2 small booklets for instruction related to traffic control and signals, Both have paper covers, one on red paper and the other is pink. Each one is bound with staples along the centre fold and printed in black ink.fiction These manuals were printed by Victorian Railways in 1927 and 1969 and therefore document the changes in signalling systems over this time frame.vline training, railways victoria, railways signalling systems

NSWTD Railway Marker OIl lamp, No.1 RA Oil burning lamps have always been an important part of Australian railway signalling systems and have been used for communication, safety and lighting. It is called a marker lamp and was hung on rolling stock (carriages and wagons) such as the guard’s van to indicate the rear of the train at night. They were also used to indicate the rear of steam locomotive tenders for identification and safety purposes. This type of lamp was introduced to the railways around 1860 and continued to be used for over one hundred years. Oil lamps were phased out on the railways during the late 1960s and early 1970s, when they were replaced by battery lamps. Railway lighting included not only stations but yards, engines, rolling stock, signals, signal-boxes and crossings. There were a number of different types of lamps used for a variety of railway purposes. Historic - New South Wales Transport Department.- Railway Marker Oil Lamp NSWTD Railway Marker lamp, No.1 RA made of metal and Glass Railway lamp, paraffin, metal/glass/fabric, used for attaching to railway rolling stock to mark the end of the train, made by the New South Wales Transport Department, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1870 - 1970 This lamp comprises a hollow cube of metal. One lens at the front transmits light from an interior light source. Fuel was either signal oil or kerosene. The burner inside the lamp used either cotton or felt wicks to create the light source. The lamp has a carry handle for carrying by hand and a bracket with a slot on the back for hanging onto the hook of a locomotive or item of rolling stock. It is marked "NSWTD" which stands for New South Wales Transport Department.NSWTD 1 RApuffing billy railway , pbr, nswtd railway marker oil lamp, no.1 ra

Four NSWTD Railway marker Oil lamps at Nobelius Packing shed Item stamped numbers unknown Oil burning lamps have always been an important part of Australian railway signalling systems and have been used for communication, safety and lighting. It is called a marker lamp and was hung on rolling stock (carriages and wagons) such as the guard’s van to indicate the rear of the train at night. They were also used to indicate the rear of steam locomotive tenders for identification and safety purposes. This type of lamp was introduced to the railways around 1860 and continued to be used for over one hundred years. Oil lamps were phased out on the railways during the late 1960s and early 1970s, when they were replaced by battery lamps. Railway lighting included not only stations but yards, engines, rolling stock, signals, signal-boxes and crossings. There were a number of different types of lamps used for a variety of railway purposes. Historic - New South Wales Transport Department.- Railway Marker Oil LampFour NSWTD Railway marker Oil lamps made of metal and glass Railway lamp, paraffin, metal / glass / fabric, used for attaching to railway rolling stock to mark the end of the train, made by the New South Wales Transport Department, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1870-1970 This lamp comprises a hollow cube of metal. One lens at the front transmits light from an interior light source. Fuel was either signal oil or kerosene. The burner inside the lamp used either cotton or felt wicks to create the light source. The lamp has a carry handle for carrying by hand and a bracket with a slot on the back for hanging onto the hook of a locomotive or item of rolling stock. It is marked "NSWTD" which stands for New South Wales Transport Department.NSWTDpuffing billy railway , pbr, four nswtd railway marker oil lamps

