Yields information about the appearance of the Ballarat Railway Station, c1905/06 and ESCo trams soon after opening of the tramway.Black and White Photograph of Les Edwards polishing No. 18 decorated for the Centenary of Sebastopol, 1964 in the depot yard. The Courier Ballarat photograph. Has the depot buildings in the background including the Bundy Clock. Tram has the destination of Sebastopol. Note the damage showing through the Apron. Alan Bradley advised 22/7 - The caption on the "Courier" of 31/10/1964 was: "Les Edwards puts the final polish on a tram which the SEC has decorated to mark the Sebastopol centenary. Gold, blue and white, the tram is decorated with 100 electric light globes and flags".On rear on one edge "Ballarat Courier - Alan Bradley"trams, tramways, sebastopol, centenary, depot, tram 18

Has a strong association with a Ballarat Tramway and railway enthusiast and yields information about Ballarat and other SEC systems.Service Exercise Book, black covers, with label, red binding titled "No. 2 - Ballarat Tramways & S.E.C. Systems" lined pages, four sections each of 14 sheets, (112 pages), stitched bound. Contains the following items: 5486 - Ballarat Horse Trams - James - 19/6/1937 5487 - Ballarat Electric Trams - James - 24/9/1937 5488 - Ballarat Car stock, notes on destinations, multiple lists 5489 - Geelong Trams list - 2 pages + 1 list after Bendigo article 5590 - Bendigo Trams list 5591 - Bendigo Trams article 5592 - three pages of newspaper clippings of 1889 or historical reprints. Also contained Reg Item 5493 to 5505, as listed on the "List of loose items in W. Jack No. 2 Exercise Book" - these have been separated out.trams, tramways, ballarat, bendigo, geelong, tramways, sec

Yields information about the use of Special trams and the Ballarat railway station level crossing.Colour photograph, printed on a postcard back format of SEC Ballarat tram 17 crossing Sturt St from Lydiard St north with the Ballarat Post Office in the background. Doors have been changed over for the Sturt St central median strip. Note the lady with the walking stick behind the tram and the tram stop sign. Tram has an SEC Electric Cooking advertisement and the destination of Bell St.trams, tramways, lydiard st north, sturt st, post office, tram 26

Yields information about the appearance of SEC tram No. 28 at Gardens loop mid 1950's.Black and white photograph of Ballarat tram No. 28 at the Gardens Loop - 27-2-1954. Has a little girl walking at the rear of the tram. In the background are the timetable signs on the tram stop pole. The tram is travelling south.On rear in ink "ARHS Photo, Botanical Gardens, Ballarat, 27-2-1954."trams, tramways, wendouree parade, gardens, gardens loop, tram 28

Yields information about the appearance of SEC tram No. 38 and the streetscape at the Orphanage.Black and white photograph of Ballarat tram No. 38, inbound in Victoria St, with the destination of Gardens via Sturt St West. In the background is the Orphanage.On rear in ink "Ballarat Rd? 20-2-1955."trams, tramways, victoria st, orphanage, tram 38

Beech Forest: capital on The Ridge. Norman Houghton. 1st ed. reprinted. Geelong (Vic.); Norman Houghton; 2007. iv, 112 p.; illus, maps. Soft cover. beech forest; the ridge; norman houghton; roads; railway; bushfires; weather; governance; commercial life; timber; agriculture; education; churches; sports;

Barongarook: a rural portrait. Norman Houghton. John Reid (illus.) Robert Ashley (cart.) 1st ed. Barongarook School Centenary Committee; Barongarook (Vic.); 1979. 52 p.; illus, maps. Soft cover. ISBN 0 9596142 0 6barongarook; norman houghton; john reid; robert ashley; housing; schools; commercial premises; railway; roads; timber; minerals; social history;

Pioneering Days. J.K. Loney. 1st ed; Portarlington (Vic); Marine History; nd. 44 p.; illus. Soft cover.pioneering days; j.k. loney; history; hotels; guest houses; railways; submarine cable; lighthouse;

Pioneering Days. J.K. Loney. 2nd ed. Portarlington (Vic); Marine History; 1974. 56 p.; illus. Soft cover.pioneering days; j.k. loney; history; hotels; guest houses; railways; lighthouses; submarine cables;

