Victorian Railways
Encyclopedia
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...
n state of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations. Most of the lines operated by the Victorian Railways were of broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
, however the railways also operated up to five narrow gauge lines
Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways
The former Victorian Railways, the state railway authority in Victoria, Australia built a number of experimental narrow gauge railway lines around the beginning of the 20th century. Although all were closed by the early 1960s, parts of two have been reopened as heritage railways.- Background :A...
between 1898 and 1962, and a standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
line between Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
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...
from 1961.
Formation
A Department of Railways was created in 1856 with the first appointment of staff. British engineer, George Christian DarbyshireGeorge Christian Darbyshire
George Christian Darbyshire was an English and Australian civil engineer. He was the second son of George Darbyshire, also a surveyor and railway engineer.-Early life:...
was made first Engineer-in-Chief in 1857, and steered all railway construction work until his replacement by Thomas Higginbotham in 1860. Because of political turmoil in the Victorian Government, Higginbotham was one of 137 officials removed from office on "Black Wednesday" on 8 January 1878 when the Government was denied supply. He, like a number of other senior officers, was not reappointed. Robert Watson
Robert Watson (engineer)
Robert Watson was an English and Australian civil engineer. He was also a surveyor and railway engineer.-Family life and education:...
then took over as Engineer-in-Chief. But in 1880 a new Ministry expressed a wish to redress the injustice by re-instating Higginbotham. At the sudden death of Higginbotham in 1880, William Elsdon
William Elsdon
William Elsdon ) was an English and Australian civil engineer. He was also an architect and railway engineer.-Family life and education:...
took over for 2 years before his retirement in 1882, and Watson then return to his former position as Engineer-in-Chief, which he held up to the time of his death.
On 1 November 1883 assent was given to the Victorian Railways Commissioners Act 1883, 47 Vic., No.767, to construct, maintain and manage the state's railways. The staff of the Department of Railways came under the authority of the Railway Commissioners, which became commonly known as Victorian Railways. The elaborate headquarters at 67 Spencer Street
67 Spencer Street
67 Spencer Street is the former head offices of the Victorian Railways, located on Spencer Street, Melbourne, Australia. Today it is used as a hotel and apartments...
were opened in 1893.
Growth
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
under the 1922 Border Railways Act
1922 Border Railways Act
The 1922 Border Railways Acts, were Acts passed by the Parliaments of both Victoria and New South Wales, which authorised the construction of cross border railways in the Riverina region of Australia. Despite being located in New South Wales, the region was closer economically to Victoria and its...
. In the late 19th century the railways became something of a political football
Political football
A political football is a political topic or issue that is continually debated but left unresolved. The term is used often during a political election campaign to highlight issues that have not been completely addressed, such as the natural environment and abortion.There are many reasons that an...
with politicians demanding new lines to be built in places where traffic levels never justified it. In 1864 there was just 254 miles (409 km) of railway. The system expanded rapidly to reach 2,900 route miles (4,670 km) by 1891 and to its greatest extent of 4,755 route miles (7652 km) in 1939. The result was that by the beginning of the 20th century, no Victorian (apart from those in the mountain regions) were more than 25 miles (42 km) from a railway line. The period from the end of the 1930s saw a slow decline in route mileage as unprofitable branches were closed.
Conversion of the Melbourne suburban system
Railways in Melbourne
The Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...
to electric operation
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
commenced in 1919 and was completed by 1930, creating what was claimed at the time to be the world's largest electric suburban rail system. 1937 saw the introduction of the streamlined Spirit of Progress
Spirit of Progress
The Spirit of Progress was the premier express train passenger service on the Victorian Railways in Australia, running from Melbourne to the Victorian border, and later through to Sydney.-Route:...
passenger train, with air conditioning and all steel carriage construction. Diesel
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
power was introduced in 1951 with ten F-class diesel-electric shunting locomotives, followed by B-class mainline diesel-electric locomotives in 1952-3. A standard gauge line connecting to the New South Wales system
New South Wales Government Railways
The New South Wales Government Railways was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport Commission in 1972. Although later known officially as the Department of Railways, New South Wales, it was still generally...
was constructed in 1961 allowing through trains to operate between Melbourne and Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia's two largest cities, for the first time. The last steam locomotive was withdrawn in 1972.
