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Edition 100! SPRING 2010
Through The Forest At Last.
Photo: James Brook.
Quarterly Magazine of THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS TOURIST RAILWAY
ACN 006 220 355
(A Company Limited by Guarantee)
Trading as Daylesford Spa Country Railway
Only $3.00

THE TURNTABLE
POSTAL ADDRESS: PO Box 98
Daylesford,
Vic 3460
WEB SITE:
ENQUIRIES:
or
www.dscr.com.au
Ph: (03) 5348 1759 (24hr information line)
Ph: (03) 5348 3503 (Daylesford Railway Station - Sundays only)
Ph: (03) 5348 3927 (Secretary)
All Donations Of $2.00 or more are Tax Deductable
Contributions for publication are always welcome, and can be sent to the above address. Should you wish items
to be returned to you, please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
Disclaimer:-
articles in this publication express the views of the author(s), and not necessarily those of the Company.
Editor’s Note
You‟d think that while the major project of relaying the track was going ahead full bore,
there wouldn‟t be much time or labour available for anything else. However, despite other
priorities, our amazing volunteers have never ceased the restoration and maintenance of our
railmotor collection.
Only months ago I was impressed to hear about how thorough overhaul of the roof of Walker railcar
91RM was, ceiling panels inside as well as roof panels. So I was dismayed to hear on the first day of
running to Musk that before it went out, volunteers had to mop the floor as somehow a little bit of
water had still managed to get in. Then I took heart from a member who lives locally offering the
explanation that it‟s not really a case of our repairs being a failure, but rather Daylesford‟s relentless
“horizontal rain” having special abilities to seep in through the ventilators.
But that‟s the fundamental issue I suppose: so many new and interesting projects are possible, but
the bottom line is that maintenance and repairs are always necessary- before, during and after
everything else. It constantly amazes me the sheer volume of work that does get done at Daylesford:
Our pool of volunteers pitching in for a few hours a month, or even every week, somehow cover the
basics - almost. Just imagine what could get done if we had more volunteers.
Since the last edition, our editor, Peter Liddelow has suffered a stroke. We all wish him the very best
for his recovery. In the long, arduous process of rehabilitation, he would welcome visitors to break up
the routine as he spends time in the Peter James Centre in East Burwood.
Our Museum Co-ordinator, Arthur Brook, is well into the difficult and time consuming process of
finalizing 20 years of detailed research on the history & technology of Victorian Railway infrastructure.
We hope to bring you more news as the next project in the series is closer to publication.
We hope you enjoy our 100 th edition issue of the Turntable,
Marion Silver,
Interim Editor
Contributors to this issue: -
N. Ednie, B. Fell, I.Fell, S. Fiume, B. Murnane, P. Flanagan, D.Sharp, S.Smithwick.
2

Ian Fell
Barry Fell
Peter James
Nick Antonopoulos
Brad Murnane
Bronwyn Liddelow
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Stuart Smithwick
Bill McClenaghan
John Jeffkins
- PRESIDENT
- SECRETARY
- TREASURER
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
After an enforced break of eighteen months due to the bushfire, train services returned to Musk on August
29th. A large crowd of invited guests and local residents enjoyed a ride on 91 RM as it traversed the repaired
and upgraded section of track.
Speeches and refreshments were held on Musk platform. Acknowledgement was made to the State
Government and the Bendigo Bank Community Enterprise Foundation TM for providing the grant of $330,000
(including G.S.T.) to repair the fire damaged track. Acknowledgement was also made to all those who made
donations both large and small towards the repairs. Thanks went to John Shaw and his team from Puffing Billy
for undertaking the project, and the tremendous efforts put in by the volunteers of the DSCR both during the
projects' work, and keeping the railway functioning. The guests then returned to Daylesford to allow 91RM to
commence public services to Musk once more.
It was hoped that an announcement of funding to upgrade the track between Musk and Bullarto may be made
on the day. Unfortunately this was not to be, but discussions are continuing with our local MLA Geoff Howard.
With the upcoming State election, we are hopeful that a positive response will be forthcoming.
Some recent positive news is that the Tourist and Heritage Railway Act 2010 passed through State
Parliament. This act will bring about a number of positive changes to the T&H sector in Victoria. Many of the
Directors attended the various workshops put on by the Department of Transport and made contributions
towards the setting up of the Act. The biggest change for the DSCR will be a move from an Order in Council
(which we have operated under since the early days of CHTR) to a lease. The new lease arrangements will
give us a greater security of tenure as well as outlining the various rights and responsibilities for all parties.
Due to a very wet (typical Daylesford) winter, construction of the railmotor storage has been delayed. A
tentative start date of mid November for the builder is set, but will depend largely on whether the site dries out
enough to allow construction. As has been mentioned previously. once constructed, there will be a large
amount of track to be laid, and we will need all hands on deck to assist with this task.
As many of you would be aware Pete (from the bridge) Dwyer passed away recently. Pete was a Director and
membership officer of the DSCR for many years, and was also instrumental in the development of 'The Silver
Streak'. Pete was Charters Manager, organised many of the VR nostalgia nights and many of the railways'
social functions. Pete was a very private man but had a wicked sense of humour. He will be sadly missed by
all.
Stuart Smithwick
President.
3

