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Daylesford Spa Country Railway

March 28, 2024

The Daylesford Spa Country Railway (which is operated by the Central Highlands Tourist Railway) is a volunteer-operated 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) gauge tourist railway located in Victoria, Australia. It operates on a section of the closed and dismantled Daylesford line, and currently runs services between Daylesford and the hamlet of Bullarto.

Daylesford Spa Country Railway
Overview
StationsDaylesford to Bullarto
Websitedscr.com.au
Service
TypeTourist Railway
History
Opened1880
Closed1978
Reopened1990

History edit

Victorian Railways era edit

The original line was opened in two stages, from the mainline junction at Carlsruhe to the town of Trentham, on 16 February 1880. The remainder of the line, from Trentham to Daylesford, was opened a month later on 17 March. The line initially had significant goods and passenger traffic, with 50,000 passengers travelling the line in 1884 alone. However, over the next seventy years, both traffic and the quality of line gradually degraded, until the last passenger service was replaced with a road coach in 1978.

Reopening as a tourist railway edit

The Central Highlands Tourist Railway was founded two years later, and set about restoring the railway to operating condition. After several years of restoration, trolley services commenced from Daylesford station to a temporary terminus located in the Wombat State Forest, a distance of 3.2 km, in the latter half of the 1980s. On 15 September 1990 rail services commenced between Daylesford and the nearby hamlet of Musk, a distance of 5.4 km. Another 3.8 km of line was opened on 17 March 1997, allowing services to operate as far as Bullarto, 9.2 km from Daylesford. As Bullarto station had been demolished, this required building a new platform and installing a portable station building.

In 2002, the organisation changed its trading name from the Central Highlands Tourist Railway to the Daylesford Spa Country Railway.[1]

On the evening of 23 February 2009, bushfires in the Daylesford region destroyed 1.6 kilometres of track running through the Wombat State Forest, with about 2000 sleepers destroyed, rails buckled, and the last two broad-gauge cattle pits on a running railway in Victoria destroyed.[2] As a result, services were truncated, running out of Daylesford on the 1.7 km of line which remained unaffected.[3] The repairs were expected to cost $250,000.[4]

In August 2010, services over the first 5.4 km from Daylesford to Musk were reinstated after repairs to the damaged section through the forest, and the rest of the line through to Bullarto was reopened in December 2013.[5]

Rollingstock edit

DSCR Locomotives & Railmotors edit

Number Image Year built Builder Status Notes
RM 7 22 July 1949 Under Restoration 102 hp Walker railmotor. Stored for future restoration.
RM 32 24 March 1953 Operational 153 hp Walker railmotor.
RM 53 15 February 1926 Under Restoration A double ended Leyland railmotor
RM 62 21 July 1930 Stored DERM, Stored for future restoration
RM 63   7 August 1930 Operational DERM
RM 74 8 February 1937 Under Restoration Passenger mail motor.
RM 82 11 October 1950 Stored 280 hp Walker railmotor. Spare parts for RM 91.
RM 85 15 May 1951 Stored 280 hp Walker railmotor. Stored for future restoration.
RM 91 30 May 1952 Operational 280 hp Walker railmotor.
DRC 40   18 May 1971 Operational Diesel Rail Car.
Y 159   14 March 1968 Operational Y Class Diesel Locomotive
RT 3 15 February 1957 Operational Rail tractor

Trailers and Carriages edit

Number Image Year built Builder Status Notes
26 MT 29 August 1930 Stored DERM trailer. Stored for future restoration.
56 MT 5 February 1952 Stored Walker railmotor trailer
200 MT 24 April 1928 Operational Brill railmotor trailer
28 C 15 December 1891 Stored C van
ZL 544 26 February 1918 Operational ZL van
BN 1 16 September 1981 Operational N type carriage
BRN 52 October 6, 1983 Operational N type carriage
ACN 54 October 6, 1983 Operational N type carriage

Current operations and extension plans edit

 
Sunday market adjacent to Daylesford station

The railway operates every Sunday, with five return services to Bullarto and one to Musk on its regular time table. In 2017, the railway commenced operations on Wednesdays during the school holidays with three return services to Bullarto. On the first Saturday evening of each month, the railway operates the Silver Streak Food and Wine Train.,[6] although these have been suspended since March 2020 [7]

The railway also runs the famous Daylesford Sunday Market within the station grounds, which has been an important part of the railway's activities since the early 1980s.

