Former Inter-connecting railway (SECV) Morewell

aus.rail · Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2003 10:28 pm

I travel down to Traralgon on a regular basis and am after some information
on the former SEC railway at Morwell

1: When did it open and how extensive was it?

2: What rolling stock was used and does any remain, if so, where?

3: What safeworking, if any, was used?

4: When was electric traction replaced with diesel and why?

5: When and why was it closed?

6: When was it dismantled?

7: Is there any access to the formation?

8: Are there any plans for the formation i.e. bike track, walking trail etc?

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aus.rail · Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2003 10:29 pm

"One Of A Kind" <spambait@nothanks> wrote in message news:<3e479fdf$0$8831
>
> 2: What rolling stock was used and does any remain, if so, where?
Diesel locos included ex a couple of QR Walkers B-B DH class (when
operated by Cooks Construction), and subsequently 5 Gemco 4wDH, built
in the 80s and used on several tunnel/dam construction projects in
Tassie before going to Vic. The Gemcos were bought because Energy Brix
took over the line's operation from CC. They found the task a bit of a
struggle I think. According to Light Railways magazine (current
issue), the Gemcos are up for sale at the moment. The Walkers locs may
have gone up to Qld, awaiting rebuilding to 2' gauge for sugar working
(not sure though).
>
> 4: When was electric traction replaced with diesel and why?
ISTR cost of maintaining overhead, plus avaliablity of cheap second
hand diesels were factors in that decision. 1980s?

>
> 5: When and why was it closed?
Late 2000 or early 2001 I think. Line needed to be relocated due to
expanded mine operations, decision was taken to use trucks instead.
>

> 7: Is there any access to the formation?
> 8: Are there any plans for the formation i.e. bike track, walking trail etc?
I doubt it. See answer to 5 above.

This is all from memory, but LR magazine has documented the decline
and demise of the ICR comprehensively in recent years.

Cheers, J

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aus.rail · Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2003 10:29 pm

"One Of A Kind" <spambait@nothanks> wrote in message
news:3e479fdf$0$8831$afc38c87@news.optusnet.com.au...
> I travel down to Traralgon on a regular basis and am after some
information
> on the former SEC railway at Morwell
>

I moved to Traralgon (12 months ago today as it happens) and would be
interested to know where specifically this railway ran.

I assume it is the former line that branches off the Traralgon line just
before the Monash Way overpass. It then crosses the Princes Mwy (signed as
"Briquette Railway") and Commercial road before entering the Briquette
factory. From here it runs west behind Powerworks and past the open cut. The
line then turns nor-northwest to pass under the Princes Mwy (the alignment
and a number of trackside signs etc. are easily seen from the Mwy, then over
Commercial Rd, Princes Way and the Traralgon railway and onto, I assume, the
Yallourn power station?

While on the topic of La Trobe Valley railways, does anyone know where the
Mirboo North railway (tramway?) left the main line? I assume in the vicinity
of Tramway Road? Are there any remnants of the line between Churchill and
Morwell?

Also, where did the railway line from Erica and Walhalla meet the main line?
In Moe? Is this alignment that is crossed on Narracan Drive immediately
after exiting THE roundabout? (Anyone who's been to Moe will know what
roundabout I'm talking about. The one that crosses over the main railway
line. That thing is a lot of fun drunk [as a passenger of course.])

Cheers,
Mike

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gippslander · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 10:34 am

Some more detail on this line: It was the last remaining section of an extensive group of narrow gauge railways used by the former SECV from about 1926. The lines were originally used to move coal and overburden in the open cut coal mines, but were gradually replaced by road transport and conveyers. By the mid 1980s, the ICR was the only survivor - its only purpose was to transport briquetting coal from Yallourn to the Morwell briquette factory. The line was closed because of proposed extensions to the Yallourn mine and also due to the fact that the rollingstock and track was in very poor condition - (however it still hauled about a million tonnes a year into the mid 1990's). There was a very comprehensive history of the line written by J.A. Vines in 1994 - was available in the Melb railfan shop.

The ICR was operated by local transport operator NLC until October 2000 and the track was lifted between Sep-Dec 2001. Its entire track route is on privately controlled mining area and is completely fenced - don't even think about trying to inspect it! The only publicly visible remnant is the rail over road bridge crossing Commercial Rd at Morwell.

Whilst the ICR is sadly gone forever and local roads now have the burden of the coal trucks, part of it lives on as the Walhalla Goldfields Railway (WGR) tourist line. When the concept of reconstructing the 2'6" gauge WGR was first seriously contemplated in 1992, the SECV had made a decision to close the ICR. As the ICR gauge of 900mm was very close the WGR's needs, the WGR was able to negotiate the donation of a John Fowler diesel loco, numerous coal wegons, ballast wagons, track, sleepers and other fittings. The WGR scrapped the coal wagon bodies, had the underframe bogies regauged and the SEC built the two first NBW passenger carriages on these using surplus labour. The ICR closure was saved by Cooks Constructions offering to run the line privately with diesel traction.