This Engine Room section of a ship's telegraph system was part of the equipment of the Ports and Harbour ship the SS Rip. The vessel serviced and maintained the lights and buoys at Port Phillip Bay and Queenscliffe. The SS Rip was possibly the former gunboat "Albert". The ship’s communication system that was used from the late 19th century to early-to-mid-20th-century is called an Engine Order Telegraph (E.O.T.) or ship’s telegraph. The system has two parts, the Bridge Section and the Engine Room Section. The Bridge Section is usually mounted on top of a pedestal, and the Engine Room Section is often attached to a vertical surface. The standard commands printed or stamped onto the dial are the directions of AHEAD and ASTERN, and the speeds of STOP, FULL, EASY, STD. BY. and FIN. ENG. The ship’s pilot on the Bridge of a vessel sends his Orders for speed and direction to the to the Engine Room with the E.O.T. He moves the lever or levers, depending on the number of engines the ship has, to change the indicator on the Bridge Section’s dial to point in the new direction and speed of travel. This change causes the Orders to be duplicated on the Engine Room Section’s dial and a bell to signal the change simultaneously. The engineer then adjusts the ship’s engines and steering equipment to follow the pilot’s Order. The manufacturer, Mulne Bros., was a copper and brass works at 166 Sussex Street Sydney, in December 1892, and previously from 1870 at 128 to 130 Sussex Street. The company made and sold a wide range of equipment including machinery and gauges for the Railways.The Engine Room section is significant for being part of the communications system on the ship SS Rip, owned by Melbourne's Ports & Harbours department and used to service and maintain the navigation signals of Port Phillip Bay and at Queenscliffe in the mid-20th century. The dial is an example of marine equipment made in Australia and used for the safety of Victorian vessels. It is also significant for being made by an early Australian manufacturer, Milne Brothers of Sydney.Engine Room Section of a ship’s telegraph or Engine Order Telegraph (E.O.T.). The round metal dial has inscriptions stamped around the edges. The inscriptions are nautical terms for direction and speed and include the maker’s details. The dial was made by Milne Bros. of Sydney. It was part of the equipment on the "SS Rip" in Victoria.Black paint around dial: "MILNE BROS. / MAKERS / SYDNEY" "FULL EASY STD. BY " "FIN ENG. EASY FULL" ""ASTERN" "STOP" "AHEAD"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, marine technology, marine communications, engine order telegraph, e.o.t., ship’s telegraph, bridge section, engine room section, ship’s engine telegraph section, marine telegraph, milne bros., milne brothers, sydney, copper and brass works, ports & harbours ship, ss rip, gunboat albert, service ship, maintenance ship

In 2012 local community groups acknowledged the centenary of the extension of the Railway line from Eltham to Hurstbridge which took place in 1912. Newspaper article: Automatic system signals the end of the station's tradition, The Age 20 June 2012. Material produced by Nillumbik Historical Society advertising centenary celebrations and providing history with photographs of the Eltham to Hurstbridge extension. The Heidelberg Historian newsletter of the Heidelberg Historical Society No 279, December 2013 (14 pages) including an article by David Watson "Prince's Bridge to Hurst's Bridge".29 pages, newspaper articleharry gilham collection, hurstbridge railway line, centenary celebrations, eltham railway station

