Videos became deleted but are being gradually reposted
Last train over Tarwin River bridges at
Last Train over Tarwin River Bridges South Gippsland Railway 1994 by reidgck
Rail Removal Tarwin River bridges at
South Gippsland Railway Rail Removal Tarwin River Bridges 1994 by reidgck
Rails from Koonwarra
Rails from Koonwarra South Gippsland Railway 1994 by reidgck
The last train east of Leongatha is at
Last Train East of Leongatha South Gippsland Railway by reidgck
Last three rail recovery trains from Leongatha
Last Rail Recovery Trains Leongatha South Gippsland Railway by reidgck
Video 1
Rail recovery train from Boys Road Fish Creek on the closed SGR
Rail recovery train South Gippsland Railway Victoria Australia 1994. Rails recovered from the Fish Creek to boys Road section of the South Gippsland Railway, are loaded on the Melbourne side of Boys Road and the train is followed back along the closed line to Leongatha and to Korumburra. A recovery train ran once a week in 1994 to recover the higher quality rail between Foster and Leongatha.
The two locomotives on the train this particular week were P11 and T402. The last regular train on this line was the Barry beach oil train in June 1992. Although the railway had higher quality rail east of Barry Beach junction, Lighter rail existed between Barry beach junction and Foster, This lighter rail went as scap but the last Barry beach train brought back the last load of heavier rail pulled up from between Welshpool and Barry Beach junction.
Video 2
South Gippsland rail removal and Recovery trains Meeniyan area
Pulling up the South Gippsland Railway in the Stony Creek Meeniyan area and loading the rail onto recovery trains with views of the train from Meeniyan as far as Nyora. - Victorian Railways Australia July - August 1994.
Video 3
Last train over the Tarwin River Bridges
The last train to cross the Tarwin River bridges on the South Gippsland Railway Victoria Australia, was a rail recovery train run at the end of August 1994, more than two years after the line's closure which was June 1992. The train was powered by diesel electric locomotives P19 and H1.
It was loaded with recovered rails from Meeniyan to the loading point which was three kilometres on the Melbourne side of Meeniyan. There was a locomotive at each end of the train between the loading point and leongatha due to the now lack of run around loops.
Two similar rail recovery trains later ran from Koonwarra. The last two loads of rail were from between Koonwarra and Leongatha. The last of these two trains from Koonwarra was the last train beyond Leongatha.
The final two loads of recovered rails were dragged to Leongatha and were loaded from beside the platform there into the last two recovery trains. Neither of these trains passed passed Leongatha. It is intended to post more of the happenings during the pulling up of the South Gippsland Railway eventually, from the more than four hours of video taken, including the above mentioned; the methods, the dragging of rails across the first bridge, and the pulling the rails up on the second bridge and dragging them away.
The video caption shows the not powering H1 at the rear of the last train over the Tarwin River Bridges, about to be pulled across the third bridge; the bridge closest to Melbourne, by P19 which was at the front of the train. H1 was the leading locomotive on the forward journey to the loading point near Meeniyan from Leongatha, and it again became the leading locomotive from Leongatha to Melbourne.
Video 4
Dismantling the SGR between Meeniyan and Koonwarra
Video record of the pulling up of the the South Gippsland Railway Victoria Australia in 1994 between Meeniyan and Koonwarra. The video Includes showing the rails being dragged by the rail tractor being used, across two of the three long Tarwin River wooden trestle bridges on the way to the stockpiles at Koonwarra for the rail recovery trains to pick up.
Featured also, is the pulling up of, and the dragging of the rails from the middle Tarwin River trestle bridge by the rail tractor. Also included is the loading of a train in charge of diesel electric locomotives T400 and T388, with recovered rail, and the train then leaving Koonwarra with flagmen stopping the road traffic with red flags as the level crossing lights had been removed after the closure of the railway. Following, are views of this train, later climbing the long hill into Leongatha.
This was the second last train to arrive at Leongatha from the east. The final train was the following week carrying the last of the two loads of rails from Koonwarra which were taken up from the Meeniyan - Koonwarra section. The final two loads of rail from the six kilometre Koonwarra to Leongatha section after that, were loaded beside the Leongatha station platform after having been dragged from as far away as Koonwarra. During this task, the rail and road tractor shown in action in the video, and which was being used to drag the recovered rails to the loading points, became a victim of the hard work issued to it, and suffered a major mechanical breakdown.
Video 5
Last train east of Leongatha
The last train along the South Gippsland Railway east of Leongatha, along the remaining section of the railway that had been closed since mid 1992, was a rail recovery train to and from Koonwarra. The locomotives were P23 and P12 each at opposite ends of the train from Leongatha as there were no servicable loops or sidings remaining for locomotives to change ends at Koonwarra some six kilometres from Leongatha.
The train is videoed being loaded with recovered rail, departing Koonwarra, and between Koonwarra and Leongatha. Following are some scenes at Koonwarra two weeks later and some video of the Tarwin River which was in flood after heavy rains between that time and the time the rails were removed from the three Tarwin River wooden trestle bridges
Last Train east of Leongatha at Koonwarra By reidgck The scene is now quite different at Koonwarra. In a picture above, the highway is shown going up past the shop in the distance. When the railway closed, the highway was reconstructed and now follows the old railway formation for some distance
Video 6
Last trains loaded at Leongatha
The last of the series of videos recording the pulling up of the South Gippsland Railway beyond Leongatha with three trains being loaded with rails that had been dragged from as far away as Koonwarra, to beside the passenger station platform at Leongatha.
