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THE MARYBOROUGH AND
DUNOLLY RAILWAY.
[BY OUR OWN REPORTER.]
The works to connect the Maryborough
and Dunolly districts by rail with the main
trunk line at Castlemaine are practically
completed. Material trains run to and fro
every day, and on the 26th of last month
about 800 school children enjoyed the
pleasures of a trip from Maryborough to
Castlemaine by rail. On the 7th instant
(Tuesday next) the regular passenger
traffic will commence, though it will
be some time before the stations
and other permanent works are out
of the contractors' hands. The con
struction of the line is more than usually in
teresting, because it places the public in pos
session of the first of what are techni-
cally called the "light lines." A com
parison with other Government lines
will best show what this term means.
On the old main lines the rails used weigh
60 lb , 72 lb., and 80 lb. to the yard ; and
on the North-eastern line 66 lb. steel rails, or
70 lb. iron rails, are used. The ballast
ing on both these lines is also heavier than
on the light line ; the sleepers are closer
together ; the shape of the rails and the
mode of fastening them is different and more
costly. The curves on the old main lines
are of fifty chain radius, on the North-eastern
they are forty chains radius, but on this new
light line they are fifteen chains radius.
The inequalities of the natural surface of the
ground are also followed to a much greater
extent than on the older lines, and these
things put together make up the character
istics of a light line ; and the effect of the
change is, that lighter rolling stock must be
used, and the speed of travelling cannot,
with safety, exceed sixteen miles an
hour. It is the opinion of Mr W. H.
Greene, the engineer for the district traversed
by the new line, that not less than 60 lb.
rails should be laid down ; for mixed goods
and passenger trains must be employed, and
that necessitates the use of heavy engines.
His professional opinion on that subject has
been laid before Parliament, and there is
every probability of heavier rails being or
dered for the other light lines at present in
course of construction. If this suggestion be
not carried out, it is contended that the re-
suit will be practically a break of gauge, for
a large portion of the rolling stock at pre
sent in the possession of the Government
cannot with safety and profit he sent along
the light lines, where 50 lb. rails
are used. The experimental complexion
these works bear makes their construction
specially interesting, and the results attend
ant on their use will be watched closely by
those who favor cheap railway extension, and
those who urge the adoption of more costly
and substantial works. There are two sec
tions to be opened for traffic on Tuesday
next ; the first extending from Castlemaine
to Newstead, contracted for by Mr. Thos.
Doran, the first sod of which was turned by
the Minister of Railways on the 7th Sep-
tember, 1872 ; and the second section, con-
tracted for by Mr. J. Thomas, carries the
line on to Maryborough. Some alterations
are in progress at the Castlemaine station,
to meet the increased demands that
will be made for accommodation. At
the northern end of the station a coal stage
and shed, and a shelter shed for engines, are
nearly completed. A siding and turntable
have also been constructed, and from these a
third line will he laid down, so that the
traffic to or from Maryborough will not inter
fere with the traffic on the main line. This
has involved the widening of two road
bridges, and the viaduct over Forest Creek,
on the south side of the Castlemaine station.
The present platform for the main down line
to Sandhurst will serve as the platform for
the new line, the third line of rails pre
viously spoken of passing the western
side of the station. Two light iron
semaphores are also erected near this station,
the signals from which can be seen from a
great distance. The new line branches off a
short distance south of the Campbell's Creek-
road bridge by a sharp curve— the sharpest
on the whole line — of 12 chains radius, and
then follows as nearly as possible the course
of Campbell's Creek, keeping to the contour
of the ground to avoid heavy cuttings. The
continuous sinuosity of the track hereabout
will astonish a great many travellers, for the
curves vary from 15 to 12 chains radius, and
are quite novel in Victorian railway con
struction. The country about here is
very similar in character to that in
the neighborhood of Castlemaine. Old
gold workings have to be crossed,
barren quartz ranges avoided, and sapling-
clad gullies to be traversed. This kind of
country continues till Guildford, seven
miles distant, is reached, where it is proposed
to erect a small station and goods shed, with
siding and passing place. Just beyond the
station the main Guildford-road is crossed
on a wrought iron girder skew bridge, on
brick piers, that raise the line nearly 20 feet
above the road. A short distance beyond
the line crosses the Loddon, which at this
part of the country winds sluggishly and
sludgily along a wide flat, telling of pollu-
tion from neighbouring gold fields. Tra-
vellers by coach will remember the
sea of water that accumulates in this
locality at the time of floods, and the
series of long, low wooden bridges constructed
across the flat and watercourse on the main
coach road. The railway crosses this flat by
a timber viaduct 320 feet long and 30 feet
above the summer water level, and built of
red gum, mostly procured from Echuca. The
construction of this cost £5 per foot. Up to
this point the gradients have not exceeded 1
in 40. After leaving Guildford the rails fol-
low the course of the Loddon, along rich al-
luvial country, dotted with pleasant home-
steads, with here and there old home stations,
once tenanted by squatters whose holdings
ranged as far as the eye could see, but
whose territory has been invaded by
selectors more free than welcome.
