!
@@thetrainman548 No prob. Grew in Seddon opposite the station.
You and my eldest boy need to get together, he is OBSESSED with trains absolutely obsessed.
Haha, that's great, trains is an awesome passion to have
Anyone remember back in the 1970s those concrete low built bunker style buildings with vertical steel rusted bars on them?
I always wondered what they were when we'd drive to Willy as a young kid.
I certainly remember the suburban trains kept at Willy Pier sidings, most red rattlers.
An abandoned thirties planned wheat storage terminal for exports. After construction started it was realised that Geelong would be a better location for wheat exports.
Williamstown Newport junction too congested as well as being further away from wheat production areas for a start.
Victoria's usual stupid political push to set it up rather than a knowledgeable logistics based approach.
@@johnd8892 oh.......I thought they looked more like prison cells to me.
@@garynewton1263 that's what all the kids like me living in Williamstown thought too. A convict prison.
But learnt the real wheat storage answer as adults.
@@johnd8892 oh................well used to love the red rattlers stabled at the sidings.
I'm trying to think was there ever Gelati or Hot donut vans down there like there was at Port Melbourne?
@@garynewton1263 no food vans when I was a kid. Just grimy 1850s era wheat sheds.
Nowadays near the timeball tower lots of food sales vans on nice weekend days.
Sorry I missed the premiere. I was having an early dinner :(
No worries, I'm sure I will do it again, trying to get into a weekly video habit, uploading on Sundays around 5:30-8pm, depending on the editing speed.
Ok thank you. You’re videos are doing great btw!
I like this :)
Happy to hear that, thank you!
i just saw some tracks off the lane
What are those signalling boxes used for?
The majority of the closed signal boxes would have been used predominantly to house staff that controlled the old gates on level crossings, manually opening and closing them. There may have been levers to control old manual signals that are obsolete today aswell!
Not many people know that the Williamstown Pier station was in use by Geelong trains before 1859 from about 1857, for a year or two, as the then northern terminus of the private Geelong and Melbourne Railway Company. This arose when the line from Geelong opened on 25 June 1857 but only to the then Greenwich station. This was short lived as land owners objected to the Geelong line running down North Road Newport to a pier near sandy point to catch a ferry. So soon after a curved chord line was laid to connect the Geelong line to the southern part of the Williamstown line that was already built. This enabled Geelong trains to travel directly to Williamstown Pier. From the piers at Williamstown passengers would then catch a steam ferry for the rest of the journey up the Yarra to Melbourne. Once the line fully opened to Spencer St station in January 1859 this chord line was not needed as much since the Geelong company trains could use the government Victorian Railways line to Spencer St station. The chord line connection was used for goods train access from Geelong to the piers into the 1880s. The line is shown on some early maps of Williamstown and Melbourne online.
That's so cool John, I had no idea that the track reached the pier early days, I was only aware of the line the Greenwich, that would explain why Williamstown quickly became a bigger port. Is there any chance you have a link for one of those early maps? Thanks again
@@thetrainman548 Glad you find my long winded comments of interest. Hope other do too. From the State Library of Victoria map collection I have previously found Cox's chart of Hobson's Bay from 1864 (the date is important) :
viewer.slv.vic.gov.au/?entity=IE7192876&mode=browse
Note the triangular junction at your correctly identified station of Geelong Junction as does the map. Also the Greenwich pier the Geelong Company used on opening for just a week or so. Note also the railway to the west is identified as the Railway to Geelong and Ballaarat (as it was then) and was until 1889 the only railway to Ballaarat. No Beach station then. No Spotswood. No Seddon. Footscray platforms in a different position. Another triangular junction at Footscray to allow the then Government owned Railway to Sandhurst (now called Bendigo) & Echuca direct access to the Government owned piers at Williamstown.
The piers and railway involved at Williamstown were a very important export/import hub back then as the Yarra was so narrow and hard to navigate for larger ships as the map shows.
A photo of the Williamstown Railway Piers in about 1872, but in the NSW Library from the astonishing Holtermann Collection of photos :
acms.sl.nsw.gov.au/_Zoomify/2011/D13950/a2825207.html
Astonishing detail when you use the mouse wheel to zoom in. Most modern digital just reverts to pixels when you zoom in. Glass plate photos have the equivalent of billions of pixels.
There is another 1870s photo from this NSW source showing the Williamstown Pier Station and substantial Railway workshops next to them as hinted at in the map. Also shows the timeball tower next to the station area and warehouse buildings. Shows what a hive of activity it was.
I think earlier passengers from Geelong did not have their train go to the pier but just walked a few hundred metres to ferry a terminal near the start of the pier. Saved the getting involved with the danger of unloading and loading other ships. They also needed a platform and ramps or step to get down from the train. Short lived arrangement after the line to Spencer St opened in 1859 and the Government bailed out the bankrupt Geelong Railway company. Still the chord line needed for goods trains.
