TACL-Tractor Appliance Company Limited TACL rail tractors manufactured by Malcolm Moore of Port Melbourne Located in the Parishes of Moondarra and Telbit, Gippsland, the tramway terminated at Collins Siding on the Moe Walhalla 2'6"gauge branch of the Victorian Railways. Its construction by the Forests Commission of Victoria was to facilitate the extraction of timber from the Southern and Western slopes of Mount Erica and to replace the outlet tramways destroyed during the disastrous forest fires of February 1926. Tyers Valley Tramway The line, following the Eastern arm of the river, passed Ingrams Siding (7m.) to terminate at a forest area, known as "Ten Acre Block", 8m. 60c. from Collins Siding. The western branch of the line followed the Western Tyers Valley to Growlers Creek, 13m. 40c. from Collins Siding. THE T.A.C.L. TRACTORS at Tyers Valley tramway. On the 19th January 1928, T.A.C.L. locomotive, purchased from Tractor Appliance Co. Ltd. (Malcolm Moore), was delivered. This unit had a 20 h.p. Fordson engine coupled by a chain drive to the two axles, providing a tractive effort of approx. 2000lbs. Wheelbase was 5’ and weight was four tons. It was intended that the two tractor locomotives, working with the grade, would deliver timber from the branch lines to Tyers Junction, from which place it would be steam hauled out to the Collins Siding transfer point. Following a breakdown of the steam locomotive, haulage during the early months of 1928 was carried out by the T.A.C.L. unit, supplemented by the Nattrass, which was, by this time, becoming unreliable. During April 1928, after ensuring that no suitable locomotive was available in Australia, an order was placed with the Climax Manufacturing Co., U.S.A. for the supply of a geared locomotive. A second T.A.C.L. engine was purchased during May and, on the 27th, the local mill owners, having obtained running rights on the tramway, commenced haulage with the Harman. The three tractor units worked the branch lines and transported ballast, whilst the Harman hauled the timber to Collins Siding in rakes of eight trucks (56 tons). The weekly loading of the line for the first, second and third weeks were 54, 62 and 71 trucks respectively. info from : http://www.nmra.org.au/tyersvalley/Tyers-Tram.html Historic - Industrial Narrow gauge Railway - Timber working - Rail Tractor used by the the Forests Commission of Victoria on the Tyers Valley TramwayRail Tractor with Fordson engine coupled by a chain drive to the two axles - made of steel and wrought ironerica sawmill, puffing billy, tacl, rail tractor, tractor appliance co. ltd. (malcolm moore), industrial narrow gauge railway, tyers valley tramway, forests commission of victoria

Built by the Forests Commission of Victoria for the timber haulage on the Tyers Valley Tramway near Erica. Historic - Industrial Narrow Gauge Railway - Timber working - Timber Bogies used by Forests Commission of Victoria for the timber haulage on the Tyers Valley Tramway near EricaTimber Bogies - Made of Wood and steel and wrought irontyers valley, sawmill, puffing billy, forests commission of victoria, timber bogies, industrial narrow gauge railway

The Washington Winch sits deep in the forest east of Swifts Creek and is the last one of its particular type left in Australia. It was made by the Washington Iron Works company in Seattle. This unique winch was one of two machines imported in 1920 to operate in the Karri forests of WA. Both machines were later purchased by the Forests Commission after the 1939 bushfires for salvage logging at Toorongo to drive elaborate "high lead" cable systems. This particular machine was later sold to Jack Ezard from Swifts Creek in 1959 where it operated on its current site until about 1961. The fate of the second machine is unknown. It was possibly cannibalised for parts. The Ezards were innovative sawmillers who introduced high lead logging into Victoria. They had owned and operated sawmills in the Warburton area from 1907, before shifting to Erica in Gippsland in 1932. Bulldozers and powerful logging trucks eventually made steam and the Washington Winch redundant. The winch is listed on the State Heritage Register. Only one of its kindBrass identification plate recovered from the Washington Winch near Swifts Creek 21 cm in diameter11 x 14 refers to the double drums The serial number is assumed to be 3832forest harvesting