From this fertile valley a large quantity of
agricultural and dairy produce will be sent
by rail, and it is to meet those demands of
carriage that the accommodation at the
Guildford station will be erected. Strang-
ways is reached through pretty country, and
by easy curves and gradients, and there the
Jim Crow Creek is crossed by a timber via-
duct 210 feet long, costing £4 per running
foot. Beyond this, at a distance of fourteen
miles from Castlemaine, stands the Newstead
station, a neat brick building, comprising
a goods shed, with proper platforms, a sta-
tion master's house, waiting-room, booking-
office, lamp-room, with verandahs and neces-
sary out-buildings. These buildings are rapidly
nearing completion, and will be found a
great convenience to the large grain pro-
ducers in this locality. After leaving New-
stead a level stretch of country is traversed
in a nearly straight line, and within sight of
the main coach road, which is crossed on a
level. In order to avoid cuttings, gradients
of 1 in 50 have been adopted in this locality
at intervals, where required. Joyce's Creek,
three miles beyond Newstead, is crossed on
a wooden viaduct 390 feet long, costing about
£3 per foot. A passenger platform is erected
here for the accommodation of the Maldon
district, a few miles off. The Charlotte
Plains are entered upon after crossing
Joyce's Creek, and the geological character
of the country changes to the upper volcanic,
with basalt hills cropping up and
skirting the windy up-land. Mr. Hector
Norman Simson's home station lies
some distance to the left, Mount Tar-
rengower boldly skirts the plain beyond, and
in front is Moolort and two of the high bald
hills that are so common, in connection with
basaltic country, and yet are so curious to
the eyes of those unacquainted with Aus-
tralian scenery. At Moolort--a purely
agricultural district, without a township — a
small station and goods shed is erected, with
platform and passing place. The line from
this station keeps to the original surface of
the country till it winds close to the base of
the more northern of the bald hills near
Carisbrook, when it descends through a
shallow cutting and a deeper embank-
ment, crossing the Deep Creek on a
1 in 50 gradient. At this part is
the most costly work on the line, in the
shape of a combined cylinder and timber,
pile viaduct, 440 feet long, erected over the
Deep Creek. It was originally intended
that this work should have been entirely of
wood ; but in consequence of the masses
of timber buried deep in the bed of the
creek preventing the driving of piles, cast-
iron cylinder piers were substituted. This
increased the cost of the bridge to£13 per
foot, instead of £4 or £5. The bridge
carries the rails about 30 feet above the
bed of the creek, the banks of which are
very high here. The Carisbrook station is
close to the township, and is built from the
same plans and specifications as the Newstead
station. From Carisbrook to Maryborough
is about two and a half miles, and between
the two towns lie the grassless timbered
quartz ranges common to most digging lo-
calities. The line rises gradually from
Carisbrook towards Maryborough, but heavy
cuttings are avoided until the top of the
range is crossed, by a gradient of one in
fifty in about twenty feet of cutting. The
line is then comparatively level into Mary-
borough. The station accommodation is
much more extensive than elsewhere along
the line, because here will be the centre of
lines to Dunolly, Avoca, and Ballarat. A
large passenger station, with booking offices,
refreshment rooms, station-master's quarters,
engine shed, a goods shed 300 feet long,
turn-tables, fuel-sheds, two water-tanks
holding 6000 gallons each, water cranes for
supplying thirsty engines, and all the other
requirements of an important station are
provided, at a cost of about £4000. The
tanks will be supplied from the borough
reservoir. The distance of this station from
Castlemaine is 32 miles, a longer distance
than by the coach road, but the divergence
was made for the benefit of Newstead.
The other works on the line not par-
ticularly mentioned, such as culverts, are
of a substantial character. The ballast
used consists to a very considerable extent
of tailings from the gold workings passed
through, and of gravel. On the main lines
road metal has been used. The base of the
ballast is about 11 feet wide, and there is a
thickness of about six inches under the hard
wood sleepers, to which the flat-footed rails
are secured with dogspikes and pins. The
cuttings on the line are only 13 feet 9 inches
at the base, while on the North-Eastern line
they vary from 17 feet 6 inches to 20 feet.
The culverts are not all of the same descrip-
tion, but are built of the material that was
nearest to hand. Some are timber pile cul-
verts, some brick-arched, and when basalt
country was passed through the culverts
were made of rubble masonry, with sawn
copings from the Malmsbury Stone-cutting
Mills. The fencing on each side
of the line consists of substantial
posts and rails, made sheep-proof where
required. When stony country was passed
through, dry stone walls were substituted
for fencing. All the roads, with the excep-
tion of the Guildford main-road, are crossed
on the level, and have plain substantial
wooden gates, with wickets and openings in
the fences for foot passengers. The gates are so
arranged as to close across either the road or
the rails at option. Hardwood and weather
board cottages are provided for gate-keepers
and signal men. The utmost economy has
been studied throughout in designing
the various works, consistent with
strength and durability. The faithful
ness with which the contractors have
carried out their undertakings, and the
soundness of the plans and specifications,
is proved by the fact that the bridges and
culverts have all stood satisfactory tests
with the heaviest loads that can be put on
them. The public can therefore confidently
anticipate that in the new light line safety
has not been sacrificed to economy. The
new lines radiating from Maryborough are
in a forward state. The extension to
Dunolly, thirteen miles (Bloomfield's con-
tract), will be completed in about ten weeks
time. The tenders for the Avoca extension
will soon be called for. Messrs. Fish-
burn and Morton are making rapid pro-
gress with the line from Maryborough
to Clunes, to meet the other contractors
working from Ballarat toward Clunes
through Creswick. These lines will form
important feeders to our main trunk lines,
and will afford facilities of communication to
a large number of people, the importance
and convenience of which can hardly be
over-estimated. There will be no local cele-
bration at the opening of the line on Tues-
day, but when the new goods shed is com-
pleted, and the lines to Dunolly and Balla-
rat are opened, the elevation of Maryborough
into a great railway centre will not, in all
probability, pass unnoticed by the inhabi-
tants.
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