Historical information

The workshops were opened in November 1917 by the Victorian Railways. It opened in response to political pressures from provincial groups for decentralisation, with the Victorian Railways preferring the cheaper option of expanding the existing Newport Workshops in suburban Melbourne. Furthermore, unemployment had risen in both Bendigo and Ballarat due to a decline in mining operations. The main work carried out was repairs and maintenance of existing wagons and locomotives, however during 1919-22 thirteen new steam locomotives were also built - eight DD class (1033 - 1037, 1047 - 1049) and five A2 class (1078 - 1082).
From the 1950s onwards, numerous steam locomotives were scrapped at the workshops. During the years immediately following nominal dieselisation in 1968, they were, at times, cutting up locomotives at the rate of one every two to three weeks. The workshops were also the site of the first VR brass foundry, which was transferred to Newport by the 1960s. Also, throughout 1965, VLX louvred vans were constructed at the workshops, at a rate of one a week. Other tasks included spring manufacture, construction of stainless steel footwarmers, and assembly of pantographs for electric trains, with a staff of 720 employed during 1966.
By the 1980s, refurbishment work was also being carried out on Melbourne suburban electric multiple units.
The 1980s were also a time of restructuring, and on the breakup of the Victorian Railways the workshops passed to the State Transport Authority and then the Public Transport Corporation. With privatisation the workshops were closed, with the loss of 262 jobs. In February 1996, the workshops were taken over by A Goninan & Co.
In October 1999 the workshops were purchased by Great Northern Rail Services, with A Goninan & Co remaining as a tenant. In February 2001 A Goninan & Co vacated the site.
The workshops were redeveloped in 2002 at a cost of $6.5 million - $4 million from VicTrack, $2 million from the State Government Regional Infrastructure Development Fund and $500,000 by the City of Greater Bendigo.
The Bendigo Rail Workshops at North Bendigo are currently used by Southern Shorthaul Railroad to maintain broad gauge rolling stock for Pacific National, V/Line, Metro Trains Melbourne and CFCLA.

Physical description

Typed document. A4 page folded in half. On tan paper. Document pertaining to Bendigo V/Line workshops open day. Map on inside of folded page. Undated document.