Demise
In May 1973 the Railways (Amendment) Act 1972 passed the management of the Railways from the Victorian Railways Commissioners to a Victorian Railways Board. In 1974 the Victorian Railways was rebranded as VicRail, but the royal blue and gold livery used on rolling stock was retained until 1981.In 1983 VicRail was divided into two—the State Transport Authority
State Transport Authority (Victoria)
The State Transport Authority was a State Government of Victoria owned corporate body which operated country passenger and freight trains in Victoria, Australia. It was established under the Transport Act 1983, succeeding the Victorian Railways...
taking responsibility for the provision of country rail and road, passenger and freight services
Rail transport in Victoria
Rail transport in Victoria, Australia, is provided by a number of railway operators who operate over the government-owned railway lines. Victorian lines use broad gauge, with the exception of a number of standard gauge freight and interstate lines, a few experimental narrow gauge lines, and...
, and the Metropolitan Transit Authority
Metropolitan Transit Authority (Victoria)
The Metropolitan Transit Authority was a State Government of Victoria owned corporate body that operated suburban passenger trains,trams and buses in Victoria, Australia. It was set up under Section 15 of the Transport Act 1983 and commenced operation on 1 July 1983...
taking over suburban passenger
Railways in Melbourne
The Melbourne rail network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne under franchise from the Government of Victoria. The network is based on a commuter rail model centred on the Melbourne Central Business District and Flinders Street Station, rather than a rapid transit model, with a focus on...
operations.
The State Transport Authority traded under the 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...
name, while the Metropolitan Transit Authority used that name until the Public Transport Corporation
Public Transport Corporation
The Public Transport Corporation was a State Government of Victoria owned corporate body formed under the Transport Act 1983 which operated passenger and freight trains, trams and bus services in Victoria, Australia....
("The Met") was formed in 1989. Between 1996 and 1999 "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...
" and "The Met" were privatised. "V/Line Passenger" was franchised to the National Express Group
National Express Group
National Express Group plc is a British transport group headquartered in Birmingham that operates bus, coach, rail and tram services in the UK, the US and Canada, Spain, Portugal and Morocco and long-distance coach routes across Europe...
, who withdrew in 2002. The former "V/Line Freight" division was sold to Freight Victoria and is now owned by Pacific National
Pacific National
Pacific National is one of Australia's largest private rail freight businesses. Originally a joint venture between Patrick Corporation and Toll Holdings; it is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Asciano Limited following the restructure of Toll Holdings....
, V/Line's former interstate rail freight infrastructure is controlled by the Australian Rail Track Corporation
Australian Rail Track Corporation
Australian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...
, and Metro Trains Melbourne
Metro Trains Melbourne
Metro Trains Melbourne is the current franchise operator of the suburban railway network of Melbourne, Australia. Metro Trains Melbourne is a joint venture led by Hong Kong based MTR Corporation together with John Holland Group and United Group Rail .Metro Trains Melbourne operates a fleet of 381...
now operates the suburban railway network.
Management
The Chairman of Commissioners of the Victorian Railways were:
- Richard SpeightRichard SpeightRichard Speight was an English-born railway commissioner in Victoria, Australia. After a career in railway management in England, he accepted the new post of railway commissioner of the Railways Department of Victoria, in 1883. He was tasked with implementing the Railway Construction Act 1884,...
: 1883 to 1892 - Richard Hodge Francis: 1892 to 1894
- James Syder: 1894 to 1896
- John Mathieson: 1896 to 1901
- William Francis Joseph Fitzpatrick: 1901 to 1903
- Thomas James TaitThomas James TaitSir Thomas James Tait was a Canadian-born rail executive.Born in Melbourne, Quebec, the son of Melbourne McTaggart Tait, Tait entered the service of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1880, and by 1903 he was manager of transportation with Canadian Pacific Railway company.In March 1903 Tait was appointed...
: 1903 to 1910 - William Francis Joseph Fitzpatrick: 1910 to 1915
- Charles Ernest Norman: 1915 to 1920
- Harold Winthrop ClappHarold Winthrop ClappSir Harold Winthrop Clapp KBE was a transport administrator who over the course of thirty years had a profound effect on Australia's railway network...
: 1920 to 1939 - Norman Charles HarrisNorman Charles HarrisNorman Charles Harris was a decorated World War I army engineer and Chairman of Commissioners of the Victorian Railways from 1940 – 1950....
: 1940 to 1950 - Robert George Wishart: 1950 to 1955
- Edgar Henry Brownbill: 1956 to 1967
- George Frederick Brown: 1967 to 1973
After the Bland Report of 1972, in May 1973 the Railways (Amendment) Act 1972 passed the management of the Railways from the Victorian Railways Commissioners to a Victorian Railways Board. The board could have up to seven members, with six being initially appointed. This remained until 1983 when the board was discontinued under the Transport Act 1983.