In 2018 a new platform opened adjacent to the Passing Clouds winery at Musk, opening up new opportunities for passengers to enjoy the hospitality of the winery and travel there by vintage train.

For many years, there have been plans to re-open the line from Bullarto to Trentham, which is 9.7 km from Bullarto and 18.9 km from Daylesford. While these plans were on the back burner for some time, this re-opening is now in planning and is considered a priority project by Hepburn Shire Council.[8] The project will see the reopening of the disused Lyonville and Trentham stations, and the construction of a new station at Wombat Forest. However no date has been set for when the Bullarto-Trentham section will reopen.

Line guide edit

Daylesford Spa Country Railway
Legend

See also edit

References edit

  • Osborne, M., (1993?), Timber, Spuds and Spa, A descriptive history and lineside guide of the railways in the Daylesford district 1880–1993, Australian Railway Historical Society: Victoria Division, ISBN 0-85849-044-7
  1. ^ "History". www.dscr.com.au. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
  2. ^ . Hepburn Advocate. hepburnadvocate.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  3. ^ . dscr.com.au. Archived from the original on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  4. ^ . Hepburn Advocate. hepburnadvocate.com.au. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  5. ^ . Daylesford Spa Country Railway. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
  6. ^ . Archived from the original on 14 September 2009. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
  7. ^ "The silver streak". from the original on 28 December 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2022.
  8. ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2022. Retrieved 23 January 2022.

