Whitfield railway line

Whitfield railway
Overview
Type V/Line passenger service
Status Closed
Stations 17
Operation
Opened 1899
Closed 1953
Technical
Line length 49.1 km (30.5 mi)

The Whitfield railway line was a 762 mm (2 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway located in north-eastern Victoria, Australia, branching from the main North East railway at Wangaratta to the terminus of Whitfield.[1]

Overview

It was the first of four narrow gauge lines in Victoria. It was unlike the other lines in that it was built through mostly flat, open, agricultural country, following the King River. The 49.1 km line was built as a narrow gauge line because it was thought that it might be extended into the mountainous country to the south, but this extension never happened.

One of the proposed extensions was to Tolmie.[2]

The line was opened in March 1899, and was the first line to close, in October 1953. The line relied mostly on local agricultural traffic, and opened with a daily mixed train. By the 1930s this had been reduced to a weekly goods service, and stayed at this level until the railway closed. There was only one lineside industry, a dairy at Moyhu, and the majority of stations were nameboards at road crossings.

Line guide

Whitfield railway line
 Distance
0 mi 0 chains (0 km) Wangaratta (Left arrow North East railway line Right arrow)
 2 mi 54 chains (4.3 km) Targoora
 5 mi 11 chains (8.3 km) Laceby
 6 mi 63 chains (10.9 km) Oxley
 9 mi 49 chains (15.5 km) Skehan
 12 mi 30 chains (19.9 km) Docker
 14 mi 31 chains (23.2 km) Byrne
 16 mi 34 chains (26.4 km) Moyhu
 17 mi 68 chains (28.7 km) Angleside
 19 mi 8 chains (30.7 km) Claremont
 20 mi 34 chains (32.9 km) Dwyer
 22 mi 8 chains (35.6 km) Edi
 24 mi 16 chains (38.9 km) Hyem
 25 mi 75 chains (41.7 km) King Valley
 27 mi 49 chains (44.4 km) Jarrott
 28 mi 51 chains (46.1 km) Pieper
 38 mi 27 chains (61.7 km) Whitfield

Whitfield to Wangaratta Rail Heritage Trail

The Whitfield to Wangaratta Rail Heritage Trail follows the railway but is an on-road trail, it is not on the actual former railway.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://members.optusnet.com.au/~narrow.gauge/whitfld.htm
  2. ↑ "Railway to Tolmie.". Kilmore Free Press (Kilmore, VIC : 1870-1954). Kilmore, VIC: National Library of Australia. 14 January 1909. p. 4 Edition: MORNING. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  3. ↑ Railtrails Australia - Trail Description - Whitfield to Wangaratta Rail Heritage Trail

Coordinates: 36°47′00″S 146°25′00″E / 36.78333°S 146.41667°E / -36.78333; 146.41667

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