Bellarine Railway

The Bellarine Railway, formerly known as the Bellarine Peninsula Railway, is a volunteer-operated steam-driven tourist railway located in Victoria, Australia. It operates on a 16 km section of a formerly disused branch line on the Bellarine Peninsula between the coastal town of Queenscliff and Drysdale, near Geelong.

Bellarine Railway
Overview
StatusActive
StationsDrysdale to Queenscliff
Service
TypeTourist
History
Opened1879
Closed1976
Reopened1979
Technical
Line length16 km (10 mi)
Number of tracks1
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)

History as a working railway
Looking west along the Bellarine Railway to Queenscliff Station; at right is the Bellarine Rail Trail

The original line was commissioned in September 1878, and opened on 21 May 1879. It connected Queenscliff with South Geelong station, the terminus of the Geelong line, and the junction of the Warrnambool line. It was acknowledged at the time that although passenger traffic alone might not justify a railway line, military traffic from both the port and Fort Queenscliff—a key defence installation—would warrant its construction. It initially carried passenger, goods and military traffic, and continued to do so for several decades.

In the first few months of operation, it carried only one service per day, but at its peak, in January 1885, four trains per day ran in each direction, enabling the line to be used by commuters. However, this was decreased to three not long after, and was cut back to two trains a day in 1910. Traffic on the line continued to fall over the next twenty years, and in 1931, passenger services were dropped completely—apart from the occasional Sunday excursion train. Goods services continued to run, although they were cut to back at first to twice-weekly, and then weekly operation.

The line saw a revival during World War II, carrying mines from the Swan Island military base, but returned to pre-war levels afterwards. After the war, services became less frequent, with passenger services dropped altogether, apart from occasional special trains, and with goods services cut back to one a fortnight. The line was closed on 6 November 1976. The line is recognised as the oldest Victorian branch line still in operation.[1]

Preservation and re-opening as a tourist railway

In 1968, when the Queenscliff line was still officially open, the Fyansford Cement Works Railway near Geelong was closed. The cement company donated all its steam rolling stock to preservation groups, and the Geelong division of the Australian Railway Historical Society (ARHS), which was still in its infancy, received two engines. While Drysdale station was looked upon as a preferred site, this proved difficult to arrange, and a temporary site at the Belmont Common was used.

The Geelong division of the ARHS registered itself as the Geelong Steam Preservation Society in 1970 and it constructed and operated a small tourist railway, the Belmont Common Railway, on the Belmont Common. However, the site faced ongoing problems due to adjacent developments and its location on a flood plain, and by 1976, it was apparent that continuing on the Belmont Common site would not be feasible. When it became clear that Victorian Railways intended closing the Queenscliff line, the GSPS saw an opportunity, and after the line was closed permanently in 1976, it began shifting operations to Queenscliff railway station.

Tasmanian Government Railways DP class railcar approaching Drysdale station

During 1976 and 1977, the Society engaged in fundraising efforts and began regauging a short section of track around Queenscliff station, in order to enable their rolling stock to operate on the line. With the help of some government funding, they succeeded in operating their first services—from Queenscliff to Laker's Siding—in May 1979, and to Drysdale not long after.

Current operations
Train with "Thomas" face travelling westwards through Swan Bay saltmarsh

The railway currently operates a Heritage Train Service between Queenscliff and Drysdale, along the southern shoreline of Swan Bay and through grazing land, with an intermediate stop at Laker's Siding.

The heritage service is available on Sundays, most public holidays, as well as Tuesdays and Thursdays during the Easter, June and September school holidays. During the summer school holidays, trains run every day from Boxing Day until the end of the first week in January, then every day until the Australia Day weekend, except for Mondays and Fridays. The Heritage Service does not run on Day Out With Thomas and Queenscliff Music Festival weekends.

Carriage hire is available as part of the Heritage Service and suitable for children’s parties or groups looking for the benefits of private train hire without the added cost.

Experiences, specials and events offered include:

  • School holiday programs
  • Locomotive Cab rides available on days the Heritage Service is running
  • Steam and Diesel Train Driver Experiences
  • Day Out With Thomas weekends
  • Special occasion and wedding charters
  • Mid-week tailored group and school tours
  • The Blues Train, features live music on most Saturday evenings from August to May.