Fleet
Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways
The former Victorian Railways, the state railway authority in Victoria, Australia built a number of experimental narrow gauge railway lines around the beginning of the 20th century. Although all were closed by the early 1960s, parts of two have been reopened as heritage railways.- Background :A...
. In later years gauge conversion
Gauge conversion
In rail transport, gauge conversion is the process of converting a railway from one rail gauge to another, through the alteration of the railway tracks...
was used to place stock from the main VR fleet onto standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
.
The first locomotives used in the state were small steam locomotives, the majority being imported from Britain
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
, with later years seeing larger units being built locally. Electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s were acquired with the electrification
Railway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
of the suburban railways, with more powerful units acquired when the mainline to Traralgon
Traralgon, Victoria
Traralgon is a regional city located in the Latrobe Valley in the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia. Traralgon is a city within the City of Latrobe....
was electrified. Dieselisation
Dieselisation
Dieselisation or dieselization is a term generally used for the increasingly common use of diesel fuel in vehicles, as opposed to gasoline or steam engines.-Water Transport:...
occurred from 1951, but the B class of 1952 revolutionised main line operations. Apart from the F class shunters, Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering
Clyde Engineering was the name of part of the business now known as Downer EDI Rail. Clyde Engineering were involved in the construction of railway locomotives and rolling stock, as well as larger scale engineering projects on behalf of the governments of Australia...
had a monopoly on Victorian diesel-electric locomotives, as the Australian licensee of General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
EMD engines and traction motors, fitting them into locally designed bodies.
Early passenger services were operated with 4 and 6 wheeled 'dogbox' passenger carriages, but larger bogie rollingstock started to appear from the turn of the century. On the Melbourne suburban network electric multiple unit
Electric multiple unit
An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages, using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number of the carriages...
s were introduced speeding up services. Experiments were also made with various diesel and petrol railcars for use on smaller branch lines. By the late 1970s, country passenger services were run down, and older wooden rolling stock was now approaching their use by date. As a result, the New Deal
New Deal (railway)
The New Deal' for Country Passengers was a timetable introduced on 4 October 1981 in Victoria, Australia that revolutionised the provision of country passenger railway services. 35 little-used passenger stations were closed, rolling stock utilisation improved, and new rolling stock introduced...
saw modern steel carriages introduced from 1981.
Early wagons were built on four wheeled under frames, but from 1871 bogie
Bogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
vehicles begun to appear. The last four wheeled open wagons were built in 1958, but were not scrapped in large numbers until the 1980s when new bogie wagons replaced them, by 1987 the bogie wagon fleet numbered 5000.
When the Victorian Railways (now known as VicRail) was divided into two in 1983, the Metropolitan Transit Authority received the suburban electric multiple unit fleet, while the State Transport Authority took responsibility for remainder for the provision of country passenger and freight services.
Operational branches
The Victorian Railways was divided up into a number of branches, each with a set of responsibilities. These branches were reorganised a number of times, in 1962 they were:- Secretaries: headed by the Secretary for Railways, dealt with policy, administration, transport regulation and legal matters.
- Rolling Stock: headed by the Chief Mechanical EngineerChief Mechanical EngineerChief Mechanical Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent are titles applied by British, Australian, and New Zealand railway companies to the person ultimately responsible to the board of the company for the building and maintaining of the locomotives and rolling stock...
, was responsible for design, construction, operation, and maintenance of all locomotiveLocomotiveA locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s and rolling stock.
- Way and Works: headed by the Chief Civil Engineer, it constructed and maintained all fixed infrastructure such as track, bridges, stations, signalling and safeworking.
- Traffic: headed by the Chief Traffic Manager, it operated all goods and passenger services both on rail and road.
- Electrical Engineering: headed by the Chief Electrical Engineer, it managed the suburban railway electrification systemRailway electrification systemA railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
, as well as power supply to stations.
- Accountancy: headed by the Controller of Accounts, it records all payments, prepared budgetBudgetA budget is a financial plan and a list of all planned expenses and revenues. It is a plan for saving, borrowing and spending. A budget is an important concept in microeconomics, which uses a budget line to illustrate the trade-offs between two or more goods...
s, conducted auditAuditThe general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
s, and paid salaries and wages to employes.
- Commercial: headed by the Chief Commercial Manager, it set goods rates and passenger fares, solicited for new traffic to rail, and took action against by-laws offenders.
- Stores: headed by the Controller of Stores, it received all incoming stores and materials, and controlled the railway printing works.
- Refreshment Services: headed by the Superintendent of Refreshment Services, it controlled food and bookstore services at station, managed advertising at stations, as well as the railway bakery, butchery, poultry farm and laundry.