The telegraph system of sending and receiving messages was developed in the early 1800s and improved as time went on. It sends electronic signals that represent letters and words along a wire. Those signals are then converted back to words at the other end of the wire. Morse code is a similar system. A fee is charged to send a telegraph, per letter or per word. The telegraph greatly improved communication, particularly in a large country like Australia. It was a fast way to send news and send out calls for help for people during a shipwreck. In Warrnambool, it was even used to set the correct time every day; a signal was sent from the time ball in Melbourne, and along the railway line to the Warrnambool Post Office. This 1896 telegraph tells a big story in very few words, only fourteen! The layout of the paper form includes a table with four columns and five rows, set out for writing just one word into each of the twenty spaces. The happy message is the approval to go ahead with the exchange/sale of the title from landowner Rutledge to Wilson. The Melbourne Legal firm Klingender Dickson and Kiddle sent this message on behalf of its client to the Bank of Australasia in Warrnambool. The Bank of Australasia was incorporated by the Royal Charter of England in March 1834. The bank began in Australia on 14th December 1835, opening in Sydney. The Acting Superintendent of the bank at that time was David Charters McArthur. He was Superintendent from 1867-to 1876. The Melbourne branch opened on 28th August 1838 in a two-roomed brick cottage on the north side of Little Collins Street, where two huge mastiff dogs were used at night to guard the bank. The government also provided an armed military sentinel. Due to the bank's rapid growth, a new building for the Melbourne branch was opened in 1840 at 75 Collins Street West. By 1879 the bank had been upgraded to a magnificent two-storey building on the corners of Collins and Queens Streets, with the entry on Collins Street. In 1951 the Bank of Australasia amalgamated with the Union Bank to form Australia and New Zealand Bank, now known as the ANZ. Then in 1970, the ANZ merged with both the ES&A and the London Bank of Australia to form the ANZ Banking Group Limited. The ANZ Banking Group Ltd kindly donated a variety of historic items from the Bank of Australasia. BANK of AUSTRALASIA, WARRNAMBOOL – In 1854 Warrnambool had two banks, the Union Bank and the Bank of Australasia. Later, completely different bank businesses opened; in 1867 the National Bank of Australasia, then in 1875 the Colonial Bank of Australasia. The original Warrnambool branch of the Bank of Australasia was established in July 1854, and operated from a leased cottage on Merri Street, close to Liebig Street. The bank later bought a stone building previously erected by drapers Cramond & Dickson on the corner of Timor and Gibson Streets. Samuel Hannaford was a teller and then Manager at the Warrnambool branch from 1855 to 1856 and the Warrnambool Council chose that bank for its dealings during 1856-57. In 1859 Roberts & Co. was awarded the contract to build the new Bank of Australasia branch for the sum of £3,000. The land was on a sand hill on the northeast corner of Timor and Kepler Streets and had been bought in 1855 from investor James Cust. The new building opened on May 21, 1860. The bank continued to operate there until 1951 when it merged with the Union Bank to form the ANZ Bank, which continued operating from its Liebig Street building. Warrnambool City Council purchased the former Bank of Australasia building in 1971 and renovated it, then on 3rd December 1973 it was officially opened as the Art Gallery by Cr. Harold Stephenson and Gallery Director John Welsh. The Gallery transferred to the purpose-built building in Liebig Street in 1986 and the old bank building is now the Gallery club. Staff at the Bank of Australasia in Warrnambool included the following men but others were also involved: Samuel Hannaford, Teller then Manager from 1855-1856; W H Palmer, Manager from January 1857 until November 1869 when the Teller Basil Spence was promoted to Manager; H B Chomley, Manager from April 1873 and still there in 1886; A Butt, Manager in 1895-1904; J R McCleary Accountant and Acting Manager for 12 months, until 1900; A Kirk, Manager 1904; J Moore, staff until his transfer to Bendigo in December 1908; J S Bath was Manager until 1915; C C Cox, Manager until April 1923; Richard C Stanley, Manager 1923 to April 1928. This telegraph has historical significance as it was sent to the Bank of Australasia in Warrnambool. The parties involved in the message, Rutledge and Wilson, were involved in a land deal in 1896 when the district was importing and exporting goods into and out of Warrnambool Harbour via sailing ships. It is also a historical record of the nature of financial agreements between similar institutions in Warrnambool and the district. The telegraph is significant for its association with the Bank of Australasia in Warrnambool, the first bank in Warrnambool, established in 1854. The bank continued to operate until its merger in 1951 when it became the ANZ Bank, which is still in operation today. The Bank was an integral part of the establishment and growth of commerce in Colonial Warrnambool and throughout Australia.Telegraph RECEIVED: Warrnambool Post Office, Wednesday 3rd June 1896. FROM: Klingender, Dickson, and Kiddle, solicitors, Bank Place, Melbourne FOR :the Manager, Bank of Australasia, Warrnambool, REGARDING: Rutledge to Wilson titleSTAMP: text inside circle "WARRNAMBOOL VIC", and in centre of the circle "JE 3 96" Telegraph No. "23", FROM :"Melbourne", FOR: "The Mgr, Bank of Australasia" MESSAGE (14 words): "Rutledge to Wilson title accepted by Purchaser's Solicitors settlement may be effected with auctioneers" TIME: "9:24" SIGNED: " Klingender Dickson Kiddle, Solrs, Bank Place"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, flagstaff hill maritime museum, maritime museum, commerce, banking, bank of australasia, australia & new zealand bank, anz bank, david charters mcarthur, telegraph, 1896, rutledge, wilson, klengender, dickson, kiddle, warrnambool post office, klengender dickson and kiddle, bank place