The remainder of the line between Drysdale and South Geelong has fallen into disuse, and the GSPS has not attempted to extend their operations back to Leopold or South Geelong. The sections of the former route from Drysdale to South Geelong, along with a walking track adjacent to the Queenscliff-Drysdale line, now form the Bellarine Rail Trail, accessible to cyclists and walkers.

The railway features a working collection of locomotives from all four state government-run 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge railway bodies in Australia; Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland; as well as from a number of Australian industrial railways. In late 2011, the railway negotiated to relocate the last remaining Australian Standard Garratt to the Bellarine Railway, from its current location as a static display at the Victorian State Railway Museum in Newport.[2] The transportation of the locomotive took place on 31 May 2013, with the Bellarine Railway hoping to restore it to active service.

Steam Locomotives
Image Number Type Builder Serial No. Year built Status Notes
6 0-4-2T Hudswell Clarke, Leeds 646 1903 Stored Originally used as a shunter at the copper smelter in Wallaroo, South Australia. Later used by Australian Portland Cement (APC) on the Fyansford Cement Works Railway until 1966.
454 PB15
(4-6-0)		 Walkers, Maryborough, Queensland 99 1909 Out of service[3] Used by Queensland Railways until 1969. Hauled tourist trains at the Bellarine Railway for some time, but is currently awaiting overhaul before a return to service.
 4 0-6-0ST Vulcan Iron Works, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 1916 Stored Used by APC on the Fyansford Cement Works Railway until 1966
5 0-6-0ST Vulcan Iron Works, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania 1916 Stored dismantled Used by APC on the Fyansford Cement Works Railway until 1966
 T251 SAR T
(4-8-0)		 Walkers, Maryborough, Queensland 276 1917 Operational Used by South Australian Railways until 1970. Purchased by GSPS and was in traffic on the Bellarine Peninsula Railway until 1991, when it was withdrawn due to mechanical condition. Returned to service on 11 April 2009.[4]
 Pozières 0-6-0T Andrew Barclay Sons & Co., Kilmarnock 1543 1918 Operational Previously used by Broken Hill Associated Smelters, Port Pirie. Was on display at the Puffing Billy Railway until June 2010, when it was relocated to the Bellarine Railway. Restored to steam in 2011.[5]
3620 South African Class 24 2-8-4 TBA TBA TBA Operational TBA
Klondyke 0-4-2T Perry Engineering, Adelaide 271 1927 Operational In use at Pioneer Sugar Mill in Ayr, Queensland until 1966.
S547 WAGR S
(4-8-2)		 Midland Railway Workshops, Perth 1947 Stored Dismantled Used by Western Australian Government Railways until 1971. Acquired by Bellarine Railway in 1980 for possible eventual restoration.
M6 TGR M
(4-6-2)		 Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns 7429 1951 Stored Dismantled Used by Tasmanian Government Railways until 1971. Hauled tourist trains at the Bellarine Railway for some time, but is currently awaiting overhaul before a return to service.
V1209 WAGR V
(2-8-2)		 Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns 7778 1955 Stored Used by Western Australian Government Railways until 1971. Brought to Victoria in 1982 by the Bellarine Railway and restored to traffic. Currently stored pending repairs.
11 0-4-0T Perry Engineering, Adelaide 267 1926 Under restoration Originally used by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission of Victoria in construction of the Hume Weir. Later used by APC on the Fyansford Cement Works Railway until 1966. Was on display at the Puffing Billy Railway's museum at Menzies Creek until June 2010, when it was relocated to the Bellarine Railway for eventual restoration.[6]
2 2-6-0+0-6-2 Beyer Peacock, Manchester 6935 1938 Stored Garratt locomotive used by APC on the Fyansford Cement Works Railway until 1966. Was on display at the Puffing Billy Railway's museum at Menzies Creek for some time before relocation to the Bellarine Railway for eventual restoration.
 G33 4-8-2+2-8-4 Newport Workshops 1945 Stored Last remaining Australian Standard Garratt, used by APC on the Fyansford Cement Works Railway until 1966. Relocated from ARHS Museum in May 2013, intended for future restoration

Diesel Locomotives
Image Number Type Builder Serial No. Year built Status Notes
V8 0-6-0D Drewry Car Co. 2537 1955 Operational Operated used by AN Tasrail until 1987
VA1 0-6-0D Drewry Car Co. 2227 1947 Operational Operated used by AN Tasrail until 1957
X20 English Electric 1820 1950 Operational Operated used by AN Tasrail until 1987
X3 English Electric 1798 1950 Operational Operated by AN Tasrail until 1985
1604 RSE92C English Electric A.059 1962 Operational Operated by Queensland Rail until 1991.

