Yarra Valley Railway

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Yarra Valley Railway
22RM, Healesville.jpg
RM22 Passes under the old Donovans Road bridge on the Yarra Valley Railway
Overview
Service typeTourist service
StatusOperational tourist services from Healesville to Tunnel Hill, relaying track to Yarra Glen
Locale Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
First service1985;38 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 travelled3.970 km (2.467 mi)
Service frequency60 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

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.

Contents

History

RM22 trundles towards Healesville on a morning service RM22 Yarra Valley Railway.png
RM22 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
Commenced1985 (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
Completed1990 (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 length12.982 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 View from 22RM into Yarra Valley Field.jpg
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 temporary terminus at the back of the Tarrawarra Estate Winery on Sundays and public holidays, crossing the Watts River, under the Donovans Road overbridge and through the historic tunnel. 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 22rm Yarra Valley Railway Healesville.jpg
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. [2]

Station histories

StationOpened [3] Closed [3] AgeNotes
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=12,053 | 33 years
  • Tourist service

Rollingstock

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

Locomotives

NumberImageYear builtBuilderStatusNotes
J5161954 Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, LancashireStored 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. [4]
J541 J541 VGR YVTR Castlemaine.JPG 1954 Vulcan Foundry, Newton-le-Willows, LancashireOverhaul 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. [5] Left VGR in late 2011 for Newport Workshops for an overhaul for preparation to return to Healesville.
T3411956 Clyde Engineering, Granville, New South Wales [6] Stored Victorian Railways T-class diesel-electric locomotive. Acquired by the YVR in the 1980s. Used on the railway till 2004. Transferred to Seymour for restoration to Mainline condition and made available for hire in 2008. Stored at South Dynon out of use 2012. Returned to Healesville on 14 May 2014. Presently stored awaiting repairs.
W2501960 Tulloch Limited, Rhodes, New South Wales [7] Operational Victorian Railways W-class diesel-hydraulic locomotive.
Y109 El Zorro livery Y145.jpg 1963 Clyde Engineering, Granville, New South Wales [8] Stored Victorian Railways Y-class diesel-electric locomotive. Formerly owned by El Zorro and re-numbered Y145, it was acquired by the YVR in early 2014. Moved from store at Camperdown to Healesville on 13 May 2014. Will be restored to blue and gold livery as Y109 in the future.
Y1351965 Clyde Engineering, Granville, New South Wales [8] Stored Victorian Railways Y-class diesel-electric locomotive. Transferred from Korumburra to Healesville on 1 August 2019.

Railmotors & Trailers

NumberImageYear builtBuilderStatusNotes
RM 22 1948Walker Bros.Operational153 hp Walker Railmotor.
RM 55 1928 Newport Workshops Under RestorationDiesel Electric Rail Motor. Transferred from Korumburra to Healesville on 1 August 2019.
58 MT 1952 Martin & King StoredWalker Rail Motor Trailer.
64 MT1952 Martin & King StoredWalker Rail Motor Trailer.

Rail Tractors

NumberImageYear builtBuilderStatusNotes
RT 17 Unknown Newport Workshops Stored
RT 53 Unknown Newport Workshops Operational

Carriages

NumberImageYear builtBuilderStatusNotes
1 BW1914 Newport Workshops Stored
32 BW 1914 Newport Workshops Stored
34 BW 1914 Newport Workshops Stored
35 BW 1914 Newport Workshops Stored

Guards Vans

NumberImageYear builtBuilderStatusNotes
68 ZLP 1967 Newport Workshops Stored
24 ZF Newport Workshops Stored

Line guide

Restored Walker Rail Motor, 22RM, runs on the Yarra Valley Railway in Melbourne YVR RM22 Healesville.jpg
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.

Healesville Station with RM22.jpg
Panoramic shot of Healesville Station with the railmotor RM22 sitting in the platform

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yarra Valley</span> River Valley in Victoria, Australia

The Yarra Valley is the region surrounding the Yarra River in Victoria, Australia. The river originates approximately 240 km (150 mi) east of the Melbourne central business district and flows towards it and out into Port Phillip Bay. The name Yarra Valley is used in reference to the upper regions surrounding the Yarra River and generally does not encompass the lower regions including the city and suburban areas, where the topography flattens out, or the upper reaches which are in inaccessible bushland. Included in the Yarra Valley is the sub-region of the Upper Yarra Valley which encompasses the towns of the former Shire of Upper Yarra in the catchment area upstream of and including Woori Yallock. The Yarra Valley is a popular day-trip and tourist area, featuring a range of natural features and agricultural produce, as well as the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healesville</span> Town in Victoria, Australia

Healesville is a town in Victoria, Australia, 52 km north-east from Melbourne's central business district, located within the Shire of Yarra Ranges local government area. Healesville recorded a population of 7,589 in the 2021 census.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lilydale railway station</span> Railway station in Lilydale, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yarra Glen railway station</span> Railway station in Victoria, Australia

Yarra Glen is the city-end terminus of the Yarra Valley Railway, which operates over part of the former Healesville railway line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarrawarra railway station</span> Railway station in Victoria, Australia

Tarrawarra was a station on the former Healesville line between Yarra Glen and Healesville stations, in Victoria, Australia. The station opened in 1889 and closed along with the line in December 1980. In the 1970s, timetables showed that the station was a flag stop because of the small number of passengers using the station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healesville railway station</span> Heritage railway station in Victoria, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coldstream railway station, Melbourne</span> Forer railway station in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Warburton railway line</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healesville railway line</span>

The Healesville railway line, in Melbourne, Australia, was the non-electrified continuation of the suburban Lilydale line, extending into the Yarra Valley. The line closed in the 1980s, but a heritage railway group, the Yarra Valley Railway, is working to retain part of the line between Yarra Glen and Healesville.

Yering is a closed railway station, located up from Macintyre Lane, Yering, Victoria, Australia, on the now-closed Healesville line. The station was opened on 15 May 1888, when the partly-completed line was opened as far as Yarra Glen. The station was closed on 9 December 1980, when passenger train services ceased on the Healesville line. The line was not officially closed until 10 March 1983.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diesel Electric railmotor (VR)</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walker railmotor</span>

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The Noojee railway line is a closed railway line in Victoria, Australia. Branching off from the Gippsland line at Warragul station, it was built to service the timber industry in the upper Latrobe River area, transporting timber as well as providing a general goods and passenger service to townships in the area. The final section of the line between Neerim South and Noojee traversed increasingly hilly terrain and featured a number of large timber trestle bridges. Extensively and repeatedly damaged by bushfires over the years, the line was closed in the 1950s and dismantled. The last remaining large trestle bridge on the line has been preserved and has become a popular local tourist attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Railway tunnels in Victoria, Australia</span>

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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. "You are being redirected..." www.yvr.org.au. Archived from the original on 27 March 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Vicsig - Healesville line". vicsig.net. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  4. "J516 at Australian Steam". Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  5. "Victorian Railways preserved steam locomotives at Australian Steam". Archived from the original on 15 January 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  6. "T class diesel at victorianrailways.net". Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  7. "W class diesel at victorianrailways.net". Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
  8. 1 2 "Y class diesel at victorianrailways.net". Archived from the original on 7 December 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
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