Train Destination Disc Until the 1980s Melbourne suburban trains used a system of discs by day, and illuminated market lights by night, to indicate their destination. Placed on the front of trains to advise a Signalman in the Signal Box the destination of the train. This disk was used on NK1 the Whitfield Motor when it was used by Puffing Billy Railway Info from the diagrams from the 1953 Victorian Railways General Appendix. Black + is Lilydale, Belgrave other Destination Disks were Disks Williamstown Black II Newport Workshops Red = Changed in 76 to Black + Newport-Altona shuttle Red X Werribee Red X St Albans Black X Upfield Black = Broadmeadows Originally Red X changed in 1976 to Red = Epping Black II Hurstbridge Red X Lilydale, Belgrave Black + Alamein Black X Glen Waverley Black = Dandenong Black II Frankston Red = Sandringham Red X St Kilda Originally Black II changed in 1976 to Red X Port Melbourne Red X changed in 1976 to Black X Flinders St - Spencer St Local Red II Showgrounds Red = plus extra white disk on opposite front disk bracket; if only one event, Display Large White 1 and yellow side disk with set number. If two events, second event special trains flip this disk and show large Black Disk with white numeral 2 Race Special Red = plus extra white disk on opposite front disk bracket; if only one event, Display Large White 1 and yellow side disk with set number. If two events, second event special trains flip this disk and show large Black Disk with white numeral 2 For example, Flemington Race trains and Caulfield Race trains on the same day. Flemington carries Red = and White 1 and yellow set number on the side Caulfield carries Red = and Black 2 with yellow set number disc on the side. There was one disc which was never to be used in normal traffic, that was the "Red Cross"; it was reserved for Red Cross trains only.Historic - Victorian Railways - Destination Disk - Black cross - Lilydale, Belgrave Lines This disk was used on NK1 the Whitfield Motor when it was used by Puffing Billy Railway Train Destination Disc Round tin sign painted white with a black cross on white background and a mounting bracket on the rear. Placed on the front of trains prior to the mid 1970s to advise a Signalman in the Signal Box the destination of the train. Black Cross puffing billy, destination disc, victorian railways, lilydale, belgrave lines

Electric staff - Electric staff instruments The staff and ticket system was still too inflexible for busy lines, as it did not allow for the situation where the train intended to carry the actual token was cancelled or running very late. To provide for this, the electric train token system was developed. Each single-line section is provided with a pair of token instruments, one at the signal box at each end. A supply of identical tokens is stored in the instruments, which are connected by telegraph lines. A Staff can be removed from one instrument only if both signalmen co-operate in agreeing to the release. Once a Staff has been removed, another cannot be removed until the token which is "out" is replaced in either instrument. (There are variations on this sequence of events.) By this means, it can be ensured that at any one time, only one token is available to be issued to a driver. Staff belonging to adjacent sections have different configurations to prevent them being inserted into the wrong instrument. Nevertheless, in the Abermule train collision in 1921 and lax working procedures allowed the safeguards provided by the electric Staff system to be circumvented; a driver was handed a Staff for the wrong section, and without reading the information listed on the staff, proceeded on the mistaken belief that the Staff was correct. To prevent this, it became a requirement in the UK for the signals controlling entry to the single line section (starting or section signals) to be locked at danger unless a token has been released from the relevant Staff instrument. Historic - Victorian Railways Electric Staff Instrument Electric Staff Instrument made of Iron , Brass and Glasspuffing billy, electric staff instrument, victorian railways

One Hundred page book with nine fold out plates tipped in, green card titled "The Westinghouse Brake - Reference Book", published by Westinghouse Brake Co. in 1904. Text has been sewn into sections and then bound into the book. Plate inside front cover, has been printed in colour showing the extent of the use of the Westinghouse brake system that had been adopted on the various railways. Plat 110E (page 43) has an orange plastic component acting as a brake handle and showing how the various ports and parts interrelated in the valve. Inside the back cover are two loose folded sheets, plate 209 and 209A, Improved triple valve and the "Graduating Release Valve", dated August 1905. Covers compressed air brake systems on railway trains, showing how they are designed, operated, parts listing and has a number of pasted in erratum in the book. "Colin Rutledge" stamped on top of page 1 and inside front cover. On cover written in black ink "Melbourne Office, WB Co. of A, Jan '11"trams, tramways, westinghouse, railway brakes, equipment, compressors, carriages