Railcars
Image Number Type Builder Year built Status Notes
DP28 Drewry Car Co. 1948 Out of service[3] Formally used by AN Tasrail until 1978
DP29 Drewry Car Co. 1948 Out of service[3] Formally used by AN Tasrail until 1978

Restored passenger carriages
Image Number Type Builder Year built Withdrawn Notes
ZA200 Composite brakevan Midland Railway of Western Australia 1912 1970 (West Australian Government Railways) Formerly numbered ZA 9348.[7]
AAR4 A saloon/buffet carriage with a kitchen and a bar [7] Clyde Engineering 1937 1978 (AN Tasrail)
BBL10 A saloon carriage [7] Clyde Engineering 1937 1978 (AN Tasrail)
AAR1 A saloon carriage [7] Clyde Engineering 1937 1978 (AN Tasrail)
MMV1333 Operated as a mail brake van Queensland Railways 1944 1988 (Queensland Railways) Currently used as a dance car on Blues Train.[7]
DAV1056 Sleeping/sitting brake van for train crew Queensland Railways 1924 1989 (Queensland Railways) Formerly DAS1056, was operational as an open-section sleeping car, converted in 1979 [7]
BUV1299[7] Evans suburban car (formerly a composite brakevan) Queensland Railways Unk. Unk. (Queensland Railways)
BU465[7] Evans suburban car Queensland Railways Unk. Unk. (Queensland Railways)
BBL6 Dog box passenger sitting car Parsons and Gilmour 1922 1972 (Tasmanian Government Railways) Formerly ABL15, renumbered and converted into BBL6 in November 1929.[7]
ABL14[7] Dog box passenger sitting car Parsons and Gilmour 1922 1977 (Tasmanian Government Railways)
DB46[7] Composite class brakevan Tasmanian Government Railways 1949 1987 (AN Tasrail)

Stations

Queenscliff Railway Line
 Main line to Melbourne
 South Geelong
 Main line to Warnambool
 Geelong Showgrounds Siding (Closed pre-1900)
 Cheethams Siding (Closed 1978)
 Moolap
 Leopold (Closed 23 January 1961)
 Kensington (Closed 30 July 1881)
 Curlewis (Closed 23 January 1961)
 Scarborough (Closed 30 January 1914)
 Drysdale
 Mannerim (Closed 23 January 1961)
 Marcus (Closed 6 February 1961)
 Suma Park (Opened 1996)
 Point Lonsdale Road (Closed 1920)
 Workshop (Opened 2007)
 Laker's Siding (Closed 6 November 1976, reopened 1979)
Swan Bay Halt (Opened 2004)
 Queenscliff
  • Drysdale Station Platform
  • Goods Wagons at Drysdale Station
  • Tasmanian Government Railways X class diesel electric locomotive as used in Tasmania, the first mainline diesel-electric locomotive purchased by an Australian government railway system[8]
  • V class diesel shunting locomotive as used in Tasmania

See also

References
  1. "About the Bellarine Railway". Bellarine Railway.
  2. "The Electric Telegraph" (PDF). Association of Tourist Railways (Victoria). October 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 March 2012.
  3. "Locomotives". Bellarine Railway. Archived from the original on 25 May 2017. Retrieved 10 May 2017.
  4. "T 251". Australian Steam. 2 October 2013.
  5. "Pozieres". Australian Steam. 14 August 2011.
  6. "Fyansford No.11". Australian Steam. 9 March 2011.
  7. "Our Trains". The Bellarine Railway. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  8. "X & XA Class". RailTasmania.com.
  • Kenny, Paul & Kenny, Kathleen (2010). Trains,Troops & Tourists - The South Geelong Queenscliff Railway (4th ed.). Drysdale. ISBN 0-646-43782-8.
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