A ganger, Frank Woosman, is digging ballast near a railway gangers' trolley.Out on the track. Colac-Beech Forest-Crowes Railway. c.1940colac; beech forest; crowes; frank woosman; gangers' trolley; railway;

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;

Gangers on an 5A-class 2-6-2T steam locomotive with goods wagons, and as well as men standing beside the train, at Beech Forest station during construction, c.1902.Beech Forest station during construction of the line, c.1902. gangers; na-class locomotive; beech forest;

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;

Gellibrand station was one of the larger and more important stations possessing a waiting room, station office, parcels shed and refreshment room joined by a common verandah. The refreshment room was managed for many years by Mrs. O'Neill who, with her staff, around 1920, offered a hot meal for one shilling. In the afternoon, a "cuppa and rock cakes" was available to passengers on the train to Colac. Other patrons were workers from the various establishments in the railway yard.Gellibrand Station Master and Refreshment Room staff, plus two men, under the verandah of the Refreshment Rooms, in front of two railway lines.gellibrand; railways; refreshments; mrs. o'neill;

The Beech Forest railway carried very heavy loading, mostly consisting of timber, but also potatoes, lime, gravel, chaff and dairy produce. Livestock was carried and, while no dedicated passenger service operated "car-goods" ran on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday plus occasional passenger specials. However, despite the high tonnage heavy financial losses were experienced, due partly to the small amount of inbound goods and the high empty wagon mileage. Annual losses by 1915 were up to L8,000, and these were only exacerbated by increased traffic.B/W. Beech Forest Railway Station, guard's van, carriages and wagons on the right, and wagons loading with timber on the left. c.1915.beech forest; railways; station;

Victorian Railways repairers with their NKS motor trolley outside the gang sheds at Beech Forest, Wednesday, 24 March 1954. beech forest; victorian railways; repairers; motor trolley; gang shed;

Beech Forest railway yards, 1907. Passenger carriage; good's van; boy (half hidden; NQ goods wagon; stacks of timber awaiting loading.beech forest; railway; yard; passenger car; timber; goods wagon;

Carriage and half-loaded goods wagon behind a flat railway wagon, all in front of the station building, Beech Forest, 1908.beech forest; passenger car; goods wagon;

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;

With the approval of the railways, in February1959 a special tourist train was organized by the Australian Railways Historical Society in conjunction with the "Kanyana: Festival Committee of Colac, Victoria, to run from Colac to Beech Forest. Eight NBH carriages, in store at Newport, were transferred to Colac. The train proved to be so popular that additional trains were later run over the next two years until the temporarily disused Puffing Billy needed the NBH carriages returned.Locomotive G42, labelled "A.R.H.S., Special Excursion, Kanyana", with a guard's van, eight NBH excursion carriages and an additonal guard's van attached, stands at Gellibrand Station with a large group of passengers milling outside the train. Note on the left a group of domestic railway dwellings, and, on the right side, two empty wagons. B/W.beech forest; colac; railways; a.r.h.s.; kanyana festival committee;

Snow at Beech Forest, taken before 1910 approximately from Ditchley around to the train yards at Beech Forest. B/W. beech forest; snow; ditchley;

Locomotive G41 on a trestle bridge at Colac Station with two enginemen. Another G class locomotive sits in the background. B/W.colac; beech forest; railway; locomotive g41;

Mrs Mabel Olive Hobson (nee Nichols, b. 1895), owner of Cavan House, a guest house, in Lavers Hill, was a valuable community member who did a lot around district. When she died in Colac in 1957 a memorial collection plate inscribed with her details was given to the Presbyterian Church in Lavers Hill. The Church was built in the early 1900s.Wooden circular bowl, two lips around the outer edge, with red felt in centre, 54mm steel inscription. On verso, raised lip with red felt insert in centre. "In Loving Memory of Mrs Mable Hobson November 12th 1957"lavers hill; presbyterian church; mabel hobson;

This is a collection of stories and newspaper clippings that relate to the women of the Colac district during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Over 300 women, some with a lot of information, others only covering a few lines, have been recorded. Many often would have had overwhelming issues to face in their day-to-day lives, with loneliness, lack of close communication and medical help, bad or unmade roads and harsh living conditions, ensuring that their children were fed. Pioneering days: a woman's life. Colac & District Family History Group Inc (comp.). 1st ed. Colac (Vic); Colac & District Family History Group Inc; 2013. vi, 284 p.; illus. ISBN 978 0975 0679 1 8 Soft cover.colac; otways; families; articles;