Provides information about a system of safe working on a single line tramway or interurban railway or tram line. Has an illustration of the signal, coloured on the front cover. Gives details of the company, automatic electric block signals for 'railways' - interurban operation. The type K2-signal is one that can register up to 15 cars into and out of a section. Gives details, line diagrams and electrical details of this signal works, installation requirements and Trolley Contactors. Centre page has an electric diagram. Received by ESCo 4/11/1926.Yields information about a system on controlling vehicles on a single line railway or tramway section.Twenty page book, printed on art paper, centre page electrical diagram and light blue covers, titled "United States Electric Signals - Type K-2 Signal", with three centre staples. Noted by stamp on page 1 "Nachod and United States Signal Co. Inc. successors to the United States Electric Signal Co. 4771 - 4777 Louisville Avenue, Louisville Ky USA"The "Electric Supply Co. of Victoria 4/11/1926" in purple ink on the front cover, page 1and 5. On page 1 in black stamp ink "Nachod and United States Signal Co. Inc. successors to the United States Electric Signal Co. 4771 - 4777 Louisville Avenue, Louisville Ky USA" and on top of page 1 "Ballarat Tramway Preservation Society Catalogue No. 2" in black ink. On page 20 at bottom :From Nachod and United States Signal Co. Incorporated Louisville".trams, tramways, signals, railways, tramways

Yields information about Ballarat streetscape and its trams in the closing days of the SEC tramway system.Digital image from a black and white print of tram 40 southbound in Lydiard St North to Sebastopol with Reid's Palace and John Macleod and Company buildings in the background. Railway station signal gantry in the view. Photo by Marc Dahlstrom c1971.On rear is the Marc Dahlstrom stamp.trams, tramways, lydiard st nth, tram 40

Yields information about Ballarat streetscape and its trams in the closing days of the SEC tramway system.Digital image from a black and white print of tram 11 outbound in Lydiard St North, crossing the railway level crossing. Has the Reid's Palace building and the railway station and signal gantry in the background. The tram has a "Bliss Bombs" (Make Bliss not Love) roof advertisement and a Twin Lakes sign. Photo by Marc Dahlstrom c1971. On rear is the Marc Dahlstrom stamp.trams, tramways, lydiard st, railway station, level crossings, tram 11

Yields information about Ballarat Tramways and trams prior to the closure of the tramway system.Set of 9 digital images of Ballarat trams prior to closure, scanned from original slides by Tony Smith, 1971 prior to closure of the system. This set of slides appears to be the last day of operations - 19/9/1971 .1 - 40 south bound in Lydiard St Nth, at the Gregory St Loop. .2 - 40 after passing through the loop .3 - 42, north bound in Lydiard St. North at Macarthur St. .4 - 42 southbound at the Railway station level crossing with the Kennedy Murray Pty Ltd General Carriers building at the station yard in the background. .5 - 42 southbound in Lydiard St North after crossing the railway - taken from the signal box (B) with Reids Palace in the background and the Provincial Hotel. .6 - 35 northbound after passing through the level crossing. .7 - bogie tram crossing the tracks with Ballarat Railway Station in the background. .8 - bogie tram entering the double track section in Lydiard St with Reids Palace in the background. Note the new bus stop bay. .9 - 35 and another bogie in Sturt St, with the Town Hall, Golden Star Chinese Cafe and Georges Fish & Chip shop in the background.trams, tramways, lydiard st nth, gregory st, level crossings, ballarat railway station, sturt st, closure, tram 40, tram 42, tram 35

A beige coloured book with green binding. The cover includes the Royal Coat of Arms, a summary of the purpose and contents of the manual, and the date the instructions become effective, all printed in green ink. This information is enclosed by a green border. non-fictionThis manual was issued by Victorian Railways in 1967 to explain all of the railway signals used throughout Victoria. It included a detailed outline of the signals used at every railway station, including small depots and sidings throughout Victoria. Illustrations of the different signal systems are included in the text. Every driver, fireman, guard, shunter, and every other employee designated by the Head of the Branch concerned, had to be supplied by his superior officer with a copy of this book. They were required to become thoroughly acquainted with the particulars which related to their duties. The included informations was effective from 3rd August, 1967 until further notice.victorian railways, victorian railways -- rules and practice., railway signals

index, ill, p.169.non-fictionA history of the signalling systems in New Zealand from manually controlled semaphore signals to electronically controlled Centralized Traffic Control 1863-1993.railroad signalling - new zealand - history, railroad operations - new zealand

index, ill, p.105.non-fictionA history of communications systems on the NSW railways from morse code to microcircuit electronic communications from 1857 to 1987.railroad signalling - new south wales - history, railroad operations - new south wales - history