OUT ON THE TRACK
WAY & WORKS ACTIVITIES
As you may have already heard, trains are operating back to Musk. After a very successful launch (which was
really run very well) passengers are traversing the newly-repaired bushfire damaged track, and can finally exit
the train at a terminus destination.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people who have been able to contribute to this
wonderful achievement. This section of line does bring a smile to The CHTR Way & Works Gang, as the line
is now at its highest standard since The CHTR commenced operations.
With this enthusiasm in tow, it was decided to replace the old 60D rail with newer 60AS rail, adjacent to where
the Railmotor Storage Shed is to be erected, at the same time taking the opportunity to replace all the old
sleepers (this will be difficult to achieve once the new shed is in place).
Again, in true CHTR fashion, we did bite off a couple of rail lengths too many, whilst being attacked by
torrential rain on that same Saturday. It was therefore even more satisfying, under the circumstances, to see
trains running back on that same stretch of track the very next day.
It is interesting to note, for the bushfire recovery project, the railway was required to contribute a considerable
number of voluntary hours. A record has been kept, and we ended up totalling well over 1000 hours. Well
done everyone!
A day was taken from the Way & Works calendar to help the Rolling Stock Branch clean 91 RM for the Grand
Re-Opening of the line to Musk. Once again, a couple of hours turned into eight! 91 sure looked good at the
end however!
Other tasks have included line side clearing (again), track poisoning, Storage Shed track preparation works -
and of course the never-ending demands of boxing-in sleepers.
By the time you read this edition of The Turntable, work on the Shed track will hopefully be in full swing.
The Shed erection itself has been delayed three times already, due to the extreme rainfall in and around
Daylesford. You may have seen the recent floods on the news; as I‟ve told everyone - it started at Daylesford!
The shed site itself was commonly referred to as “Lake Daylesford”. The first of these tasks will be sleeper
replacement just past the East St Bridge on the old Ballarat line, heading towards the home signal.
All of the above again reminds us of our motto: “Way & Works Branch - Leading the Way with the Works on
The CHTR”. Don‟t forget, if you‟re spiking, you‟re smiling.
Yours in continuous boxing in.
Ian Fell
Volunteers Co-Ordinator
As part of the project, a set of 60lb
AS points from Trentham yard has
been installed at Daylesford to
replace the badly worn 60lb D
points. (Photo: Barry Fell)
4

Reconstruction
July 2010
The level of the relaid
Wheelers Hill
Road curve was
best described as
“all over the place”
prior to jacking &
tamping. The old
60lb D rail replaced
by the 60lb AS on
the curve was
loaded up to take
back to Daylesford
for use in the
rollingstock shed.
(Photo: Barry Fell)
In advance of the tamper, the high leg
was jacked to get the top (level) of the
track right. Then the low leg was done to
get the correct cant (angle) on the curve.
(Photo: Barry Fell)
The holes were jacked out and the
correct cant set, so the tamper could
come through and pack the sleepers.
(Photo: Barry Fell)
Jacking and tamping completed, the
Wheelers Hill Rd curve now has a nice
top and consistent cant. However, there
was an awful lot of boxing in to do.
(Photo: Barry Fell)
5

