Historical information

The Fred Rochow Railways Collection incorporates photos related to the operation of the Wodonga Railway Station including different types of trains and railways staff C. 1930 – 1990.

It was donated to the Wodonga Historical Society by Fred Rochow, a railwayman who spent many years based in Wodonga. He joined the Victorian Railways on 17th June l947 and retired in 1988. For some time, he was a member of the Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Enginemen and served a term as a member of the Trades Hall Council. He had an extensive knowledge of the struggles that took place to achieve better conditions for railway workers.

Fred worked for many years as a fireman and then worked his way up the ranks to driver, experiencing many changes from the days of steam locomotives through to diesel trains, locomotives and even the modern XPT train. He worked throughout Victoria at different stages of his career, with his final working years focused on the northeast of Victoria and the Albury to Melbourne line. After his retirement, Fred continued to share his love of steam miniature trains with the community.

Significance

This collection has local and statewide significance as it captures images of trains, locomotives and personnel who operated the railway services in Wodonga and throughout Northeast Victoria. The railways played a critical role in opening up Victoria and connecting Australia for trade, business, social communication and transport.

Physical description

A livestock special being hauled by Locomotive K109 passing over a high trestle bridge between Bullion and Darbyshire on the Cudgewa Line.

Cudgewa Line -The Cudgewa railway line opened in stages between 1889 and 1921. The first section from Wodonga to Huon opened on 10 September 1889. It was extended to Bolga on 18 July 1890, Tallangatta on 24 July 1891, Shelley on 13 June 1916 (the highest station in Victoria), Beetomba on 10 April 1919 and Cudgewa on 5 May 1921. The line had 1 in 30 grades and trestle bridges that have been heritage listed. In 1919, the line was used to carry materials for the construction of Hume Weir, and three years later a spur line connecting Ebden to the weir was opened. In the 1960s, Cudgewa became the railhead of materials for the Snowy Mountains Scheme. The last passenger service from Wodonga to Tallangatta ran on 30 September 1961 The turntable and passenger platform at Cudgewa were abolished in 1976.

The K class was a branch line steam locomotive that ran on Victorian Railways in Australia from 1922 to 1979 Locomotive K190 entered service on Saturday, 30th June 1923. In 1940 it was renumbered as K149 The locomotive was eventually scrapped on Thursday, 12th October 1967.