2:23 is the goods shed of Merton railway station on the former Mansfield line, I drive past it most days on the Maroondah highway. The rail trail runs close to the road bordering the outer fringes of the rail yard as the buildings are now private property
There was another train line branching off to Alexandra at Cathkin from the railway line to Mansfield. Also, lines branched off from the main Melbourne-Albury line at Wangaratta which went to Beechworth and Bright.
I remember the old Springhurst to Wahgunyah line in service, when we used to go to my Grandmothers house over the river in Corowa. back in the 50's and early 60's. That was when there was still talk of joining up both NSW and Victorian Systems with a change of guage at Corowa. Pity, both lines are now defunct, and now pulled up in Victoria and either pulled up or rusting away in NSW. I also remember trains on the Cudgewa line as late as the early 70's when I was stationed in the Army outside of Wodonga.
The Wahgunyah line is still mostly in place but overgrown and disconnected from the main line, it was used for the Stringybark Express Lil Red postal motor mainly between Wahgunyah and Rutherglen between the mid 90s until 2002
It is sad these lines are gone, but I suppose you have to ask, "Who is gonna pay to run them?" ..and the answer is always gonna be, "Not me , pal", but it is a short sighted view sometimes, because infrastructure like rail have economic, social and environmental benefits that don't show up in the books. Real estate, industrial and residential, for example, go up near lines, and fall when they close and yet none of it is recorded in the financial records of railways to offset operating costs.
The other side of the problem is that we still often pay the fees that once paid for these kinda things, they just pay for what is now a private companies shareholders to get extra returns on their investments. Don't get me wrong, private industry absolutely has it's place but services like healthcare or the trains should always be public because that's really what they're for, not just to make a $$$ and that is directly because as you said, most of the benefits aren't directly financial in nature. Combine that with proper corporate taxation and we'd have zero problems funding a fully fledged, modern train network with an even larger reach than what we once had.
In an ideal world rails will be built and dismantled as required but unfortunately road services are cheaper. Only now there is a rennaisance of rail against the backdrop of exhaust emissions but rails will be main lines for bulk cargo and no branch lines unless there is some bulk commodity like mineral sands or wheat.
Okay here is the FACTS about railtrails and bicycles. Rail trails were introduced to Australia by Victoria by a train enthusiast. The late Mark Plummer, an active member of the Light Railway Research Society Victoria Branch. WHO CONVINCED THE KENNETT LIBERAL GOVERNMENT NOT TO SELL IF CLOSED RAILWSY LINE EASEMENTS. KEEP THEM IN PUBLIC OWNERSHIP AS A USEFUL ECONOMIC ASSET FOR RURAL TOWNS COLLAPSING AFTER THE STATE BANK OF VICTORIA GOING BROKE. A STATE GOVERNMENT OWNED BANK. During my campaign to save the Tasmanian North East railway between Scottsdale and Branxholme, Mark contacted me and explained you cannot stop the rails being lifted but you can stop the land being sold off and lost forever. IF one day trains are needed (no more petrol), governments don't have to buy back land at current market value. WHO ELSE BUT A BUNCH IF TRAIN ENTHUSIAST WOULD KNOW ABOUT LOST FORGOTTEN LOGING, MINING AND BRANCHLINES....NOT BIKE RIDERS.
Do you notice that conservative governments close and eliminate country railway services,while progressive governments improve and expand railway services? It's funny about that!.
Yes Sephen, and what else cunceservative - sorry that should read conservative (very childish of me) governments do is when they're voted out of office blame Labor for all their reckless spending. When in office their singular justification is always fixing the excesses of Labor. Liberal party in this country is a club of business mates that won't be happy until they've reinstituted a feudal sytem with all of us as their serfs, vassals and tenants.
2:23 is the goods shed of Merton railway station on the former Mansfield line, I drive past it most days on the Maroondah highway. The rail trail runs close to the road bordering the outer fringes of the rail yard as the buildings are now private property
Thankyou Keith Atkinson.
There was another train line branching off to Alexandra at Cathkin from the railway line to Mansfield. Also, lines branched off from the main Melbourne-Albury line at Wangaratta which went to Beechworth and Bright.
Latter branched at Bowser, as did the line to Peechelba East.
The Beechworth line continued onto yackandandah until 1954
My grandparents remember the bright and yackandandah railway lines.