The first engines to run on the Colac-Beech Forest line between 1900 and 1902 as work trains were A Class locomotives, otherwise known as 'Coffee Pots'. They were based and serviced at Colac, but coal stages were erected at Barongarook and Wimba water tanks because of the lengthy periods of waiting time required to unload sleepers and rails or to load ballast.An A Class train on a revetment hauling timber and men to build the Colac-Beech Forest railway, with a steep hillside in the background.. B/W.colac; beech forest; railway; timber;

By 1960/61 all the factors operating against a narrow gauge railway were in place for the Colac-Beech Forest line. As well as using a 2-6-2 Tank engine over 60 years old, 14A, the train by this stage only had a louvre van, two NQ trucks and a guard's van to bring to Colac. It was very near the end.Locomotive 14A and a mixed goods trucks taking water at 10 mile tank in c.1960=61. The driver controlling the water is W. Brady while the fireman, Les Ogden, peers into the smoke box. B/W.colac; beech forest; ten mile creek; locomotive 14a; w. brady; l. ogden; railway;

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;

Education Department of Victoria Merit Certificate No. 277619 awarded to Daphne Lawson on 6 December 1934. Paper; rectangular; off white paper; black ink. (Mounted on grey cardboard, 330mm x 180mm.)Daphne Lawson, Grade 8, Elementary Schools, Wyelangta. 6th day of Dec, A.D. 1934. U.H. Greene W.D. Le Coutuste (?)education department, victoria: merit certificate; wyelangta; daphne lawson;

Rectangular; coloured; white paper. Printed: 'The Argus Camera Supplement', 'For the sharp ones', 'Certificate to', 'from Old Nancy'. Illustration of a Magpie, "10" beneath.Daphne Lawson Treasure Hunt 16/12/33daphe lawson; the argus camera supplement;

The 1963 Victoria Railways Annual Report stated: "Owing to the paucity of traffic the provision of a regular goods train service on the Colac-Weeaproinah narrow gauge line has involved substantial operating losses in recent years . . . As it was evident that the cost of retaining the service was quite disproportionate to the small amount of traffic offering, the line was closed."B/W. On the 27 June 1962 locomotive G42, 13 NQR wagons, several loaded with wood, and an NC guard's van negotiate Scanlon's curve near Tulloh. Three staff occupy the wagon next to the engine. On the horizon a house amidst a tree.weeaproinah; tulloh; scanlon's curve; railway; colac; beech forest;

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;

B/W. Photocopy. Crowes-Beech Forest-Colac narrow gauge line, December 1911, showing for each station the height above sea level in feet, the miles from Crowes to Colac (and Melbourne), the Station, a mixed train on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, a mixed train on other days, and loading factors.. colac; beech forest; crowes; melbourne; railway;

The circular, S.2628/11, opening the extension of the railway line from Beech Forest to Crowes in June, 1911, is amended by S.2779/11 of 1911. The DOWN train runs from Colac to Beech Forest on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, departing at 3.00pm and arriving at 6.45pm. The UP train departs Crowes daily at 12.45pm arriving at Beech Forest at 2.15pm, and Colac at 6.26pm, stopping where necessary at Tulloh and Ditchley to pick up or set down passengers.B/W, photograph. Originally dated 16 June 1911, S. 2628/11, Opening of Extension, Beech Forest to Crowes, is amended by a further circular, S.2779/11. The DOWN train leaves Colac on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; the UP train leaves Crowes daily.colac; beech forest; crowes; timetable; railways;

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;

The Victorian Railways "G" class Beyer-Garratt locomotives had 2 foot 6 inch gauge engines of the 2-6-0 + 0-6-2 wheel arrangement, that is it had a tender in front of the engine and a tender behind. Two people are riding on the tender in front while a crewman is mounting the engine.B/W. Engine G42, with a crewman entering, and a NUU louvre van, in front of a pulp wood stack. Two people are mounted on the articulated section of the locomotive. Two empty tracks in front.beech forest; railway; loco g42;

Colour. Locomotive G42, an NC guard's van and eight NBH excursion carriages packed with children round a bend near Tulloh at March, 1961. Two people stand watching.tulloh; railway; colac;

B/W, 122mm x 226mm. Transfer Shed and livestock wagon.colac; railways;