External links edit

  • http://www.dscr.com.au/ - official site

37°20′30″S 144°09′15″E / 37.341588°S 144.1541°E / -37.341588; 144.1541

March 28, 2024
daylesford, country, railway, which, operated, central, highlands, tourist, railway, volunteer, operated, gauge, tourist, railway, located, victoria, australia, operates, section, closed, dismantled, daylesford, line, currently, runs, services, between, dayles. The Daylesford Spa Country Railway which is operated by the Central Highlands Tourist Railway is a volunteer operated 1 600 mm 5 ft 3 in gauge tourist railway located in Victoria Australia It operates on a section of the closed and dismantled Daylesford line and currently runs services between Daylesford and the hamlet of Bullarto Daylesford Spa Country RailwayOverviewStationsDaylesford to BullartoWebsitedscr com auServiceTypeTourist RailwayHistoryOpened1880Closed1978Reopened1990 Contents 1 History 1 1 Victorian Railways era 1 2 Reopening as a tourist railway 2 Rollingstock 2 1 DSCR Locomotives amp Railmotors 2 2 Trailers and Carriages 3 Current operations and extension plans 4 Line guide 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistory editVictorian Railways era edit The original line was opened in two stages from the mainline junction at Carlsruhe to the town of Trentham on 16 February 1880 The remainder of the line from Trentham to Daylesford was opened a month later on 17 March The line initially had significant goods and passenger traffic with 50 000 passengers travelling the line in 1884 alone However over the next seventy years both traffic and the quality of line gradually degraded until the last passenger service was replaced with a road coach in 1978 Reopening as a tourist railway edit The Central Highlands Tourist Railway was founded two years later and set about restoring the railway to operating condition After several years of restoration trolley services commenced from Daylesford station to a temporary terminus located in the Wombat State Forest a distance of 3 2 km in the latter half of the 1980s On 15 September 1990 rail services commenced between Daylesford and the nearby hamlet of Musk a distance of 5 4 km Another 3 8 km of line was opened on 17 March 1997 allowing services to operate as far as Bullarto 9 2 km from Daylesford As Bullarto station had been demolished this required building a new platform and installing a portable station building In 2002 the organisation changed its trading name from the Central Highlands Tourist Railway to the Daylesford Spa Country Railway 1 On the evening of 23 February 2009 bushfires in the Daylesford region destroyed 1 6 kilometres of track running through the Wombat State Forest with about 2000 sleepers destroyed rails buckled and the last two broad gauge cattle pits on a running railway in Victoria destroyed 2 As a result services were truncated running out of Daylesford on the 1 7 km of line which remained unaffected 3 The repairs were expected to cost 250 000 4 In August 2010 services over the first 5 4 km from Daylesford to Musk were reinstated after repairs to the damaged section through the forest and the rest of the line through to Bullarto was reopened in December 2013 5 Rollingstock editDSCR Locomotives amp Railmotors edit Number Image Year built Builder Status NotesRM 7 22 July 1949 Under Restoration 102 hp Walker railmotor Stored for future restoration RM 32 24 March 1953 Operational 153 hp Walker railmotor RM 53 15 February 1926 Under Restoration A double ended Leyland railmotorRM 62 21 July 1930 Stored DERM Stored for future restorationRM 63 nbsp 7 August 1930 Operational DERMRM 74 8 February 1937 Under Restoration Passenger mail motor RM 82 11 October 1950 Stored 280 hp Walker railmotor Spare parts for RM 91 RM 85 15 May 1951 Stored 280 hp Walker railmotor Stored for future restoration RM 91 30 May 1952 Operational 280 hp Walker railmotor DRC 40 nbsp 18 May 1971 Operational Diesel Rail Car Y 159 nbsp 14 March 1968 Operational Y Class Diesel LocomotiveRT 3 15 February 1957 Operational Rail tractorTrailers and Carriages edit Number Image Year built Builder Status Notes26 MT 29 August 1930 Stored DERM trailer Stored for future restoration 56 MT 5 February 1952 Stored Walker railmotor trailer200 MT 24 April 1928 Operational Brill railmotor trailer28 C 15 December 1891 Stored C vanZL 544 26 February 1918 Operational ZL vanBN 1 16 September 1981 Operational N type carriageBRN 52 October 6 1983 Operational N type carriageACN 54 October 6 1983 Operational N type carriageCurrent operations and extension plans edit nbsp Sunday market adjacent to Daylesford stationThe railway operates every Sunday with five return services to Bullarto and one to Musk on its regular time table In 2017 the railway commenced operations on Wednesdays during the school holidays with three return services to Bullarto On the first Saturday evening of each month the railway operates the Silver Streak Food and Wine Train 6 although these have been suspended since March 2020 7 The railway also runs the famous Daylesford Sunday Market within the station grounds which has been an important part of the railway s activities since the early 1980s In 2018 a new platform opened adjacent to the Passing Clouds winery at Musk opening up new opportunities for passengers to enjoy the hospitality of the winery and travel there by vintage train For many years there have been plans to re open the line from Bullarto to Trentham which is 9 7 km from Bullarto and 18 9 km from Daylesford While these plans were on the back burner for some time this re opening is now in planning and is considered a priority project by Hepburn Shire Council 8 The project will see the reopening of the disused Lyonville and Trentham stations and the construction of a new station at Wombat Forest However no date has been set for when the Bullarto Trentham section will reopen Line guide editDaylesford Spa Country RailwayLegend nbsp Melbourne to Bendigo main line nbsp Carlsruhe nbsp nbsp Bendigo to Melbourne main line nbsp Tylden nbsp Fern Hill nbsp Trentham Planned Extension nbsp Lyonville Planned Extension nbsp Bullarto nbsp Passing Clouds nbsp Musk nbsp nbsp Daylesford to Ballarat line nbsp DaylesfordSee also editTourist and Heritage Railways ActReferences editOsborne M 1993 Timber Spuds and Spa A descriptive history and lineside guide of the railways in the Daylesford district 1880 1993 Australian Railway Historical Society Victoria Division ISBN 0 85849 044 7 History www dscr com au Retrieved 5 March 2024 Daylesford Spa Country Railway in jeopardy Hepburn Advocate hepburnadvocate com au Archived from the original on 6 July 2011 Retrieved 1 September 2009 Daylesford Spa Country Railway Timetable dscr com au Archived from the original on 14 September 2009 Retrieved 1 September 2009 Daylesford Spa Country Railway seeks 1 7m for repairs Hepburn Advocate hepburnadvocate com au Archived from the original on 6 July 2011 Retrieved 1 September 2009 Regular Operations to recommence between Daylesford and Bullarto Daylesford Spa Country Railway Archived from the original on 2 January 2014 Retrieved 1 January 2014 Daylesford Spa Country Railway Timetable and Fares Archived from the original on 14 September 2009 Retrieved 1 September 2009 The silver streak Archived from the original on 28 December 2022 Retrieved 28 December 2022 Crossing The Divide Spa Country Railway Construction PDF Archived from the original PDF on 23 January 2022 Retrieved 23 January 2022 External links edithttp www dscr com au official site 37 20 30 S 144 09 15 E 37 341588 S 144 1541 E 37 341588 144 1541 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Daylesford Spa Country Railway amp oldid 1211927523, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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