14 August 2010
Daylesford to Musk:
first test trains,
Y159 passed the Daylesford
home signal as it departed
with the first test train to Musk
since the fires.
(Photo: James Brook)
Y159 arrived at Musk as
volunteers looked on from the
shelter of the Mallee shed.
This was the first time
something heavier than a
trolley had travelled to Musk
since the fires in February
2009.
(Photo: James Brook)
(Photo: Steven Fiume.)
6

29 August 2010
Daylesford to Musk:
first passenger trains
A Green flag is shown at Musk as
the V.I.P. train departs.
(Photo: James Brooks)
For the ceremony, Musk was
fitted with a historically correct
lantern, and provided with a
display of historical photographs.
(Photos: James Brooks)
A contrasting photo of Musk as it
appeared in 1967, captioned
“Mr Pierson, a quiet man, likes
working for the railways; he is
responsible for opening &
closing the gates when trains
come through the little township
of Musk.”
Image no. A12111:1/1967/16/328
from the National Archives of Australia
7

The Genesis of a Shed:
Shed site, “Lake Daylesford”
1 st August 2010,
(Photo: Barry Fell )
Shed frame and cladding,1 st August,
(Photo: Barry Fell)
The rail tractor shunts two flat wagons
loaded with recently arrived shed components
around the yard at Daylesford.
14 August 2010
(Photo: James Brook)
To be continued……...
The opportunity was taken to give one of the
works trolleys a repaint while finishing off the
Musk section.
3 rd October 2010,
(Photo: Barry Fell.)
After completion of the Musk project the
SRS underwent a complete overhaul
including two new axles.
(Photo: Barry Fell)
8

In Appreciation of
Walkers of all sizes…..…
Many of our members will be
familiar with not only our own
Walker railmotors, but also
the other famous operating
Walker, 22 RM, at the Yarra
Valley Tourist Railway, which
won an ATHRA award jointly
with 63RM for excellence in
restoration.
However, not so many of you
will have seen or heard of the
miniature layout at Elmore,
run by Barry Mitchell,
featuring fantastic miniatures
he has built of a Walker
railmotor and a Y class
locomotive. (When painting
his brilliant creations a few
years ago, Barry visited
Daylesford to verify the
correct historical details of
the Walker‟s silver livery.)
Various other models also make
an occasional appearance.
So if you‟re going anywhere near
Bendigo, Elmore Miniature
Railway is located next to
Campaspe Run, Midland Highway,
near the Shepparton turnoff. The
scale locomotives & rolling stock
take passengers for a leisurely ride
through the grounds. Rides are
only $3 each. The railway operates
10am to 4pm Saturday & Sundays
and all school holidays, but
remember:
If there's rain
there’s no train!
For info, contact Barry Mitchell
on 5432 6434.
Congratulations are in order for one of our members, Jenny
Davies, for receiving top honours at the 2010 Victorian
Community History Awards, for her book “Behind the Façade:
Flinders Street, more than just a railway station.”
She received the award in August, presented by Minister for the
Arts,Peter Batchelor
(Photos by P. Flanagan).
9