Drawings - dyeline print - titled - "Plan of Tramway System - showing route mileage of electric tramways" - Principal Junctions and intersections shown diagrammatically. Map of system shown at 40 chains to the inch. Drawing No. P6050. Shows crossovers, signal cabins, automatic points, closed cable tram lines in the city area, roads, railways and stations. Originally signed by Perway Engineer - 31-7-1951, last update March 1963. Has a list in the bottom left hand corner of abandoned cable tram lines. See Reg Item 1638 for a 1987 version and 3642 for a 1941 version.trams, tramways, mmtb, trackwork, tramways, junction, map

Set of 9 A3 photocopy of a drawing - of a dyeline print that had been mounted onto a cloth backing and had been kept up to date with regard to extensions and closures or opening and closing - titled - "Plan of Tramway System - showing route mileage of electric tramways" - Principal Junctions and intersections shown diagrammatically. Map of system shown at 40 chains to the inch. Copy of Drawing No. P6050. Shows crossovers, signal cabins, automatic points, closed cable tram lines in the city area, Port Melbourne, roads, railways and stations. Has extensions to Mill Park up to April 1987. Shows the Port Melbourne, North Melbourne (Spencer and Abbotsford Sts) and Collingwood cable lines, the Footscray system lines and the Point Ormond lines. See also Reg Item 1561 for a late 1960's print and 3642 for a 1941 version.trams, tramways, mmtb, trackwork, tramways, junction, map

Map of the system shown at two inches = 1 mile. Drawing No. P5799. Shows crossovers, track layouts at junctions, signal cabins roads, railways and stations. Originally signed by Perway Engineer - 20/12/1940, though originally drawn in 1922. Has been marked up in coloured pencil to show the routes and route numbers. The plan shows the lines to Maribyrnong Munitions works along Cordite Ave and Wests Road and the track from Moonee Ponds to Union Road, which opened in July 1941, but not the extension to Essendon Airport built-in 1942. See Reg Item 1561 for a 1963 version and 1683 for a 1987 versionDemonstrates the use of a MMTB drawing to show tram routes and their route numbers at the time.Drawings - dyeline cloth backed print - titled - "Route Map showing location of special work and pole numbers" and subtitled - "Electric Tramway Routes - showing routes in colours and numbers". trams, tramways, mmtb, trackwork, tramways, junction, map, world war 2

Map of the system shown at two inches = 1 mile. Drawing No. P5799. Shows crossovers, track layouts at junctions, signal cabins roads, railways, and stations. Originally signed by Perway Engineer - 20/12/1940, though originally drawn in 1922. Has been marked up in colour pencil to show the all-night routes and the individual services. The plan shows the lines to Maribyrnong Munitions works along Cordite Ave and Wests Road and the track from Moonee Ponds to Union Road, opened in July 1941, but not the extension to Essendon Airport built in 1942.Demonstrates a detail drawing of Melbourne tramways, junctions and pole numbers.Drawings - dyeline cloth-backed print - titled - "Route Map showing the location of special work and pole numbers" and subtitled - "All night tram routes in colours". trams, tramways, mmtb, trackwork, tramways, junction, map, world war 2, night trams

Map of the system shown at two inches = 1 mile. Drawing No. P5799. Shows crossovers, track layouts at junctions, signal cabins roads, railways, and stations. Originally signed by Perway Engineer - 20/12/1940, though originally drawn in 1922. The plan shows the lines to Maribyrnong Munitions works along Cordite Ave and Wests Road and the track from Moonee Ponds to Union Road, opened in July 1941, and the extension to Essendon Airport built in 1942, but not the Queen St North Essendon substation. Shows underground cables, tram and bus depot, workshop locations, and substation locations and their priority.Yields information about the MMTB substation locations in 1942.Drawing - dyeline cloth backed print - titled - "Route Map showing location of special work and pole numbers" and subtitled - "Substations". trams, tramways, mmtb, trackwork, tramways, junction, map, world war 2, substation

