Moe Walhalla Railway

The Moe to Walhalla Railway

This 2' 6" gauge line ran between Moe and Walhalla some 80 miles east of Melbourne

The line reopened in 1994 and currently runs from Thompson station to a point some 3 km north at Happy Creek and crosses the Thompson river by an impressive bridge which was built from part of three different redundant broad gauge bridges. The line first opened through to Walhalla in 1910 which was by then near the end of the gold boom which had started in 1862 and the last gold mine closed in 1914. The line between Walhalla and Platina closed in 1944, Platina to Erica closed in 1952 and the final section from Erica to Moe closed on 25th June 1954 and the Garrett G42 which had worked the line since 1926 was transferred to the Beech Forest Line and is now nearing completion of it's rebuild on the Puffing Billy at their Belgrave workshop.

The Thompson River bridge is seen here with loco Fowler Diesel 0-6-0 (1553/1924) on the 23rd January 2001. The line recently received it's first steam loco, since the Garrett left, in the form of a Henschel Nr 25427 of 1956 which originally ran on a line in Thailand as No 103 is twin to one on the Bredegar & Wormshill Railway in the UK, she arrived by road at Thompson in August 2001 and is hoped to be put into service immediately.

Former forest railway loco and wagon in Erica yard on the station site seen here in January 2001. The Walhalla Goldfields Railway hope to extend their line south to here eventually

Stringer's Creek Bridges

The railway has received over $A1 million in funding from various sources to reopen to Walhalla (as at August 2001). Rebuilding six trestle bridges is one of the major cost as can be seen in these pictures the railway runs through a very steep gorge where the line clings to the sides of the steep slope. The rebuild has had the use of army reserves, volunteers and jobless. On my visit in January 2001 four bridges had been completed and track was being laid over the first as can be seen in the above picture.

The Climax No 1694

Built in in 1928 this loco arrived at Moe where it steamed on 5th September 1928 from Moe to Collins Sidings (a private siding between Watson and Erica stations) for work on the Tyers Valley Tramway. There were extensive timber lines in this area and this was 2 foot 6 inch gauge as was the VR branch to Walhalla. It remained here until 1950, as the timber line had closed the previous year, it traveled under it's own steam to Collins siding on the VR line and then in 1951 to Erica to the State sawmill here it remained out of use until 1965 when it moved to the Puffing Billy Museum where it has been restored to working order making it's return to steam in 1988 after an extensive rebuild.

Visit the WGR in Gippsland which is a spectacular little line, access by Vic rail from Melbourne to Moe then a bit of a hike to Thompson, or by car is easier. When they open to Walhalla this will be truly an amazing railway to this town that time forgot! take a look in the little museum and you will see what I mean, or see the cemetery and cricket pitch in a town where there is little flat land.

Visit the Walhalla Goldfield Railway Site

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