Up river the Queens St falls is hinted at, and the river water shaded differently to indicate the saltwater and freshwater.
The early connection between St Kilda Station and Windsor station is also shown. No connection between Flinders St station and Princes Bridge station as is came later.
Some other aspects in the map tell a story also. A good map is so instructive but with sat nav maps they now get thrown away as out of date.
Hope all the links work. RUclips sometimes objects to non RUclips links I have provided elsewhere for some reason.
The links work! To start with, the Melbourne Map is incredible, I have never seen it before and it has amazing detail, interesting to see lack of township, and stations on the lines.
Fascinating about 'Ballaarat' and the triangle junctions.
All the lines and sidings highlighted that are no longer there (Windsor Loop especially) is really great to see, this may be the coolest map I have ever seen!
The Pier photo like you said has crazy detail, zooming right in and still having a clear photo must be so rare for really old photos like this one.
"Adelaide line.... That goes to Adelaide" best line ever.
If you ever want some POV cab views, hit us up and i can pop a gopro or something in a DMU (SC>Traralgon)
Legend! Thanks for watching Joshua, glad you liked the very intellectual quote haha.
One day, I may take you up on that cab view offer, I would love to implement that side of railways to my channel one day! When I do a Traralgon/ Bairnsdale video, I'll let you know :)
Hi, well done AGAIN. Just some house keeping at Yarraville the name of the over pass is Somerville Road not Somerton Rd as I thought I heard in the verbal content.. The Single line behind Newport is a very important line in the working of Melbourne as Australia's most significant maritime interstate freight terminal at the docks. It is known in the industry as the "diesel line" because it is not electrified.. But the most significant point is that it is dual gauge as depicted in your footage. Melbourne has 2 interstate mainlines for freight and passenger, the diesel line is one of them, it supplies SA, WA, NT and most of regional Victoria. Now to watch the balance of the video beyond Newport. Great work to date mate
Hey, you mentioned the early port at Williamstown and this the station at Williamstown pier, this fact is linked to the early port at Port Melbourne; the 2 lines that serviced these early ports were made redundant when the Yarra was dredged to provide an inner harbour with deep shipping berths along the Yarra River adjacent to Melbourne town. Awesome reporting Sherlock. churrs Dean
Thanks again Dean, I had Somerville Road written down in my notes, don't know what happened ha. I have hear the words dual gauge quite a lot, and I never really understood it until now, shame I didn't mention some more information in the video. I didn't know much else about the line so I appreciate the extra information, thanks.
Didn't think about the redundancy of the Port Melbourne and Williamstown Pier, but that is very true, they would have served little purpose when they were opened after that due to the little population in those areas.
@@thetrainman548 Hey, can you add in the info about the significance and high usage of the dual gauge line. On Thomastown Rd there is a relatively new second over pass which allows the dual gauge line to either proceed to Melbourne or in the other direction proceed toward Sunshine station and beyond. Also I will check with our train controllers but that dual gauge line at Newport is controlled from Adelaide. Then there is a no mans land for a short distance prior to PTC control beyond to Melbs
Victoria has a large network of dual gauge rail. About the "dual gauge" it is worth investigating why there was dual gauge; or in fact any variation in early gauges in Australia. Prior to rail the Murray River was the only conduit for transport of wool and wheat etc for local and International trade. The first rail proposal was from the port of Williamstown to Echuca such that the the precious cargo was unloaded across the dock in Echuca to the awaiting train carriages. Rail transport could easily beat the paddle steamers to port then early markets in Europe.
Once the railways were built by the various private companies each gauge was different so as the opposition rail companies could utilise the different gauges. Ever since it has been a very long hard battle to standardise the Australian Rail network
cool could u do The secrets of the Mernda line I know one of its secrets its between Preston & Bell stations theres a railway crossing Just for pedistrians
Thanks Jothi :)
Didn't know about that, thanks for the information Jothi, for sure, both the Mernda and Hurstbridge line will be done shortly, thanks!
Just gotta add the williamstown shuttle!
you should do a topic on v line
All V-Lines will have a video like this in due course, thanks for the suggestion!
some secrets of Vline Geelong/Ballarat etc would be awesome...
For sure Nathan, once all the suburban lines are completed, I will move onto the V-Line, aiming to do all the lines, thanks for the suggestion!
@@thetrainman548 You just take your time mate, tick em off one by one, and do what you want to when you want and can do.
Thank you cudgee haha, even with 1 video every week or two, it will be a challenge to please everyone's requests, eventually I will get through them all
visited Nth Williamstown with out peaking though the fence at the rail museum
Yes, very tempting. I will visit the museum one day, maybe a video on it, it's so cool