Fern Hill - Trentham

From Fern Hill the railway travels through private property and is largely unaccessible until the outskirts of Trentham, where it crosses Trentham Road. This photo shows the view from the road towards Fern Hill:

The embankment the line was on to cross the road is visible from Newton's Lane:

The railway is hard to track on the other side of the road due to Trentham Falls Road being partly built over the old line. In this photo I am standing on the former right-of-way:

The line continues to Trentham, inaccessible due to blackberries, viewed from Trentham Falls Road:

The next photo shows an embankment a little closer to Trentham, viewed from Gunyah Drive:

The line crosses a short trestle and enters Trentham station a short time later. Unfortunately the trestle is hard to see from nearby road (Victoria Street) and is hard to access via the former right-of-way due to blackberries and gauze growing across the line. 

This photo shows the trestle bridge in 1968, when the line was still in operation:

 http://www.brownfam.com.au/ROLL52/ROLL52_files/image019.jpg

On the day I tried to access it the weather was horrible and by the time I took this photo I had soaked feet, and I decided not to continue. If you can bear walking through prickle bushes then it should be accessible on a dry day. In the photo below, the posts across the line indicate the location of the trestle.

Trentham station is definately worth a look, as it contains an interesting collection of old rollingstock, including a derelict RT rail tractor. The station building is still intact, and from memory is used as the tourist information centre. 

A photo of Trentham station in 1968, with a walker railcar arriving with a pass from Daylesford.

http://www.brownfam.com.au/ROLL52/ROLL52_files/image020.jpg

Tylden - Fern Hill

From Tylden the line continues to cross Chanters Road. The railway is fairly easy to pick here with a large cutting on the Fern Hill side of the road.

The next encounter with the line is at Rippers Lane near Fern Hill. There is a trestle over the Little Coliban River which is on private property. Unfortunately it is not easy to get a photo and the image below shows the best view I could find.

The photo below shows a K class crossing the trestle on an A.R.E excursion to Daylesford:

http://www.brownfam.com.au/ROLL54/ROLL54_files/image005.jpg

I also forgot to get shots of the line crossing Rippers Lane but I found a photo on Google images of the line just after the crossing.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2297401338_5dbf493eee.jpg

The next crossing is just before the site of Fern Hill station. The line climbed on a small embankment to cross James Lane before entering the station area.

Interestingly the rails are still in place at the road crossing.

The photo below shows the remains of a cattle pit, with the dog spikes that held the tracks in place still sticking out of the wood.

It's interesting to compare this image to one I found a on google images, probably taken a year or two before mine. The only disadvantage to all the rain we've had over the last year has been that it's made the line a lot harder to trace! There's HEAPS of plant growth all over the old right of way.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/2296633605_aa5a171f8a.jpg

I couldn't even see the old rails that continued up to the cattle pit because of all the plant growth.

The photo below shows the site of the station.

The next update will be on the Fern Hill - Trentham section.

Carlsruhe - Tylden

 http://www.brownfam.com.au/ROLL54/ROLL54.htm

 The next stage of the journey is from Carlsruhe to Tylden. Due to timing constraints I was unable to explore the area around Carlsruhe station so I don't know how far the former line can be accessed past the station. Once the railway has curved away from the Bendigo mainline, it drops downgrade across Thompsons Lane.

There is the remains of a cattle pit on the Carlsruhe side of the crossing.

The former line is clearly visible from the site of the railway crossing as it continues towards Tylden.

At the bottom of the hill the line crosses a small trestle bridge. Unfortunately it is on private property and is inaccessible. However it is clearly visible from Thompsons Lane.

Further towards Tylden the line crosses Bourkes Lane. However it seemed to be little more than a 4wd track and I didn't want to risk taking a 2wd up it.
My next sighting of the line was from Central Rd as it approaches Tylden station. The line passes over another trestle, this one slightly larger. Again it is inaccessible and on private property. The photo was taken from Tylden-Woodend road, just across Milking Yard Creek.

The two photos below show the former right-of-way approaching Tylden-Woodend road on an embankment, now covered in gauze.

The line passed across the road and continued onto Tylden station. Unfortunately the station site is on private property however Wikipedia states that a platform mound remains. My guess it that the station site is just after the large pine trees that are to the right of the photo.

The beginning.....

http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/northmid/woodend/woodend.html

Our journey begins at Woodend station. Once the changeover station for the Daylesford line with an impressive yard, Woodend has been straight railed with barely any signs of what it once was.

http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/northmid/woodend/woodend.html

 http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/northmid/woodend/woodend.html

 Woodend station today - the former yard area.

http://www.victorianrailways.net/photogallery/northmid/woodend/woodend.html 

 Site of the Up yards and signal box.

Trains to/from Daylesford were marshalled in the extensive yards. From Woodend, the Bendigo mainline continues to Carlsruhe, the former junction of the Daylesford line. Carlsruhe has an impressive bluestone station building which is now a private residence. The station is closed however both platforms remain.

All 4 old photos below are from: http://www.brownfam.com.au/roll51/roll51.htm

 

Carlsruhe station - then and now

 

Divergence of the Daylesford line from the mainline.

 

The Daylesford branch curving away from the mainline.

 

The former island platform.

The area where the former line curves away through the trees.

The next update will be on the Carlsruhe - Tylden section.