ROLLING STOCK REPORT
What‟s happening in the Rollingstock branch:
74RM Dodge Passenger Mail motor
The inside of one of the doors of the dodge has been rebuilt
completely.
Y159:
Ran some test trips to Musk back in August. Experienced starting
issue with a dead battery cell being identified as the culprit. Needs
a new battery when we can get around to it
63RM
Happily 63 has been given a chance to stretch its legs of late
being able to once again climb the hill to Musk. Since the last
report the only issue to report was the repair of a headlight
91RM:
One of the doors on the Dodge, note
the turnbuckle. These were used in the
old days to keep a door to the correct
profile after collision damage; a
traditional fix for a traditional vehicle.
The door now closes with the latch
and handle.
(Photo: Brad Murnane.)
Further to the last report the replacement of the body bolts on the
power unit frame were completed. Part of the body frame was also
repaired at the same time. As the official Musk re-opening train it
was given a good external and internal scrub on the day before
the re-opening. New batteries have now also been fitted to the
No.1 engine. Unfortunately some very heavy rain lately has shown
the roof still not to be 100% watertight on the economy car (still a
vast improvement though) More repairs are planned now the
weather is warming up
DRC40
Once again nothing really to report with no problems being
experienced on its monthly Silver Streak runs. It will have some
replacement batteries fitted shortly ex. 91RM.
32RM
The front of 32 being filled and sanded
prior to painting & fitting the windows.
(Photo: Barry Fell)
Work is still slowly but surely pushing on in the rebuild of 32RM. A
large amount of time has recently been spent on the sanding,
priming and painting of the all various pieces of aluminium
window framing. This was made a bit more difficult over the cold
wet winter (even if this work was carried out inside) These
windows are now ready to go back together.
Work has finally been finished on the re-assembly of the drivers
cab. Window re-fitting is now required before the controls can be
re-fitted. Templates have also been cut to give to the glassmaker
so new front windows can be made. Another task currently being
undertaken is the sanding and filling of the front window cowls
before the windows are refitted. The front triangular window sills
have also been re-fitted.
10

Other recent work has been the polishing and
lacquering of the internal aluminium kick panels.
Purchase of new folded aluminium panels for the
toilet and the re-attaching of the roof ventilators.
53RM
New panels continue to be fitted to 53RM.
New panels be fitted to 53RM. (Photo: Barry Fell)
Nick Ednie,
Rolling Stock Manager
‣‣ Safety Page
Summer is approaching and it‟s important to remember to think „safe‟, particularly when working outdoors.
Sunscreen is provided in the Goods Shed and the Slip, Slop, Slap message is still as relevant as ever, so long
sleeve shirts and a hat are the way to go, and drink plenty of fluids to remain hydrated. Also, as the weather
warms up, our native reptiles become more active - so remember before picking up anything, be it a sleeper or
a piece of rubbish, a quick check that nothing is lurking beneath is most prudent.
The Department of Transport, in conjunction with Safety Action, are running a series of workshops for the
Tourist and Heritage sector covering road/rail safety interface agreements, vegetation management and the
visibility of rolling stock. The first two have already been held with DSCR volunteers attending both with some
valuable information passed on particularly with regards to the road/rail interfaces which will assist us in
entering into such agreements with the Hepburn Council and Vic Roads. The vegetation session highlighted
the numerous conflicting Acts in this area and it will take us some time to work through exactly where we
stand.
With the increase in mechanised track maintenance all work crews are reminded to ensure that a dry chemical
fire extinguisher is included with the equipment (such as the Way and Works tools box and first aid kit) that is
taken out on a work day. To this an extinguisher is now located in the Way and Works B van.
It has been noted recently that at times people have been rushing around the yard to get things done or to
ensure a train is docked up on time.
All volunteers are reminded that safety is the number one priority of the DSCR.
If a train runs late then so be it.
Remember slips, trips and falls are one of the most common injuries, so take your time when moving about the
yard and the site in general.
Public Transport Safety Victoria (PTSV) has recently had a name change under the Transport Integration Act
2010 and is now Transport Safety Victoria (TSV). This is to reflect their expanded role to encompass marine
transport as well as train, tram and bus (air safety is a Federal responsibility). TSV‟s audit of DSCR will be
taking place in the last weekend of November.
11

