Bellarine Peninsula Railway
Encyclopedia
The Bellarine 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.
- 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 months of operation, the 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.
In 1968, when the Queenscliff line was still officially open, the Fyansford Cement Works Railway near Geelong was closed. They donated all their steam rolling stock to preservation groups, and Australian Railway Historical Society
's Geelong division, 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 an attempt was made to construct and operate a small tourist railway, the Belmont Common Railway, on the 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 be unfeasible. When it became clear that Victorian Railways
intended closing the Queenscliff line, the GSPS stepped in, and when the line was closed permanently in 1976, they began shifting operations to Queenscliff 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 Lakers Siding, in May 1979, and to Drysdale not long after.
and through grazing land, with an intermediate stop at Lakers Siding, every Sunday of the year and several days a week during school holidays. During the school term the Sea Side Exporer runs every Tuesday and Thursday. The Bellarine Railway is the home of the "Blues Train", featuring live music, most Saturday evenings from October 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 Seaside Explorer service ceased on March 25, 2010.
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Heritage railway
thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
located in Victoria, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It operates on a 16 km section of a formerly disused branch line on the Bellarine Peninsula
Bellarine Peninsula
The Bellarine Peninsula is a peninsula located south-west of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia, surrounded by Port Phillip, Corio Bay and Bass Strait. The peninsula, together with the Mornington Peninsula separates Port Phillip from Bass Strait...
between the coastal town of Queenscliff
Queenscliff, Victoria
Queenscliff is a small town on the Bellarine Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia, south of Swan Bay at the entrance to Port Phillip. It is the administrative centre for the Borough of Queenscliffe...
and Drysdale
Drysdale, Victoria
Drysdale is a rural township near Geelong, Victoria, Australia, located on the Bellarine Peninsula. The town has an approximate population of over 3700....
, near Geelong.
History as a working railway
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 QueenscliffFort Queenscliff
Fort Queenscliff, in Victoria, Australia, dates from 1860 when an open battery was constructed on Shortland's Bluff to defend the entrance to Port Phillip. The Fort, which underwent major redevelopment in the late 1870s and 1880s, became the headquarters for an extensive chain of forts around Port...
- 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 months of operation, the 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
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, 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.
Preservation and re-opening as a tourist railway
Australian Railway Historical Society
The Australian Railway Historical Society was founded in Sydney in 1933 as The Australasian Railway and Locomotive Historical Society. It aims to foster an interest in the railways, and record and preserve many facets of railway operations. Membership now exceeds 2,500, with Divisions in every...
's Geelong division, 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 an attempt was made to construct and operate a small tourist railway, the Belmont Common Railway, on the 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 be unfeasible. When it became clear that Victorian Railways
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations...
intended closing the Queenscliff line, the GSPS stepped in, and when the line was closed permanently in 1976, they began shifting operations to Queenscliff station.
Current operations
The railway currently operates services between Queenscliff and Drysdale, along the southern shoreline of Swan BaySwan Bay (Victoria)
Swan Bay is a shallow, marine embayment at the eastern end of the Bellarine Peninsula in Port Phillip, Victoria, Australia. The township of Queenscliff lies at its southern end, and St Leonards at its northern. It is partly separated from Port Phillip by Swan Island, Duck Island and Edwards Point...
and through grazing land, with an intermediate stop at Lakers Siding, every Sunday of the year and several days a week during school holidays. During the school term the Sea Side Exporer runs every Tuesday and Thursday. The Bellarine Railway is the home of the "Blues Train", featuring live music, most Saturday evenings from October 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
Leopold, Victoria
Leopold is a residential eastern suburb of Geelong and is a gateway to the Bellarine Peninsula.-History:The area was formerly known as Kensington. The Post Office opened as Kensington on 19 May 1858, and was renamed Kensington Hill in 1882, Leopold Hill in 1884 and Leopold in 1885. -The town...
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
Bellarine Rail Trail
The Bellarine Rail Trail is a 32 km walking and cycling track on the Bellarine Peninsula, in Victoria, Australia, that follows the route of the former South Geelong to Queenscliff branch line...
, accessible to cyclists and walkers.
The Seaside Explorer service ceased on March 25, 2010.
Queenscliff line stations
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