Rail Recovery Train on closed SGR - South Gippsland Railway 1994

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. There is a video posted of the loading of rail on the last train from Barry Beach and the journey of that train back towards Melbourne on reidgck channel.

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[CAD390]

I wonder if a procedure similar to these video posted occurred on the closed section between Bairnsdale and Orbost occurred in terms of removing abandoned railway around about the same time?

[reidgck]

@CAD390 Probably the Bairnsdale to Orbost line was of lighter rail. Rail on the Yarram line between

Foster and Barry Beach junction was lighter rail which was cut up into small lengths and sent off for scrap; this did not require recovery trains so probably the Obost line was done this way too. I heard recovered 94lb/yd SGR rail was used on the Tocumwal line upgrade. Also, I don't think there were level crossing lights at Stony Creek but am not certain...

[CAD390]

Do you think this was the only time a P class loco set wheels east of Leongatha?

[reidgck]

@CAD390 I posted another video yesterday of P19 and H1 east of Leongatha on the last train over the Tarwin River bridges but more Ps went east than this. Every Wednesday the recovery train sent, seemed to have a different one or two. I don't know if any ran down the line before it closed. I've some more videos to eventually post when edited + more of loading rail at Stony Creek, Meeniyan station site; two trains were loaded at Koonwarra with trains having various locos.

[reidgck]

@CAD390 Just a thought: The P class were originally the early flat top T class. So all likely all ventured down the line before conversion from T to P which included the higher cab and a head end generator set for use on passenger trains. You could hear the flat top Ts coming miles away. They were about the first mainline diesels. I don't think they had mufflers. If you lived near the tracks on even a slight grade and one passed by with a load, the noise was deafening. Ps were much quieter.

[GeriatricDinosaur]

Fish Creek used to be the most southerly railway station the Australian mainland.

[cbt1960]

Over here in the U.S. we've a lot of rail milage to abandonmant also. It seems we all suffer from short sighted government decisions. They would much rather invest our tax dollars in hwy. construction than railroads. Thanks for the nice video from happier times.

[Ken69a]

A shame indeed. Victoria used to have a good number of train lines. But, due to lack of money and willingness to keep up the lines. We have now lost most of the lines. Never to come back.

[aces116]

all was a shame to see the rails vanish and to know there never going to be a train on that line again ...

[aces116]

all was a shame to see the rails vanish and to know there never going to be a train on that line again ...