ONE OF THE VOLUNTEERS.
Some of you will already be aware of the sad news of the passing of our long-serving
member, volunteer and - most importantly - our friend: Pete-from-the-Bridge (Peter
Dwyer).
Pete passed away on Friday 16 July 2010 at St John of God Hospital in Ballarat,
following a series of debilitating illnesses. He was 72 years old, which meant he was
still young in my book (I don‟t consider anyone under age 85 to be old).
The trip to Cowwarr for Pete‟s funeral permitted us a fair amount of time to reminisce…
The first time I can remember seeing Pete at Daylesford was when we found out that the old house located
near the East St rail bridge had been sold. We noticed a middle-aged chap doing some renovations. We all
said “I hope he likes trains!” (At this point in time 91 RM had just started regular trips to Musk.) Once the
house renovations were complete, a dapper-looking bloke with a distinguished moustache made himself
known at the station one Sunday. Sonia Eastwood soon contacted him and before he probably even knew
what was going on, Pete was enrolled in a safeworking course to become a Signalman and Guard.
Pete had a very cordial attitude and a happy personality, obvious to all who met him. As a result he was very
soon part of the furniture, becoming extremely active in various areas of The CHTR. His specialties, if you
could call them that, were split between his typewriter and his social functions. Pete established his very
popular “VR Nostalgia Nights”, very quickly becoming a most sought after agenda item on The CHTR‟s social
calendar. He would put a tremendous effort into each of these nights and would go to extremes to ensure they
were huge hits.
One of his legacies is the “Silver Streak” Food & Wine Train. Pete was instrumental in making such a concept
practical; he was able to show how well this could work as a money spinner and publicity tool for The CHTR.
An enduring memory of him is a photo of him standing proudly next to the DRC, dressed immaculately in his
dinner suit and bow tie. I bet he would have loved to be wearing his W.C. Fields‟ top hat as well!
Because he lived close to Daylesford station, as did John and Bill, it made Pete a perfect choice for that local
contact which the Railway always needs. Personally, I think he may have dreaded some of these meetings
and discussions, but he always managed to obtain a positive result.
As already mentioned, Pete was famous for the use of his typewriter. He would constantly leave typewritten
notes, memos, letters - you name it, he typed it! Moreover it was hard to see if these were supposed to be
serious or just where his dry wit or humour took hold. He also had a habit of leaving Post-it Notes anywhere;
you never knew where one may crop up (perhaps at the bottom of a door, for example), with such handy
suggestions as “Beware of the Limbo Dancer”!
Pete had a wide range of interests, two of his most passionate were Bassett Hounds (he had several over
many years) and movies. Many a Daylesford dining time would be spent between Pete and myself discussing
movies we may have seen, or what the latest Bassett hound may have been up to. He would also run various
movie nights, perhaps showing a film I had recommended. At the end of some of these films the look on his
face would be priceless! We both agreed on a number of comedy films, but action movies didn‟t really seem
to agree with him. Likewise, his choice of horror films were a bit wide of the mark for me.
I must say, though, all the crew who frequent evenings at the Railway have noticed things a bit quiet lately.
Pete was always up for a good conversation; whether it related to railways in general, tinned food, noisy
children, etc, he would always have an opinion.
I think all who have known Pete over the years can say they are better people as a result. We were proud to
call him a confidante and friend. He will be missed by all.
12
IAN FELL
Volunteers Co-Ordinator