With the use of the ICR assets, WGR was able to commence passenger train operations at Thomson in 1994 and now carries 30,000 tourists each year. Following the dismantling of the ICR, the WGR purchased more coal wagons and near new sleepers which were used in the construction of the new yard at Walhalla. Puffing Billy also bought some ICR ballast wagons.

The Fowler loco is named 'Spirit of Yallourn' in recognition of its 40 year life on the ICR - it is now the WGR's main loco and has hauled most of the works and passenger trains over the last 9 years. We are quite proud that a little of the ICR lives on in active service at Walhalla, only 30km away from Yallourn.

Rob

zipitidoodah · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 11:00 am

The line was dismantled (at least, the bit that goes under the Princes Freeway) early last year (2002) / late 2001.

The line signed "Briquette line" is not the SECV line. It branches off at Morwell Yard/station and goes to the briquette factory (Energy Brix), where it stops. According to some old maps, it used to go around to the eastern side of Hazelwood Power Station.

The SECV narrow gauge went from Yallourn to Hazelwood Power Station / Morwell Open Cut and this is the one that went under the freeway. It doesn't join up with the briquette line.

The Mirboo North railway (not tramway) line branched off from Morwell Station in the up direction (i.e. backwards, so trains from Melbourne had to turn around) and went down the middle of what is now Maryvale Ct. This is the reason that the median strip down the middle of the road is so large. The last goods train ran in 1974 (?) and pass in 1971 (?) and the Morwell Open cut has since expanded over part of the alignment.

In Moe: there were three branch lines from Moe.
1. The one that you can see the alignment of under the bridge is the old line to Yallourn power station, broad gauge. It was electrified and E and L class electric locos ran on this line (?).
2. The Erica/Walhalla line was narrow gauge and the alignment (I think) ran roughly between where Moore St and Saviges Rd are now. There is a good site on this railway: http://www.netspace.net.au/~wrussell/narrow/walhalla.htm.
3. The Thorpdale line branched off halfway along Narracan Drive between Moe and Newborough and basically followed the Narracan Creek to Narracan and Thorpdale.

If you want maps, there are plenty of maps on the net that have old lines on them. If you go to the Coles website (I'm not advertising Smile

), go to Store Locations under About Coles, and use the map feaure they have (search for Morwell). The map is slightly (!) outdated, so it still has some of the old lines on it.

Cheers

http://zipitidoodah.fotopic.net

greg · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 3:04 pm

gippslander · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 3:31 pm

In answer to query, this line has been out of use for 12months, when briquette haulage by rail ceased. There is little prospect of it being used again for this purpose, but it is in close proximity to a major industrial precinct (including a proposed $1b magnesium smelter). Wait and see!

Rob

bevans · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 4:14 pm

michaelgreenhill · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:15 pm

It used to be electrified, the L's used to run trains into there. I presume they took down the catenery after it closed.

Michael Greenhill
RP2 System Lord, RP3 Lead Developer
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bevans · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:41 pm

gallop3 · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:44 pm

it was electrified but the ls never got to yallourn as it was narrow guage
from memory
they had funny looking locos a bit like baby pennsy e44s
dont know who made them
they used to run a continuous shuttle running brown coal from the yallourn open cut to the power station at morwell
this line actually went over the main line and highway not under
the trackage at the open cut was portable so it ran underneath the giant dredges to load coal
cheers
ian

gallop3

gallop3 · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 6:52 pm

the l classes ran to the briquette siding which is on the south east side of morwell towards hazelwood ponds
the traffic from here went to maribyrnong siding for the newport power station not the new one the old coal powered one
the port melb loading used to be put on the front of one of these blockies and dumped in jolimont yard for the port melb pilot to pick up at 5am
cheers
ian

gallop3

michaelgreenhill · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 8:54 pm

Wait wait wait wait, we are talking about the Briquette siding, arent we? The line that branched off from Morwell goods yard and followed the line east for a couple of hundred metres before branching south and crossing over Commercial Road and then the freeway?

Michael Greenhill
RP2 System Lord, RP3 Lead Developer
Rules for Posting | Help for Beginners | FAQ | Helpdesk

My photos on Flickr.

gallop3 · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 10:13 pm

i think the thread has got mixed up
there was originally an electric ng railway operated by the sec with their own locos which ran between yallourn open cut and the morwell power station

the biquette siding is yeh exactly as you describe it
they are completely different locations one is east the other is west of morwell

the freeway wasn't there when i was working at traralgon

the old tramway as they used to call it went over the top of the main line
at the bottom of the hill heading west before you climb to hernes oak
loop
i think it was 3ft guage but i might be wrong there but it was electrified as well

cheers
ian

gallop3

gippslander · Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2003 11:25 pm