I remember the old Springhurst to Wahgunyah line in service, when we used to go to my Grandmothers house over the river in Corowa. back in the 50's and early 60's. That was when there was still talk of joining up both NSW and Victorian Systems with a change of guage at Corowa. Pity, both lines are now defunct, and now pulled up in Victoria and either pulled up or rusting away in NSW. I also remember trains on the Cudgewa line as late as the early 70's when I was stationed in the Army outside of Wodonga.
The Wahgunyah line is still mostly in place but overgrown and disconnected from the main line, it was used for the Stringybark Express Lil Red postal motor mainly between Wahgunyah and Rutherglen between the mid 90s until 2002
It is sad these lines are gone, but I suppose you have to ask, "Who is gonna pay to run them?" ..and the answer is always gonna be, "Not me , pal", but it is a short sighted view sometimes, because infrastructure like rail have economic, social and environmental benefits that don't show up in the books. Real estate, industrial and residential, for example, go up near lines, and fall when they close and yet none of it is recorded in the financial records of railways to offset operating costs.
The other side of the problem is that we still often pay the fees that once paid for these kinda things, they just pay for what is now a private companies shareholders to get extra returns on their investments. Don't get me wrong, private industry absolutely has it's place but services like healthcare or the trains should always be public because that's really what they're for, not just to make a $$$ and that is directly because as you said, most of the benefits aren't directly financial in nature.
Combine that with proper corporate taxation and we'd have zero problems funding a fully fledged, modern train network with an even larger reach than what we once had.
In an ideal world rails will be built and dismantled as required but unfortunately road services are cheaper. Only now there is a rennaisance of rail against the backdrop of exhaust emissions but rails will be main lines for bulk cargo and no branch lines unless there is some bulk commodity like mineral sands or wheat.
The Wahgunya Mixed was supposedly the last mixed in Victoria in 1949 but I was told the Ballarat to Maryborough mixed ran in the early ‘60s
Mixed goods operated to Wahgunyah into the earily 1960s
if we're talking about mixed goods, then i do not know. but i do know that the last mixed train ran on the South Gippsland line to Yarram i believe.
All turned into bicycle tracks,with very little use.
You have obviously not seen all the bicycles on the Wangaratta to Bright and Beechworth trails ! Very popular and a boon to local economies.
Springhurst - Rutherglen is not a bicycle track yet, the railway line is still there. Not sure if it will be turned into one in the future.
@@comengshThe wahgunyah railway between Rutherglen and wahgunyah is a rail trail, the rest of the line sits abandoned with trees in-between the rails
Not true. The Beechworth and Bright trails are quite heavily used.
Okay here is the FACTS about railtrails and bicycles. Rail trails were introduced to Australia by Victoria by a train enthusiast. The late Mark Plummer, an active member of the Light Railway Research Society Victoria Branch. WHO CONVINCED THE KENNETT LIBERAL GOVERNMENT NOT TO SELL IF CLOSED RAILWSY LINE EASEMENTS. KEEP THEM IN PUBLIC OWNERSHIP AS A USEFUL ECONOMIC ASSET FOR RURAL TOWNS COLLAPSING AFTER THE STATE BANK OF VICTORIA GOING BROKE. A STATE GOVERNMENT OWNED BANK.
During my campaign to save the Tasmanian North East railway between Scottsdale and Branxholme, Mark contacted me and explained you cannot stop the rails being lifted but you can stop the land being sold off and lost forever. IF one day trains are needed (no more petrol), governments don't have to buy back land at current market value. WHO ELSE BUT A BUNCH IF TRAIN ENTHUSIAST WOULD KNOW ABOUT LOST FORGOTTEN LOGING, MINING AND BRANCHLINES....NOT BIKE RIDERS.
Do you notice that conservative governments close and eliminate country railway services,while progressive governments improve and expand railway services? It's funny about that!.
Yes Sephen, and what else cunceservative - sorry that should read conservative (very childish of me) governments do is when they're voted out of office blame Labor for all their reckless spending. When in office their singular justification is always fixing the excesses of Labor.
Liberal party in this country is a club of business mates that won't be happy until they've reinstituted a feudal sytem with all of us as their serfs, vassals and tenants.
No Labor Cain Government contributed too.
The music is frankly ANNOYING, but the movie is otherwise, very good.