Railways - Carpolac line

The Carpolac line was a line serving grain silos in Victoria’s Wimmera district. It branched off the Serviceton line at Horsham. The line from Horsham to East Natimuk opened in August 1887. The line from East Natimuk to Goroke opened in July 1894 and then to Carpolac in May 1927. The line from East Natimuk to Carpolac closed on 8 December 1986, although the last train on the branch ran in February of that year. The Carpolac line is now really marked by grain silos - both metal and concrete - at the station sites. A number of stations also have sheds for the supply of bulk super phosphate storage. In earlier years super arrived in rail trucks bagged.

Stack of wheat bags in a mouse guard at Remlaw, 1930 (Museum Victoria collection)

 Remlaw Siding

The Remlaw silos

 Vectis

Vectis with the platform mound to the left of the silos

Quantong
East Natimuk
Natimuk only the silos remain

The now demolished Natimuk station building (WTWS photo)

Arapiles

A length of rail-line at Arapiles still heads towards Mitre

 Mitre The railway arrived in 1894. Originally the station was named St Mary's, renamed Mitre Lake in 1904, then shortened to Mitre in 1920. 
Heavy rain over the Wimmera district in 1910 flooded the line west of Mitre where it ran on a low embankment through Mitre Swamp. Traffic to Goroke and beyond was suspended, and a new deviation around the northern side of the swamp was constructed. The old line through the swamp was dismantled and became part of the main road to Goroke. 
A large bulk head was built in 1951 and demolished in 1972, and an oat shed was erected in 1968. The grain silos, remains of the platform, and a short section of track can still be found at the site. 

Mitre wheat silos with the oat storage shed behind

 Duffholme was named after 'Lost in the bush' heroine Jane Duff. The railway siding close to the old sheepwash of Spring Hill pastoral station was changed from Nurcoung to Duffholme. It was a 'no-one in charge stopping place' for the rail motor.

Duffholme in 1971 (from "VR stations & stopping places")

Gymbowen The grain silos and platform mound are still evident at Gymbowen. Below the weekly 7am goods train from Carpolac arrivies at Gymbowen on its journey to Horsham.

Gymbowen in 1971 (from "VR stations & stopping places")

RMSP 70 beginning in 1937 and continuing until April 1965, there was a daily rail motor mail and passenger service between Horsham and Goroke. Stopping place number 70 was between Gymbowen and Goroke.

A steam loco at Goroke in 1967 (from "C.R.S.V.")

Goroke In July 1894 the line opened to Goroke. Passenger services ended in April 1965. There were still rails and signal masts existing in 1986, and the freight shed below was believed to be the former station building, now only the platform embankment and the silos remain.

Goroke freight shed in 1986 (WTWS photo)

 Mortat in 1989 and only the goods shed was left, this too is now gone and only the platform embankment and an iron storage shed is visible.

Mortat building and bins (WTWS photo)

This Wimmera grain line petered out when it reached the terminus at Carpolac in May 1927. Carpolac is still a grain receival point, the silos and the storage shed remain, and there are a number of grain bunkers on the site. The Carpolac line from East Natimuk closed on 8 December 1986, which gave it a life of just 59 years.

Carpolac in 1989, 3 years after its closure (WTWS photo)

Further information and photographs at

 Victorian Railway Stations and When there were Stations and Neville Gee's "VR stations and stopping places" and John Sargent's "Country railway stations Victoria" series