Railways - Bolangum line

Approaching Bolangum station from the west, with Mt Bolangum on the horizon

The Bolangum branch line officially closed in October 1983, passengers services ended earlier.

Lubeck station building (from VR.net)

 Lubeck was the junction of the main Melbourne to Adelaide line, and the Bolangum branch line. The birth of the town was closely associated with the arrival of the railway. The main line was extended from Stawell to Murtoa through Lubeck in 1878, and the railway station opened in February 1879. The station site was created with earth excavated from the Lubeck dam. Initially the station served as the Post Office.

Lubeck today, with the platform mound in front of the silos

Jackson is no longer a station, and is clearly a disused grain receival site too. To reach Jackson I had to pass five B-double trucks carting grain from surrounding paddocks to other locations!

Jackson, with the platform mound in the shadow of the silo

The dilapidated Rupanyup building (V.R.S. photo)

The line to Rupanyup opened in June 1887. The red brick station building is now privately owned.

Rupanyup, looking east towards Bolangum, 1959 (from "C.R.S.V.")

Rupanyup again, after the line closure (V.R.S. photo)

Burrum 

Burrum, looking east along the line to Banyena

Banyena

Harvest activity at the Banyena silos

The rail-line crossed the Richardson River east the Banyena silos and curved south towards Marnoo.

Remains of the Banyena trestle bridge over the Richardson River

 

Work on the line to Marnoo started in September 1908 and it became the terminus of the line in June 1909. Part of the line was washed away in a flood in August 1909. The silos first opened for the 1940-41 wheat harvest.
A daily passenger and goods service for many years, it decreased on a once-a-week timetable, before ceasing altogether. 
The two platforms remain at Marnoo, and the silos are still active, however the water tank (left) has not been utilised for many years.

Passengers looking towards the Marnoo township in 1968 (from "C.R.S.V.")

Bolangum bound goods train at Marnoo, 1961 (from "C.R.S.V.")

The Marnoo passenger platform looking to the highway intersection (V.R.S. photo)

Below - Remains of the Bolangum line crossing the Marnoo-Kanya/Bolangum Inn Road. A gravel road runs down the railway reserve beside the old line. The Bolangum silo is just visible in the centre of the photograph on the left of the native pines.

The line finally reached its final terminus at Bolangum in July 1927, existing for only 56 years.The silos and grain shed are no longer used.

Bolangum's silos and platform mound (V.R.S. photo)

Bolangum rusting away

 Further information and photographs at

 VictorianRailway Stations and Neville Gee's "VR stations and stopping places" and John Sargent's "Country railway stations Victoria" series and Mark Bau's VR.net site.