Forrest railway line
| Forrest railway line, Victoria | |
|---|---|
| Line details | |
| Opened | 1889/1891 |
| Closed | 1957 |
| Fate |
Removed with partial conversion to rail trail |
| Length | 19.5 mi (31 km) |
| Stations | 9 |
| Type | Vic |
| Rail transport in Victoria | |
The Forrest railway line is a former branch railway in Victoria, Australia. It branched off the Port Fairy railway line at Birregurra, running through the Otway Ranges to the town of Forrest.
It opened to Deans Marsh on 19 December 1889, and to Forrest on 5 June 1891.[1] It had eight stations at opening: Whoorel, Deans Marsh, Arlett's Corner, Murroon, Dewing's Creek, Gerangamete, Barwon Downs, and Yaugher.[2] On 21 September 1891, four stations were renamed: Arlett's Corner became Pennyroyal, Dewing's Creek became Barwon Downs, Barwon Downs became Yaugher, and Yaugher became Forrest.[3] The timetable in 1940 stopped at the same eight stations as in September 1891, with the train taking fifty minutes to get from Forrest to Birregurra.[4] The line closed in 1957.[1]
The line was a key means of transport for the Otway Ranges timber and coal industries.[5] Prior to the opening of the Great Ocean Road, the Forrest railway with connecting coaches at Deans Marsh was also the primary means of reaching the coastal resort town of Lorne.[6]
An extension of the line from Forrest to Barramunga was debated from the 1890s until at least the 1910s. It initially received the support of the parliamentary Railways Committee in 1904, but did not proceed after an unfavourable report from an officer of the Railways Department.[7][8][9] Local campaigns for the extension continued for several years thereafter, but it was never built.[10][11]
The Birregurra-Forrest "Tiger" Rail Trail is a walking and cycling track following a section of the Forrest line's former alignment.[1]
Line guide
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References
- 1 2 3 "Birregurra - Forrest 'Tiger' Rail Trail". Railtrails Australia. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ↑ "The Otway Forest Railway Line. Birregurra to Yaugher.". The Colac Herald. 9 June 1891. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ↑ "Notes and events". The Colac Herald. 15 September 1891. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ↑ "Victorian Railways". Werribee Shire Banner. 1 August 1940. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ↑ Kellaway, Carlotta. Farmland, Forest & Surf: Environmental History of Surf Coast Shire (PDF). Surf Coast Shire.
- ↑ Ormonde, Lucinda (3 June 2011). "Celebrations for railway line's 150th". The Colac Herald. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ↑ "Forrest Railway Extension". Camperdown Chronicle. 19 April 1898. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ↑ "The Forrest Railway". Geelong Advertiser. 5 May 1904. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ↑ "Forrest to Barramunga Line". The Argus. 5 May 1904. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ↑ "Proposed Railway". The Colac Herald. 26 July 1912. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
- ↑ "To Open Up Apollo Bay". Geelong Advertiser. 27 July 1912. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
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