A page taken from a calendar showing a black and white photograph of horse drawn trucks of timber travelling along a timber tramway on the Rubicon River.A page taken from a calendar showing a black and white photograph of horse drawn trucks of timber travelling along a timber tramway on the Rubicon River.Horse drawn trucks of timber going down the Rubicon River. Note the "timber truckies" on tip of the loads, and the "twitch" planks used to tighten the chains securing the loads./ Photo courtesy Alexandra Timber Tramway & Museum.marysville, victoria, australia, timber tramway, rubicon river, timber truckies, twitch planks, alexandra timber tramway & museum, calendar page

Rail tractors were popular with Victorian sawmillers. They were generally cheaper than a steam locomotive, required no special qualifications to drive, and used proven power plants for which spares were available locally. The tractor was constructed by Day’s Engineering of South Melbourne which, although better known for its pumping equipment, built more than fifty rail tractors for Victorian sawmillers and other industrial tramway users. W. Day & Sons is believed to have constructed its first light railway locomotive in 1926. From then until the mid 1940s, the firm appears to have built at least fifty locomotives at its premises in South Melbourne, of which roughly half were four-wheel locomotives and roughly half were six-wheel locomotives like the restored Day’s rail tractor formerly operated by Ruoak Timbers. Of the four-wheel locomotives, ten were 2-ft (610mm) gauge locomotives similar to this one. Today, only two survive, a complete example at the Puffing Billy Railway Museum at Menzies Creek, and one at Alexandra Timber Tramway Museum This 2-ft gauge 4wPM locomotive is believed to have been one of two Day's Petrol Rail tractors formerly used by Cheetham Salt, possibly at the Moolap works near Geelong. Service History :owned by Cheetham Salt, Moolap ( dates unknown ) Geelong Steam Preservation Society , Belmont 1973 ? Puffing Billy Steam Museum , Menzies Creek Historic - Industrial Narrow gauge Railway - Rail Tractor used by Cheetham Salt Company works at Laverton, Moolap and Geelong, Victoria , Australia Petrol Rail Tractor made of Iron , wrought iron, steel puffing billy, industrial narrow gauge railway, rail tractor, days engineering, cheetham salt,, petrol rail tractor

ill, maps, p.36.non-fictionA tour program for a trip to Rubicon and Alexandra areas of Victoria exploring narrow gauge tramways in the area on the 23 & 24-03-91.timber tramways - australia - history, narrow gauge railroads - australia - history