I wanted to commemorate relaying the track to Musk with a relevant historical piece; this sordid tale hardly captures
the celebratory tone I would have liked, but it was the only historical event involving Musk station I could find!
The Tragic Story Of The Man Who Got Off At Musk.
In December 1890, a young man named Thomas Avison, owner of a hotel and store at Dry Diggings, had had
suspicions of his wife‟s infidelity for some time.
He left word with his wife that he was going to Melbourne, not to return till the next day, and was duly driven to
Daylesford Station, where he bought a ticket.
However, instead of travelling all the way to Melbourne, he alighted at Musk Creek station, and returned to
Daylesford that evening. There he fetched a solicitor‟s clerk to accompany him to Dry Diggings, and broke into
his own home, where he found his wife sleeping beside a local jeweller, George Hoare.
Avison snatched a tomahawk from the counter, and “dealt Hoare several blows to the head, breaking his skull
in several places and causing the brains to protrude.”
One report claims that only the intervention of Ellis, the lawyer‟s clerk, prevented Avison from killing them both.
Doctors at Daylesford Hospital declared there was no hope of the victim‟s recovery.
Avison was taken into custody, but George Hoare was “too rambling in his statements” to give a deposition.
In following weeks, somehow the addled victim lingered on despite horrific brain injuries, and after a while “He
could now converse rationally for a short time.”
Hoare claimed merely to have fallen asleep, clothed, beside Margaret Avison while talking. This could have been
easily refuted by Ellis, the lawyer‟s clerk, but although updates on the story were published in newspapers
around the country we have no record of him contradicting Hoare.
Despite problems with his memory and speech, Hoare was determined to leave the hospital to travel to
Melbourne against his doctor‟s wishes. He would surely still have been incompetent to make decisions about
his own care, but who could blame him; both Hoare and Mrs Avison would by now have been pariahs.
Their murderous assailant, Thomas Avison, on the other hand, received telegrams of support in Castlemaine
gaol, some from various Members of the Legislative Assembly and a Q.C. “Several persons” procured orders
from justices of the peace to visit him “to express sympathy with him in his present trouble.” Yet whatever his
violent propensities, Avison had no desire to be fawned over by people condoning his outburst. He declined to
see them, and in a conversation with the Reverend Crawford at the gaol, Avison was pleased to hear that
Hoare was still alive and that there might be hope of recovery from his terrible injuries. Whether this was due
to remorse, or because he hoped to avoid a murder charge for a lesser charge of assault, w‟e‟ll never know.
Mrs Avison‟s mother in law now wanted to wrest custody of her grandchild from a mother with the shameful
accusation of adultery hanging over her head, but the Sergeant she applied to advised her to “„leave the
matter alone for the present.”
A notice to Creditors was placed in the Argus by an accountant in Melbourne, in January of 1891, stating that
George Edward Hoare had by deed dated the 30 th day December 1890, conveyed and assigned all his estate,
property, and effects to trustees, for realisation and benefit of all creditors.
By this we can assume that he survived the journey and managed to take steps to manage his financial affairs.
After Hoare left town, police reportedly knew he had reached Melbourne, but despite there being a warrant for
his arrest, if they had evidence of his whereabouts, they didn‟t act on it to bring him back to testify in court.
Thus, in the absence of a complainant, Tomas Avison, an ex-president of the Australian Natives' Association,
was released without charge into a supportive community. He continued to live in the area, and later remarried
after a divorce in which the judge awarded costs against the maimed, absent George Hoare.
13
Marion Silver.

TROLLEY BRANCH REPORT
Welcome readers to another branch report from the trolley branch.
The trolleys have been working fine since last time I wrote. The trolleys have all been tarped up for the
winter months and will be un-tarped when they are required again for servicing and use. The trolleys have
not been used since last time that I wrote to you.
I will now list some interesting trolley cards in the collection. The trolley I will cover is “K 11”. The
information will be presented in a table format similar to the layout of the card that it is on. A K trolley is a
large trolley designed to carry 6 people and some tools (the size of a special or large gang).
2997-57
T R A C K M A C H I N E
Vehicle
W.W. 403
V.R. No.........11...............
R E P A I R R E C O R D C A R D
Engine
Type… K …….. Makers No. ………………
Job.
With
No.
Date Location Sizes of Vehicle Magneto
Piston C/Shaft Engine No.
Remarks
In
From
Out 15 - 5 - 56 To Korumburra 168
In
From
Out 59 CENSUS To W F Meeniyan 5
In 2 - 8 - 61 From Lang Lang 1 7 5 700 118
61319 Out 10 - 10 - 61 To W F Toolamba 7 Std 26 84 Request
In 1 - 6 - 62 From Toolamba 2 13 16 689 39
62228 Out 17 - 12 - 62 To Mathoura Std 2 31 1096 161
In
From
Out CENSUS To Mathoura
In
From
Out 2 DEC 1965 CENSUS To Mathoura
In 22 - 11 - 66 From Mathoura 31 1269 119
Out 10 DEC 1973 To Bruthen 4 2 182 668
In
From
Out
To
Initialed
The table above is laid out as the card looks. As you can see it was designed for use with both vehicles
and engines by crossing out what was not needed. The railways ran a number of censuses to make sure that
their records were correct and that they knew where all the trolleys and engines were around the state. As
you can see from the above card this trolley moved around quite a bit. This one (K 11) started its life in
15/5/1956 at Korumburra (in the south Gippsland area). It moved from there to Meeniyan (further down the
line past Leongatha) for use by the Works Foreman – hence the letters WF beside Meeniyan. It had then
moved to Lang Lang (just past Cranbourne) by 1961 for only a short time before being moved to Toolamba (up
near Shepparton) again with the Works Foreman of the area. The trolley was then sent to Mathoura (between
Echuca and Deniliquin) and was there for close to 10 years before being located at Bruthen in East Gippsland
near Bairnsdale. As you can see this trolley has moved about a bit since 1956 spending most of its time at
Mathoura (which is actually located in NSW). It has also been partnered with 7 different engines which have
had numerous magnetos.
Due to work commitments I am not at Daylesford often but I will still be there whenever I can either
running guard on the trains or working on the track, trains, or trolleys. If you see me don‟t forget to say g‟day.
Donald “Donny” Sharp
Trolley Manager.
14