Last train over Tarwin River bridges at
Last Train over Tarwin River Bridges South Gippsland Railway 1994 by reidgck
Rail Removal Tarwin River bridges at
South Gippsland Railway Rail Removal Tarwin River Bridges 1994 by reidgck
Rails from Koonwarra
Rails from Koonwarra South Gippsland Railway 1994 by reidgck
The last train east of Leongatha is at
Last Train East of Leongatha South Gippsland Railway by reidgck
Last three rail recovery trains from Leongatha
Last Rail Recovery Trains Leongatha South Gippsland Railway by reidgck
Video 1
Rail recovery train from Boys Road Fish Creek on the closed SGR
Rail recovery train South Gippsland Railway Victoria Australia 1994. Rails recovered from the Fish Creek to boys Road section of the South Gippsland Railway, are loaded on the Melbourne side of Boys Road and the train is followed back along the closed line to Leongatha and to Korumburra. A recovery train ran once a week in 1994 to recover the higher quality rail between Foster and Leongatha.
The two locomotives on the train this particular week were P11 and T402. The last regular train on this line was the Barry beach oil train in June 1992. Although the railway had higher quality rail east of Barry Beach junction, Lighter rail existed between Barry beach junction and Foster, This lighter rail went as scap but the last Barry beach train brought back the last load of heavier rail pulled up from between Welshpool and Barry Beach junction.
Video 2
South Gippsland rail removal and Recovery trains Meeniyan area
Pulling up the South Gippsland Railway in the Stony Creek Meeniyan area and loading the rail onto recovery trains with views of the train from Meeniyan as far as Nyora. - Victorian Railways Australia July - August 1994.
Video 3
Last train over the Tarwin River Bridges
The last train to cross the Tarwin River bridges on the South Gippsland Railway Victoria Australia, was a rail recovery train run at the end of August 1994, more than two years after the line's closure which was June 1992. The train was powered by diesel electric locomotives P19 and H1.
It was loaded with recovered rails from Meeniyan to the loading point which was three kilometres on the Melbourne side of Meeniyan. There was a locomotive at each end of the train between the loading point and leongatha due to the now lack of run around loops.
Two similar rail recovery trains later ran from Koonwarra. The last two loads of rail were from between Koonwarra and Leongatha. The last of these two trains from Koonwarra was the last train beyond Leongatha.
The final two loads of recovered rails were dragged to Leongatha and were loaded from beside the platform there into the last two recovery trains. Neither of these trains passed passed Leongatha. It is intended to post more of the happenings during the pulling up of the South Gippsland Railway eventually, from the more than four hours of video taken, including the above mentioned; the methods, the dragging of rails across the first bridge, and the pulling the rails up on the second bridge and dragging them away.
The video caption shows the not powering H1 at the rear of the last train over the Tarwin River Bridges, about to be pulled across the third bridge; the bridge closest to Melbourne, by P19 which was at the front of the train. H1 was the leading locomotive on the forward journey to the loading point near Meeniyan from Leongatha, and it again became the leading locomotive from Leongatha to Melbourne.
Video 4
Dismantling the SGR between Meeniyan and Koonwarra
Video record of the pulling up of the the South Gippsland Railway Victoria Australia in 1994 between Meeniyan and Koonwarra. The video Includes showing the rails being dragged by the rail tractor being used, across two of the three long Tarwin River wooden trestle bridges on the way to the stockpiles at Koonwarra for the rail recovery trains to pick up.
Featured also, is the pulling up of, and the dragging of the rails from the middle Tarwin River trestle bridge by the rail tractor. Also included is the loading of a train in charge of diesel electric locomotives T400 and T388, with recovered rail, and the train then leaving Koonwarra with flagmen stopping the road traffic with red flags as the level crossing lights had been removed after the closure of the railway. Following, are views of this train, later climbing the long hill into Leongatha.
This was the second last train to arrive at Leongatha from the east. The final train was the following week carrying the last of the two loads of rails from Koonwarra which were taken up from the Meeniyan - Koonwarra section. The final two loads of rail from the six kilometre Koonwarra to Leongatha section after that, were loaded beside the Leongatha station platform after having been dragged from as far away as Koonwarra. During this task, the rail and road tractor shown in action in the video, and which was being used to drag the recovered rails to the loading points, became a victim of the hard work issued to it, and suffered a major mechanical breakdown.
Video 5
Last train east of Leongatha
The last train along the South Gippsland Railway east of Leongatha, along the remaining section of the railway that had been closed since mid 1992, was a rail recovery train to and from Koonwarra. The locomotives were P23 and P12 each at opposite ends of the train from Leongatha as there were no servicable loops or sidings remaining for locomotives to change ends at Koonwarra some six kilometres from Leongatha.
The train is videoed being loaded with recovered rail, departing Koonwarra, and between Koonwarra and Leongatha. Following are some scenes at Koonwarra two weeks later and some video of the Tarwin River which was in flood after heavy rains between that time and the time the rails were removed from the three Tarwin River wooden trestle bridges
Last Train east of Leongatha at Koonwarra By reidgck The scene is now quite different at Koonwarra. In a picture above, the highway is shown going up past the shop in the distance. When the railway closed, the highway was reconstructed and now follows the old railway formation for some distance
Video 6
Last trains loaded at Leongatha
The last of the series of videos recording the pulling up of the South Gippsland Railway beyond Leongatha with three trains being loaded with rails that had been dragged from as far away as Koonwarra, to beside the passenger station platform at Leongatha.
Sad to see these videos - railway unlikely to ever return.
