Returning to Carpolac

The story that won’t go away...still on the Carpolac line

Kym Phillips commented on the post "Railways - Carpolac line" which mentioned that the Goroke Passenger service ended in 1965.

Kym found the following excerpt in "A centenary of education 1885-1985 : a history of Goroke Consolidated School", which while not saying that the passenger service continued after that date, is interesting to note that conditions for passengers must have continued to be suitable:
"In 1969 the Victorian Governor, Sir Rohan Delacombe visited the Kowree Shire. The Governor's train was stationed at Goroke for several days while the Governor and Lady Delacombe attended various functions in the area - at Edenhope, Goroke and Lake Charlegrark."

So that entailed a number of searches: firstly to see how the 'Mail-Times' covered the event - it had two articles from 22nd December

From the front page

And page 11

As well as, how did vice regal dignitaries travel in the 60s? That was a search of PROVs collection of Public Transport photographs which yielded up a variety of images.
Believe this would be the now derelict ballroom at the Flinders Street Station.

"Railways Ballroom function for Sir Rohan Delacombe"

The Royal Sleeper, don't know if it was limited to royalty or extended to royal representatives. It could be one reason why the Delacombes were based at Goroke (with a railway), and not put up at the pub.

"Sleeping compartment Heritage Carriage, Royal train, 1927"

This was included as it was titled Wimmera Buffet Carriage just to show how railway travel used to be.

"Wimmera Buffet Carriage"

Likewise this one of a rather grand Better Farming train carriage. The Better Farming trains toured the state demonstrating new equipment, and promoting improved methods to farmers.

"Better Farming Train Display. K Class loco No. 109 and various carriages & displays c1930s"

After the cessation of regular passenger services on the various local branch lines, there were still a number of special trains.
From the 'Power to the rails' book, this photo taken by Bob Wilson of an Australian Railway Exploration Association special excursion train returning from Carpolac, crossing the Wimmera River at Quantong, on 18th March 1983.

From the Western Victorian Railfan page is this image from 1985/86 of Loco D3 639 hauling a special steam train at Jeparit, on the Dimboola to Yaapeet line, showing the jumbo grain silo on the left and the station building & verandah that was demolished soon after.

Special train at Jeparit

And still on the Carpolac line - A. Ampt has commented on the much discussed Museum Victoria pic of the wheat stack at Remlaw, or is it Natimuk?

Stack of wheat bags, 1930

He says it IS at Remlaw looking east, towards Horsham. And yes there is a peppercorn in the Remlaw siding yard too!

So another road trip out to Remlaw Station Rd to see if we can line up all the elements. A road that could be the Remlaw Station Rd (or Sission St) is visible entering from the right. And is the peppercorn tree hiding the Remlaw Rd to Horsham?

Okay after a drive by here is a present day photo of Remlaw Siding looking towards Horsham.

Remlaw, the shadow is cast by one of the silos

And the verdict - yes the Museum photo is Remlaw. Even though not taken from the same height, the weigh-bridge is visible on the left, the peppercorn to its right (though strangely it appears to be shorter now & impossible to park a vehicle under), then the tall sugar-gum now with a sparser canopy, then the plantation at the paddock corner. There is a shed at the group of trees on the right which may or may not be faintly visible just above the stack.

Balmoral line again

I'm re-posting the Balmoral line, as I've come across some more information and taken some recent photos. This post does not replace the original one from November 2012, I've just swapped some photographs, added new ones of current views to compare against the old, and finally I'm including Natimuk itself (really on the Carpolac line) in reply to a Comment I had on Remlaw (see below).
The Balmoral line was a north-south running cross-country line that connected Hamilton, and ultimately Portland, with Horsham, via the junction at East Natimuk. The line from East Natimuk to Noradjuha officially (and finally) closed in 1986, with the Horsham to East Natimuk closing in October 1988. Noradjuha to Hamilton had been closed since July 1979.
Leaving Horsham the line to Natimuk passes Remlaw. I had an historic photo from Museum Victoria purporting to be a wheat bag stack at Remlaw in 1930.

Museum Victoria photograph

I've since had a Comment posted saying they believe the location is in fact Natimuk, not Remlaw, so I felt compelled to investigate, and now I too conclude that it is at Natimuk, facing west towards Carpolac.

Natimuk today - with the same peppercorn tree & gum tree on the horizon

Checking at Remlaw, the trees in that locality don't match, so well done that eagle-eyed follower, and thanks for your comment (I've contacted the Museum too).

Rows of sugar gums in front of the Remlaw silos

Before reaching Natimuk East, the line had to negotiate a crossing of the Wimmera River at Quantong (though the road bridge was called the Vectis Bridge in the early days). Below is a great photo by Bob Wilson of one of the last trains to cross the bridge in 1983. The timber trestle bridge was built in 1887, and is 133m long.

The road & rail bridges at Quantong (from 'Power to the rails' by John Scott)

Natimuk East was the former junction station, splitting the westward Carpolac line and the Hamilton cross-country branch line heading south via Balmoral. Not much trace of the platform remains, it is still an important grain receival point with large bunker storages. 

At Natimuk East, the Carpolac line ran in a curve from the left then down the centre of the photo, while the Balmoral line enters from the right, its platform mound is between the two groups of trees then it runs parallel to the Carpolac one past the silo, where they join and veer right towards Horsham at about the shadowed area.

The Natimuk East silo shed with the bunkers behind

From Natimuk East the line passed through Noradjuha to Jallumba. Jallumba opened in September 1912 and closed in 1979.

Jallumba, the platform mound is on the left

The Jallumba Goods Shed 1989 (from When There were Stations)

Site of the Jallumba Goods Shed today - no trace

From Jallumba the line continued south passing Carchap. Though not a listed siding, Carchap boasted a school and pumping station as it was on the water channel from the Toolondo Reservoir (built 1952-53).

The Carchap bridge the school was on the right

This bridge is the only one I've found still existing (apart from the Fulham trestle) on the Balmoral line all the other bridges and culverts have been removed. From Carchap it was only a few miles to Toolondo.

The abandoned Toolondo yard, not even the Super works operate from there any more

With the rails removed at Jeffries it is now difficult to plot the line's course.

Jeffries in 1980 (VRS photo)

The overgrown track at Jeffries today

Further south was Kanagulk, due to wartime shortages the line did not extend to Kanagulk until the end of 1917, and strangely the Kanagulk station looks better today than it did back in 1980.

Kanagulk in 1980 (from Winkieg on Flickr)

Kanagulk today

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