Kids of all ages enjoy the Miniature Railway. Published: Nillumbik Now and Then /​ Marguerite Marshall 2008; photographs Alan King with Marguerite Marshall.; p163 On Sundays in Eltham thousands of children, mums, dads and grandparents can be seen travelling around Lower Eltham Park in tiny trains. They are among the two and half million passengers who have travelled on the Diamond Valley Railway since it officially began in 1961. The miniature railway originally operated from the 1940s at Chelsworth Park, Ivanhoe, until flooding caused it to be moved to the Eltham Lower Park in 1959. The railway is modelled on the 1920s era – the heyday of passenger rail travel – and the trains are built on a scale of two inches to the foot (1/6). Although not exact replicas, trains include models of the Spirit of Progress, Puffing Billy, The Overland, Dog Boxes, Vic Rail S class, G class and a NSW 81 Class. The three and a half kilometres of track is set amongst native plants and picnic areas. A friendly hoot or the clang of a bell occasionally punctuates the tranquillity as a train emerges from a treed bend with passengers excitedly waving to onlookers. For $3 the train takes you on a 13-minute two-kilometre ride. Passengers sit in single file in the narrow train, which clatters along tracks built to the scale of the Australian narrow gauge of three feet six inches (1.1m). These are used in Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia. Safety standards are stringently kept. Even before you buy a ticket notices tell you that you must wear closed shoes. You can even borrow these, and you are given a pair of socks for the ride! Blue-overalled volunteers check tickets, see you aboard, and drive the train. They are mainly retired men who can at last devote their time to what little boys dream of – playing with trains. Passengers are instructed in safe behaviour, then the station master waves a white flag and off we go. The guard sits at the back with his whistle and green flag at the ready. The winding track, fringed by native trees and bushes planted by volunteers, stands on crown land managed by Nillumbik Council. The train clatters along the track and crosses a bridge over a drain elevated by name to The Blow Fly Creek. We pass by Meadmore Junction at a speed of three kilometres an hour. Then on through a tunnel, accompanied by squeals of delight, and after a few moments of blackness, light glimmers at the end. On we go, past the original platform, along another route past busy Main Road through Pine Creek Station, over a bridge and through another tunnel with more screams of delight.Then a signal stops us before the ‘all clear’ to return to our original point of departure. The railway services its passengers – the largest number of any miniature railway in Australia – with a fleet including: six diesel locomotives, three steam locomotives, eight sets of passenger cars and one battery electric Dog Box set. Members also privately own 20 locomotives and powered carriage sets as well as four carriage sets.1 All the trains are stored on-site in workshops, sheds and a tunnel. The railway is entirely run by volunteers, so that all ticket money is used for maintenance and extensions, and some goes to local charities. Since 1991, the entire railway has been rebuilt, including an upgraded signalling system. About half of the 120 volunteer members are active with about 35 working each Sunday, and a dozen or so working every Wednesday. Members are trained to positions of station assistant, booking officer, train guard, train driver or signalman. Members construct new carriages and locomotives as well as maintaining track, signalling and rolling stock.This collection of almost 130 photos about places and people within the Shire of Nillumbik, an urban and rural municipality in Melbourne's north, contributes to an understanding of the history of the Shire. Published in 2008 immediately prior to the Black Saturday bushfires of February 7, 2009, it documents sites that were impacted, and in some cases destroyed by the fires. It includes photographs taken especially for the publication, creating a unique time capsule representing the Shire in the early 21st century. It remains the most recent comprehenesive publication devoted to the Shire's history connecting local residents to the past. nillumbik now and then (marshall-king) collection, diamond valley railway, eltham lower park

Photograph shows the device used to send a "telegraph" signal to the winding or engine house. They were positioned along the track and enabled the tram crew or a cable tram worker to send a signal about the cable. The crew member would set the pointer and depress the trigger. This sent the signal which was recorded on a telegraph tape, indicating the signal and the location of an incident. Installed by the Melbourne Tramway and Omnibus Co. (MTOCo) This photograph is Public Records Office photo H165, 166 and 167 in the Victorian Railways collection.Yields information about the type of equipment the MTOCo used to operate the cable tram system.Set of three Photographs - Black and White of a Melbourne cable tram signalling device.trams, tramways, cable trams, mtoco, signalling, cables, engine houses