Visual identification
For most of the 20th century, the colours of royal blue and gold were the distinctive feature of the Victorian Railways. It was first introduced on the Spirit of ProgressSpirit of Progress
The Spirit of Progress was the premier express train passenger service on the Victorian Railways in Australia, running from Melbourne to the Victorian border, and later through to Sydney.-Route:...
express train in 1937 along with the winged 'VR' logo, and was refined to the final form with the arrival of the B class diesel electric locomotives in 1952. The revised logo was inspired by that of the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
While the Spirit of Progress carriages wore the royal blue and gold striping, the remainder of the passenger fleet wore a more plain red livery. Additional carriages did not appear in the blue and gold until the 1954 Royal Tour by HM Queen Elizabeth II. Freight stock was painted in a slightly different red / brown with only identifying lettering painted in white on the side.
In 1961 with the coming of the standard gauge line into Victoria, the Victorian Railways held a competition to find a "symbol, sign or slogan" to be carried on new freight vehicles for the line. The winner was an 18 year old art student from Bentleigh
Bentleigh, Victoria
Bentleigh is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 13 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Glen Eira. At the 2006 Census, Bentleigh had a population of 14,271.-History:...
, with the logo being a stylised VR with arrowheads either end. By the 1970s most bogie vehicles wore the logo, until May 1983 pending the launch of V/Line.
In 1974 the Victorian Railways was rebranded as VicRail, with a new logo unveiled on April 12, 1976, but the royal blue and gold image was retained until 1981, when the orange and silver 'teacup' scheme was launched on locomotives, Comeng trains, and passenger carriages. This was the last livery, with 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...
launched in August 1983 with a "stylised capital lettered logo with the V and the L split by a deep slashing stroke".
Named trains
The Victorian Railways operated a number of named passenger trains, including the:- Geelong Flyer
- Great Northern Limited
- The Overland
- The Boat Train
- Spirit of ProgressSpirit of ProgressThe Spirit of Progress was the premier express train passenger service on the Victorian Railways in Australia, running from Melbourne to the Victorian border, and later through to Sydney.-Route:...
- The GippslanderThe GippslanderThe Gippslander was a named passenger train that operated by the Victorian Railways from state capital Melbourne, through the Gippsland region, to Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia...
- Intercapital DaylightIntercapital DaylightThe Intercapital Daylight was a named passenger train that operated between the cities of Melbourne and Sydney in Australia, running during the daytime making intermediate stops between Sydney and Albury, but running express between Albury and Melbourne.-History:On the Victorian side the train was...
- Mildura Sunlight
- Southern AuroraSouthern AuroraThe Southern Aurora was a named express passenger train that operated between the cities of Melbourne, Victoria, and Sydney, New South Wales, in Australia. First-class throughout, including the dining facilities, the Southern Aurora featured all-sleeper accommodation...
- The Northener
- VinelanderVinelanderThe Vinelander was a named passenger train that operated by the Victorian Railways between Melbourne and Mildura, Victoria, Australia from 1972 to 1993. Operating overnight along the Mildura line, it included motorail and sleeping car facilities.-History:...
- The West CoasterThe West CoasterThe West Coaster was a passenger train named by the Victorian Railways. It ran from the state capital Melbourne, Australia to the regional city of Warrnambool. On the Warrnambool line it had buffet facilities on board....
- Fruit Flyer
The railways also operated a number of specialist trains that were used to bring services to rural and isolated populations. These included:
- Reso Train
- Better Farming Train
- Train of Knowledge
Other functions
From 1888 the Victorian Railways began to take on a role in tourismTourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
, operating the Victorian Government Tourist Bureaux until it was taken over by the state government in 1959. In 1911 the Victorian Railways Commissioners assumed responsibility for the State Coal Mine at Wonthaggi
Wonthaggi, Victoria
Wonthaggi is a town located south east of Melbourne via the South Gippsland and Bass Highways, in the Bass Coast Shire of Gippsland, Victoria, Australia...
from the Mines Department.
The railways also operated the Newport Power Stations A and B, railway refreshment services, the Mount Buffalo Chalet guesthouse, road motor services for passengers, and motor transport services for goods. The railways also operated two tram routes in Melbourne
Trams in Melbourne
The Melbourne tramway network is a major form of public transport in Melbourne, the capital city of the state of Victoria, Australia. , the network consisted of of track, 487 trams, 28 routes, and 1,773 tram stops. It was therefore the largest urban tramway network in the world, ahead of the...
—the "Electric Street Railways".