Cudgewa railway line
{{Short description|Former railway line in Victoria, Australia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}}
{{Infobox rail line
|name =
|color =
|logo =
|logo_width =
|logo_alt =
|image = File:Wodonga turning triangle remnant.jpg
|image_width =
|image_alt =
|caption = Cudgewa line remnant to Bandiana, looking east from the former turning triangle at Wodonga
|system =
|status = converted to High Country Rail Trail
|locale =
|start = Wodonga
|end = Cudgewa
|continuesfrom = North East line
|continuesas =
|stations = 4
|routes =
|open = Wodonga-Huon Lane: 10 September 1889
Huon Lane-Bolga: 18 July 1890
Bolga-Tallangatta: 24 July 1891
Tallangatta-Shelley: 13 June 1916
Shelley-Beetomba: 10 April 1919
Beetomba-Cudgewa: 5 May 1921
|close = 1 March 1981
|owner = Victorian Railways
|operator = Victorian Railways
|linelength = 113.5 kilometres
|gauge = {{RailGauge|1600mm}}
|old_gauge =
|electrification =
|elevation_m =
|website =
|map = {{Cudgewa railway line}}
|map_state =
}}
File:Melbourne-Cudgewa rail ticket 1978.jpg-Cudgewa rail ticket 1978]]
The Cudgewa railway line is a closed railway line in the north-east of Victoria, Australia. Branching off the main North East line at Wodonga it ran east to a final terminus at Cudgewa. The High Country Rail Trail now uses most of the railway reserve.
History
The Cudgewa line opened in stages between 1889 and 1921. The first section from Wodonga to Huon opened on 10 September 1889. It was extended to Bolga on 18 July 1890, Tallangatta on 24 July 1891, Shelley on 13 June 1916 (the highest station in Victoria), Beetoomba on 10 April 1919 and Cudgewa on 5 May 1921.{{cite book|last1=Quinlan|first1=Howard|last2=Newland|first2=John|title=Australian Railway Routes 1854 - 2000|date=2000|publisher=Australian Railway Historical Society|location=Redfern|isbn=0-909650-49-7|page=28}}
[http://vicsig.net/infrastructure/line/Cudgewa Cudgewa Line] Vicsig The line would feature 1 in 30 grades and large trestle bridges to account for the mountainous terrains and flood plains which the line went through.{{Cite web |title=Wodonga to Cudgewa track charts |url=https://www.victorianrailways.net/grades/cudgewa1.html |access-date=2024-09-02 |website=www.victorianrailways.net}}
In 1919, the line was used to carry materials for the construction of Hume Weir, and three years later a spur line connecting Ebden to the weir was opened.
Part of the line was converted to dual gauge in 1944 to serve freight depots around Bandiana. In the early 1950s, the volume of Hume Reservoir was increased, with the railway around Tallangatta relocated to avoid the rising waters."Reincarination of a Bridge" Railway Digest March 2015 pages 54-55 In the 1960s, Cudgewa became the railhead of materials for the Snowy Mountains Scheme.{{cite web|url=http://www.highcountryrailtrail.org.au/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=7|title=Heritage of the High Country Rail Trail|publisher=highcountryrailtrail.org.au|accessdate=2009-01-04|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060819224955/http://www.highcountryrailtrail.org.au/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=7|archivedate=19 August 2006}} During this period of time 2 trains would run away down the steep gradients eventually derailing.{{Cite book |last=Anchen |first=Nick |title=A railway to Cudgewa |publisher=Sierra Publishing |year=2013 |isbn=9780980764055 |edition=2nd |location=Australia |language=en}} This would lead the VR to purchase T class T413 which became the regular diesel locomotive on the line after purchase in 1967. It was the only locomotive of the class with dynamic brakes.{{cite book|author=Leon Oberg|title=Locomotives of Australia: 1850s - 2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aft-3rWtXvwC&pg=PA297|year=2007|publisher=Rosenberg Publishing|isbn=978-1-877058-54-7|page=297}}
The last passenger service from Wodonga to Tallangatta ran on 30 September 1961 with a 102hp Walker railmotor.{{cite magazine |date=March 1997 | title = Rail Passenger Service Withdrawals Since 1960 | author = Chris Banger |magazine= Newsrail | publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division) | pages =77–82 }} On 21 April 1978, the last regular goods train ran, with closure of the line on 1 March 1981, except for the short section to Bandiana. From 1995, it was a standard gauge track only. The Wodonga-Bandiana section closed on 1 September 2009 as part of the Wodonga Rail Bypass project. The section of the line between Wodonga and Tallangatta has now been converted into the High Country Rail Trail. On 20 October 2012, a new bridge opened over Lake Hume using the existing piers.[https://www.bicyclenetwork.com.au/general/policy-and-campaigns/2614/ Festival to celebrate the opening of Sandy Creek Bridge] Bicycle Network[https://www.railtrails.org.au/trail?view=trail&id=83 High Country Rail Trail] Rail Trails Australia
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://cudgewapictures.blogspot.com/ Photos during Victorian Railways operations]
- Photos of the remains of the line: [http://pics.steamfreak.com/index.php?cat=17] and [http://www.vicrailstations.com/Cudgewa/Cudgewa.html]
- [http://www.highcountryrailtrail.org.au/ High Country Rail Trail]
{{Victorian Railway Lines|branch}}
Category:Closed regional railway lines in Victoria (state)
Category:Railway lines opened in 1921
Category:Railway lines closed in 1981
Category:Snowy Mountains Scheme