Beechy Rail. Historical and engineering guide to the Old Beechy line rail trail. Norman Houghton. Geelong (Vic); Norman Houghton; 2005. i, 15 p.; illus. Soft cover.beechy; railway; history; engineering;

Engineman and historian Norman De Pomeroy took photographs in first half of 1962 of the Garratt engine and its rolling stock running on the narrow gauge line between Colac and Weeaproinah until its closure on 30 June 1962.Steam in the Otways from the collection of Norman W. De Pomeroy. A photographic profile. Neville Gee (ed.); John Sargent (ed.). 2005; Train Hobby Publications; Studfield (Vic). ii, 48 p.; illus. Soft cover. ISBN 1 921122 02 1colac; beech forest; weeaproinah; norman w. de pomeroy; narrow gauge; victorian railways;

In the earliest years of the Colac-Beech Forest-Crowes line all trains were hauled by NA-class 2-6-2 tank locomotives. From 1926, with the introduction of articulated Beyer Garrett locomotive G41, it hauled the majority of trains with the NAs providing supplementary service as required. Late in 1945 Garratt G41 was again out of action undergoing repairs at the depot in Colac so regular traffic again was handled by an NA for a short time. The line continued to survive on pulpwood long after other VR narrow gauge lines had ceased operation but finally, on 30 June 1962, a dilapidated G42 hauled the last train of goods wagons and vans to Beech Forest and return.Focus on Victoria's Narrow Gauge: Beech Forest Line, Part One. John E. Thompson. Puffing Billy Preservation Society; Belgrave (Vic); Jan 2004. vi, 42 p.; illus; maps. Soft cover. ISBN 0 9579792 4 Xvictorian railways; narrow gauge; beech forest; colac; crowes; edward a. downs; john e. thompson;

Condensing 100 years of Otway history the author tries to give an insight into the thoughts and ways of the settlers in opening the western Otway Ranges. It gives some indication of the mental pressure, hand-in-hand with the physical stress, as a settler cleared the land and made a living for his family. It covers how the rail link brought in the timber mills and their workers which made timber the main industry of that era, and covers the changes that took place in the 1930s as the mills closed down and the district raised crops, dairying and grazing.The Otways that I knew. Ronald Charles 'Corker' Brown. 1st ed. Corker Brown; np; 1993. 216 p.; illus; maps. Soft cover. ISBN 0 646 16798 7otway ranges; corker brown; otway lighthouse; aborigines; beech forest; farming; grazing; crops; railways; roads; timber;

The Educational Magazine is a monthly magazine of educational articles, Australian and overseas, published for teachers by the Education Department of Victoria. Vol.19, No. 6 contains one article of particular relevance, A Train and History, written by Frank McCabe. The Educational Magazine, Volume 19, Number 6, July 1962. The Education Department of Victoria; Melbourne (Vic); 1962. 47 p.; illus, map. Soft cover.education; magazine; railways; articles; history;

Lavers Hill. UP goods shunting siding, 9 December 1954. Red Bedford truck in backgroung. Colour.colac; beech forest; crowes; lavers hill; railway; shunting;

Locomotive 8A, two freight cars, a passenger car and a guard's van leave Crowes Station for Beech Forest. Crowes Station consists of a two-layered station building, a goods shed and a toilet at a three-line terminus.Crowes Station soon after opening in 1912 with Locomotive 8A about to depart for Beech Forest and Colac.crowes; station; railway; locomotive;

Beech Forest. Narrow gauge locomotive No.5A, 1902. Seven men (unknown), five on train, two on ground.beech forest; locomotive no.5a; railway; narrow gauge;

Leaving Colac the narrow gauge train goes through Tulloh. Coram, Barongarook, Kawarren, Lovat, Gellibrand, Banool, Wimba, McDevitt, Weeaproinah, Devitt Bros., and Ditchley before it reaches Beech Forest, and vice versa. The distance in miles, the height above sea level and the timing from the starting point is given. Note that Weeaproinah W NC changed its name to Dinmont when the Crowes line extension is built. Colac-Beech Forest timetable for May, 1911 showing the DOWN train from Colac to Beech Forest, and the UP train from Beech Forest to Colac plus annotations.colac; melbourne; tulloh; coram; barongarook; kawarren; lovat; gellibrand; banool; wimba; mcdevitt; weeaproinah; devitt bros.; ditchley; beech forest; railway; timetable;