ORIGIN OF STATION NAMES.
From the book Names of Victorian Railway Stations by Thomas O‟Callaghan JP.
STATION
HEIGHT
ABOVE
SEA
(FEET)
MILES
FROM
MELB.
ORIGIN OF NAME
Glenroy 311 9 Melbourne to Albury. Named by Duncan Cameron, after his native place in
Inverness, Scotland
Glen Thompson 890 167¼ Ararat to Hamilton. Named after Mr. A. T. Thompson, an early settler.
Gnarkeet 529 99¼ Geelong to Maroona. Native. Chain of ponds.
Golden Square 785 99¼ Melbourne to Bendigo. So named because of the large quantity of gold found by
miners in that locality.
Goldsborough 722 129¾ Maryborough to Mildura. So named because of the large quantity of gold found
there. The place was previously known as Old Dunolly.
Golf Links 135 6¾ Outer Circle. So named because of adjacent golf links.
Gooding 201 83¾ Moe to Walhalla. Named after a local settler.
Goorambat 531 131¾ Benalla to Yarrawonga. Named after a run or pastoral station in that locality.
Native. “ Gooram-batti,” nonsense
Goornong 472 118 Bendigo to Echuca. Native. Excrement. Native plant, mignonette. The plant
referred to has a disagreeable smell, reminiscent of the derivation first given.
Gorae 71 246½ Ararat to Portland. Native. “ Gorea,” native name of Schofield‟s Creek.
Coming in future articles:-
any information that you the readers ask for.
Until next time have fun and keep those trolleys running.
Donald “Donny” Sharp
Trolley Manager.
Other News:
Echidna blamed for train delay. 2010
During the long wait for the track to be rebuilt, The Silverstreak Premium Food & Wine Train continued to
run each month, with Bronwyn & Sharon ensuring that the enticing treats onboard, coupled with live music,
made up for the shorter journey.
However one trip this year was pulled up short by the presence of an echidna scurrying along the tracks.
The driver stopped in time to avoid disaster, but the frightened creature, instead of fleeing into the forest,
attempted to dig itself a burrow right where it was, under a sleeper. Despite the best efforts of the Driver
(Simon) and the Guard (Don) to persuade the critter to go elsewhere, he took a dim view of their
interference, and using his long, curved echidna claws, grimly held on to the sleeper with a vicelike grip.
The guard even tried to pry him loose with a crowbar, unsuccessfully. Finally it was a passenger who found
gloves in the guard‟s compartment and managed to manhandle the stubborn trespasser out of the way and
deposit him safely trackside, enabling the train to continue a relaxing evening coasting in the sunset.
I don‟t know whether an Incident or Defect Report was required for the occasion…..
15

29 th August 2010
Daylesford to Musk:
First passenger trains.
The re-opening special for invited VIPs departs Daylesford.
(Photo: James Brook)
Geoff Howard, Member for Ballarat
East set the signal to allow the first
official train into Musk.
(Photo: Steven Fiume)
Musk Opening ceremony (and gourmet sausage sizzle.)
(Photo: James Brook)
Everything back to normal, Daylesford style: umbrellas
out & headlights on in the gloom. 63RM in the rain at Musk.
(Photo: Brad Murnane)
The official re-opening special at
the Daylesford home signal.
(Photo: James Brook)