Bacchus Marsh railway station, Victoria
Encyclopedia
Bacchus Marsh is a railway station located at Station Street Maddingley, Victoria and serving the town of Bacchus Marsh
in Victoria, Australia
. The station is 52 kilometres from Flinders Street Station
in Melbourne by rail. It is served by V/Line
passenger services on the Ballarat Line.
The station is staffed for the sale of tickets, and has a large commuter carpark. The rail yard has a number of tracks used to stable trains, and also has a 70' turntable
that is mainly used for turning steam locomotive
s on special trains.
and Ballarat
. The first railway link between these two cities was made in 1862, with the opening of the Geelong–Ballarat railway.
The contract for the construction of the station building was awarded in 1889 for £
1809/8/11. A 45 lever interlocking frame
in a signal box
was brought into use in 1890, by this time the station had a main platform with a dock platform
at the Melbourne end, a main line and crossing loop
, turntable, and a number of sidings. The station was provided with a 53' long turntable from opening, in 1957 it was replaced by a 70' long one.
In the late 1940s, brown coal mined at nearby Maddingley began to be transported in large quantities by rail, dedicated trains running between Bacchus Marsh and the APM Siding in the Melbourne suburb of Fairfield. The coal was used to fire the boilers at the Australian Paper Manufacturers paper mill, with 400 tonnes (440.9 ST) of coal per day was transferred in two trains per day. This traffic continued until the late 1970s when the boilers were converted to natural gas firing.
Control of trains on the single track
was controlled with the Electric Staff system until 1967, when the Automatic and Track Control (ATC) system was provided. At the same time remote control of the signals Bank Box Loop was provided, the same being done to the track towards Parwan Loop in 1987. Control of the signals at Rockbank station were moved into the signal box in 1990.
As part of the Regional Fast Rail project
the control of signals was relocated to Ballarat station, and the platform was extended towards Melbourne in order to increase the speed of trains passing through the curve at the Ballarat end of the station. In addition, the curves over the Parwan Creek valley were realigned for higher speeds. In 2008, 160 additional car parks were opened at the station for the use of rail commuters.
Bacchus Marsh, Victoria
Bacchus Marsh is an urban centre and suburban locality in Victoria, Australia located approximately west of Melbourne and west of Melton. The population of the urban area is estimated at over 17,000 people, while the central locality is home to 5,566 people...
in Victoria, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The station is 52 kilometres from Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station
Flinders Street Station is the central railway station of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets next to the Yarra River in the heart of the city, stretching from Swanston Street to Queen Street and covering two city...
in Melbourne by rail. It is served by V/Line
V/Line
V/Line is a not for profit regional passenger train and coach service in Victoria, Australia. It was created after the split-up of VicRail in 1983. V/Line is owned by the V/Line Corporation which is a Victorian State Government statutory authority...
passenger services on the Ballarat Line.
The station is staffed for the sale of tickets, and has a large commuter carpark. The rail yard has a number of tracks used to stable trains, and also has a 70' turntable
Turntable (railroad)
A railway turntable is a device for turning railroad rolling stock. When steam locomotives were still in wide use, many railroads needed a way to turn the locomotives around for return trips as their controls were often not configured for extended periods of running in reverse and in many...
that is mainly used for turning steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
s on special trains.
Platforms and services
Platform 1:- Ballarat/Ararat line - terminating interurban services in peak times; as well as services to Southern Cross, Ballarat, Wendouree, Ararat and Maryborough.
History
The railway to Bacchus Marsh opened from Melbourne in 1887, the line being extended to Ballan station in 1889, which completed the "direct line" between MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
. The first railway link between these two cities was made in 1862, with the opening of the Geelong–Ballarat railway.
The contract for the construction of the station building was awarded in 1889 for £
Australian pound
The pound was the currency of Australia from 1910 until 13 February 1966, when it was replaced by the Australian dollar. It was subdivided into 20 shillings, each of 12 pence.- Earlier Australian currencies :...
1809/8/11. A 45 lever interlocking frame
Lever frame
Mechanical railway signalling installations rely on lever frames for their operation to interlock the signals and points to allow the safe operation of trains in the area the signals control...
in a signal box
Signalling control
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...
was brought into use in 1890, by this time the station had a main platform with a dock platform
Bay platform
Bay platform is a railway-related term commonly used in the UK and Australia to describe a dead-end platform at a railway station that has through lines...
at the Melbourne end, a main line and crossing loop
Passing loop
A passing loop is a place on a single line railway or tramway, often located at a station, where trains or trams in opposing directions can pass each other. Trains/trams in the same direction can also overtake, providing that the signalling arrangement allows it...
, turntable, and a number of sidings. The station was provided with a 53' long turntable from opening, in 1957 it was replaced by a 70' long one.
In the late 1940s, brown coal mined at nearby Maddingley began to be transported in large quantities by rail, dedicated trains running between Bacchus Marsh and the APM Siding in the Melbourne suburb of Fairfield. The coal was used to fire the boilers at the Australian Paper Manufacturers paper mill, with 400 tonnes (440.9 ST) of coal per day was transferred in two trains per day. This traffic continued until the late 1970s when the boilers were converted to natural gas firing.
Control of trains on the single track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
was controlled with the Electric Staff system until 1967, when the Automatic and Track Control (ATC) system was provided. At the same time remote control of the signals Bank Box Loop was provided, the same being done to the track towards Parwan Loop in 1987. Control of the signals at Rockbank station were moved into the signal box in 1990.
As part of the Regional Fast Rail project
Regional Fast Rail project
The Regional Fast Rail project was a rail transport project of the State Government of Victoria, Australia undertaken between 2000 and 2006 aimed at improving the passenger services on the Victorian regional railway network , specifically to reduce travel times, enhance service frequency and...
the control of signals was relocated to Ballarat station, and the platform was extended towards Melbourne in order to increase the speed of trains passing through the curve at the Ballarat end of the station. In addition, the curves over the Parwan Creek valley were realigned for higher speeds. In 2008, 160 additional car parks were opened at the station for the use of rail commuters.