The last train to Beech Forest ran on 30 June 1962, between Banool and Wimba. The train had a particularly motley look with 180 passengers loaded into NU goods vans and the old NQ wagons hastily fitted out with temporary seats and tarpaulin roofing. The train was hauled by the G42 locomotive kept alive through patch-up repairs and cannibalised G41 parts, steam escaping from every joint.Last train to Beech Forest, 30 June 1962.beech forest; trains; railways;

A DOWN goods train consisting of a G42 locomotive, a louvre van, two NQ trucks and a guard's van awaits departure from Gellibrand. Three youths are seated in the doorway of the guard' van. On the near track further NQ trucks are parked. A water tank appears in the distance.A DOWN goods train with locomotive G42 awaits departure time from Gellibrand on 14 December 1955. B/W.gellibrand; railways; locomotive g42; louvre van; nq trucks; guard's van; water tank;

Drivers were highly skilled enginemen. Taking a train from Beech Forest to down to Gellibrand required the train to be controlled at 10 mph (16 km) without running out of air. When a brake application was made the brakes on the locomotive were applied harder than the train brakes. The brakes locked up and the engine would just slide along. Drivers used a retention valve on the loco, then released the loco brakes so as not to wear out the brake shoes. So the train pulled into Gellibrand ready to pull out again after refilling the loco with water.At Gellibrand, a Down goods train is about to depart the station on 14 December 1955. The train consists of the locomotive G42, a louvre van NO, two NQ wagons and a guard's or brake van NC. B/W.gellibrand; colac; beech forest; railway;

From late in 1960 VR took what were the first definite steps to close the Colac-Beech Forest line. 1,101 tonnes of freight per year flowed from Colac to Beech Forest because of increasing competition from the roads. From 1 July 1960 onwards, when pulpwood (hardwood) stopped being shipped from Beech Forest, a maximum of only 7,000 tonnes/year would be shipped to Colac. Including special trips passenger revenue earned a little more than $200 per annum. The issue of second-hand sleepers stopped entirely and the two track gangs only patrolled the track and tightened loose bolts. The line did not earn its way and on 4 November 1960 it was recommended that services over the narrow gauge line be discontinued.The rear of a goods train from Colac arrives at Beech Forest on 9 August 1961. The other line is the former Crowes line truncated at Weeaproinah in January 1955. In the background is the Beech Forest Hall and Shire of Otway offices. Colour.colac; beech forest; railway;

In early 1959 N.B.H. excursion cars were mounted on trains running from Colac to Beech Forest and Weeaproinah. Over the next three years much use was made of them bringing tourists up the line.Beech Forest Station, 21 November 1959. Passengers at the side of N.B.H. excursion cars on the right. B/W.beech forest; railway;

The Webster family disembarking from a 7 NB passenger carriage at Laver's Hill in c.1920. B/W. lavers hill; colac; beech forest; railways;

G41 engine and mixed goods carriages on the southern track nearest the Goods Shed, NQ trucks laden with timber next, an empty line, and further carriages next to the station building at Beech Forest in 1950. B/w.beech forest; colac; railways;

A mixed goods train with G41 locomotive changing tracks just after the balloon reversing loop, with piles of timber on the right and a shed on the left. B/W.beech forest; colac; railways;

Locomotives 5A and 14A on a siding at Colac with a boy standing in front. In the background an engine shed and goods sheds, while on the left hand side a louvre van and NQ truck. B/W.colac: beech forest; railway; loco 5a; loco 14a;

B/W. In c.1920 at Lavers Hill, the Webster sisters and friends separated by the mother, with a man in behind. An NA engine and van on the right.lavers hill; railway;

Opened with the line as Bunding its name was changed to Wimba in November 1902 and remained as this until the line closed. The line was briefly flatish at this point until climbing more than 1000 feet to Beech Forest, so a water tank was placed on the side of a hill about 100 metres south of the station. Loco 14A takes water at this tank.B/W. Locomotive 14A, NU louvred van, and others, take water at Wimba in c.1961. Water tank top right.wimba; railway; loco 14a;

B/W. A mixed goods train headed by an NA class locomotive taking water at Kincaid, the fireman looking at the camera, the driver hanging from the entrance to the enging, and a boy standing in front of the engine. kincaid; colac; beech forest; crowes; railways;