Yarra Valley Railway

Yarra Valley Railway
22RM passes under the old Donovans Road bridge on the Yarra Valley Railway
Overview
Service type	Tourist service
Status	Operational tourist services from Healesville to Tunnel Hill, relaying track to Yarra Glen
Locale	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
First service	1985;40 years ago (1985)
Current operator(s)	Yarra Valley Tourist Railway (1988–Current)
Former operator(s)	Healesville Railway Cooperative (1984–1990)
Website	Yarra Valley Tourist Railway
Route
Termini	Healesville Tunnel Hill
Stops	1 current stations 2 stations being rebuilt
Distance travelled	3.970 km (2.467 mi)
Service frequency	60 minutes from 10am to 4pm Sunday, Public Holiday and Wednesday during School Holidays
Line(s) used	Healesville
Technical
Track owner(s)	Yarra Valley Tourist Railway
Route map Legend km Healesville Watts River Tunnel Hill Tarrawarra (planned extension) Pauls Creek Steels Creek Melba Highway Yarra Glen (planned extension) Healesville line to Lilydale km This diagram: view talk edit

The Yarra Valley Railway is a heritage railway operating on a section of the former Healesville railway which operated between Lilydale and Healesville in the Yarra Valley area northeast of Melbourne, Australia.

History

22RM trundles towards Healesville on a morning service

The Lilydale-Melbourne railway was extended from Lilydale to Yarra Flats (now known as Yarra Glen) on the 15 May 1888 with intermediate stations at Coldstream and Yering. Part of the structure included a long timber viaduct with 502 openings near Yarra Glen, spanning the Yarra River and the adjacent flood plains. The extension of the line from Yarra Glen to Healesville required a 1 in 40 (2.5%) climb into a 154.4 metre tunnel with a corresponding descent at nearly the same grade. The Healesville Station opened on 1 March 1889 with an intermediate station at Tarrawarra.

Traffic on the line included timber, livestock, milk and dairy products. Early timetables included regular goods services specifically for transporting milk.

The last regular steam passenger service was hauled in August 1964. From this time until closure of the line in 1980 passenger services were run using Rail Motors, initially with Walker railmotors but due to degrading track quality the Walkers were replaced by Diesel Electric Railmotors (DERMs) from 1978 onwards. After 9 December 1980 no services operated beyond Coldstream and the Healesville-Coldstream section of the line was officially closed to all traffic on 10 March 1983. The Healesville Railway Cooperative was established in 1984 to reopen the line and in 1985 was granted an 'Order In Council' for this section by the Victorian State Government ^[1] to operate the line as a tourist railway. It was partially reopened as far as Yarra Glen for tourist charter services in 1986 following major bridgework. However, these services ceased by 1990 when the Healesville Railway Cooperative merged with the Yarra Valley Tourist Railway, who began running trolley services on the Healesville-Yarra Glen section.

During the Black Saturday bushfires of February 2009 Yarra Glen station came under ember attack and two timber trestle bridges near Tarrawarra were burnt down in a fast-moving grass fire.

Following a track renewal and bridge reconstruction campaign, on 17 July 2010 the official launch of the Walker Railmotor service occurred with the first passenger train service to leave Healesville Railway Station in over 30 years.

Current operations

Yarra Valley Railway (physical track)
History
Commenced	1985 (1985)
Opened	Lilydale to Yarra Glen in 1985 Yarra Glen to Tarrawarra in 1988 Healesville to Tunnel Hill in 1990 Tunnel Hill to Tarrawarra in 1992
Completed	1990 (1990)
Reopened	Tarrawarra to Yarra Glen in 1993
Closed	Lilydale to Yarra Glen in 1987 Yarra Glen to Tarrawarra in 1989 Yarra Glen to Tunnel Hill in 1994
Technical
Line length	12.982 km (8.07 mi)
Number of tracks	Single track
Track gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)

The view from restored rail motor 22RM whilst travelling on the Yarra Valley Railway

The Yarra Valley Railway currently runs a railmotor service from Healesville station to a point near the historic tunnel due to uncompleted track maintenance. Trains run on Sundays and public holidays, and some Saturdays, crossing the Watts River, and travelling under the Donovans Road overbridge. ^[2] The Railway is also presently rebuilding the 5 miles 48 chains (9.0 km) section from this temporary terminus to Yarra Glen station, including the reconstruction of the Yarra Glen and Tarrawarra stations and the replacement of 14 timber trestle bridges within this section.

22RM Runs a trip out of Healesville on a warm Autumn Afternoon

There are plans to also run Saturday services with the soon to operational DERM. After the line is restored to Yarra Glen, the Tarrawarra to Healesville Section will temporarily close to allow for extensive track maintenance. ^[3]

Station histories

Station	Opened [4]	Closed [4]	Age	Notes
Yarra Glen	15 May 1888 || 9 December 1980 || data-sort-value=33,810 | 92 years	Original service Formerly Yarra Flats
	1985 || 1989 || data-sort-value=1,461 | 4 years	Tourist service
	1993 || 1994 || data-sort-value=365 | 12 months
Tarrawarra	15 May 1889 || 15 March 1981 || data-sort-value=33,541 | 91 years	Original service
	1988 || 1989 || data-sort-value=365 | 12 months	Tourist service
	1992 || 1994 || data-sort-value=730 | 24 months
Healesville	1 March 1889 || 12 September 1980 || data-sort-value=33,432 | 91 years	Original service
	1990 || || data-sort-value=12,784 | 35 years	Tourist service

Rollingstock

The railway is in possession of a number of locomotives and carriages, including the following:

Locomotives

Number	Image	Year built	Builder	Status	Notes
J 516		1954	Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire	Stored	Victorian Railways J class coal-burning steam locomotive. Was plinthed in a park in Greensborough from 1975 until being acquired by YVTR in 1990. Stored at Healesville for possible future restoration. [5]
J 541		1954	Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire	Abandoned	Victorian Railways J class oil-burning steam locomotive. Privately owned by a group including the YVR and some of its members. Stored at a number of locations (including Healesville) until 2003, when it was moved to the Puffing Billy Railway for restoration. After restoration, it was loaned to the Victorian Goldfields Railway, where it entered traffic on 5 September 2007. [6] Left VGR in late 2011 for Newport Workshops for an overhaul for preparation to return to Healesville. From 16 May 2025, J541 was offered for sale by tender by Steamrail Victoria Inc., as unclaimed goods. [7]
T 341		1956	Clyde Engineering, Granville NSW	Stored	Formerly on hire to El Zorro.
Y 109 (Y 145)		1963	Clyde Engineering, Granville NSW	Stored	Ex El Zorro, Formerly Commissioners Loco Y 109. Renumbered Y 145 2005.
Y 135		1965	Clyde Engineering, Granville NSW	Stored	Ex South Gippsland Railway
Y 136		1965	Clyde Engineering, Granville NSW	Operational	Ex Downer EDI Newport Workshops. Transferred to Tarrawarra 03/04/2025
Y 171		1968	Clyde Engineering, Granville NSW	Operational	Ex Ettamogah Rail Hub
Y 174		1968	Clyde Engineering, Granville NSW	Operational	Ex Ettamogah Rail Hub
W 250		1960	Tulloch Limited, Rhodes NSW	Operational
17 RT			Newport Workshops	Stored	Formerly Sea Lake Shunter
53 RT		1975	Newport Workshops	Operational	Tarrawarra shunter. Built on frame ex I 181. Formerly Ballarat & Redan Shunter

Rail Motors

Number	Image	Year built	Builder	Status	Notes
22 RM		1948	Walkers, England	Operational	Walker Railmotor.
24 RM		1948	Walkers, England	Scrapped	Walker Railmotor. Ex Tallangatta Valley Steam Preservation Society, Huon
55 RM		1928	Newport Workshops	Under Restoration	"Super DERM". Ex South Gippsland Railway
58 MT		1952	Martin & King, Clayton	Under Restoration	Walker Railmotor Trailer. Ex Tallangatta Valley Steam Preservation Society, Huon
64 MT		1954	Martin & King, Clayton	Stored	Walker Railmotor Trailer. Ex Tallangatta Valley Steam Preservation Society, Huon

Carriages

Number	Image	Year built	Builder	Status	Notes
1 BW		1911	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational	Ex Steamrail Victoria
32 BW		1914	Newport Workshops	Under Restoration	Ex Steamrail Victoria
34 BW		1914	Newport Workshops, Smith & Party	Stored Operational
35 BW		1914	Newport Workshops, Williams & Party	Stored	Ex Steamrail Victoria
43 BW		1925	Newport Workshops, Owens & Party	Scrapped	Ex Steamrail Victoria
62 BW		1926	Newport Workshops, Barber & Party		Ex Steamrail Victoria
ACN 9		1981	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational
ACN 12		1982	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational	Transferred to Tarrawarra 12/09/2023
ACN 15		1982	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational	Transferred to Tarrawarra 27/03/2025
ACN 18		1982	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational
BN 8		1981	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational
BN 11		1982	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational	Transferred to Tarrawarra 12/09/2023
BN 13		1982	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational	Transferred to Tarrawarra 27/03/2025
BN 17		1982	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational
BRN 38		1983	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational
BRN 40		1983	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational	Transferred to Tarrawarra 27/03/2025
BRN 44		1983	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational	Transferred to Tarrawarra 12/09/2023
BRN 47		1983	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational
BDN 2		1981	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational	Formerly BN 2.
BTN 253		1957	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational	Formerly 3 AZ.
BZN 272		1957	Newport Workshops	Stored Operational	Formerly 2 BZ. Transferred to Tarrawarra 03/04/2025

Guards Vans

Number	Image	Year built	Builder	Status	Notes
3 CA		1960	Newport Workshops
4 CA		1960	Newport Workshops
17 CW		1935	Newport Workshops	Stored	Ex South Gippsland Railway
58 Z		1932	Newport Workshops	Stored	Ex Tallangatta Valley Steam Preservation Society, Huon. Former Wondonga Breakdown Van.
19 ZD		1879	Williamstown Workshops	Stored Operational
619 ZD		1928	Newport Workshops		Ex Steamrail Victoria
24 ZF		1962	Newport Workshops	Stored	Ex South Gippsland Railway
68 ZLP		1967		Stored

Line guide

Restored Walker Rail Motor, 22RM, runs on the Yarra Valley Railway in Melbourne

The Yarra Valley Railway currently runs on a section of track from Healesville to the Tarrawarra Tunnel. The rest of the line between the stop board outside the Tarrawarra Tunnel exit and Yarra Glen is currently being restored.

Panoramic shot of Healesville Station with the railmotor 22RM sitting in the platform

See also

• Tourist and Heritage Railways Act

References

1. Report of the Ministry of Transport for the Year ended 30 June 1985 Archived 30 November 2018 at the Wayback Machine , page 15
2. "Your Journey – Yarra Valley Railway".
3. "You are being redirected..." www.yvr.org.au. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
4. "Vicsig - Healesville line". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
5. "J516 at Australian Steam". Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
6. "Victorian Railways preserved steam locomotives at Australian Steam". Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
7. Steamrail Victoria Inc., J541 Tender Conditions, 16/05/2025

External links

• Yarra Valley Tourist Railway
• Gallery of historic photos along the Healesville line

37°39′35″S145°29′21″E / 37.6597°S 145.4891°E / -37.6597; 145.4891