Exploring the Millewa - The Morkalla to Red Cliffs Railway Line
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ต.ค. 2024
- The Morkalla railway line was a railway in the Millewa region of north-western Victoria, Australia. It extended west from Red Cliffs railway station on the Mildura railway line into wheat farming areas established as soldier settlements after World War I.
The line opened to Karawinna in 1923. To Werrimull in 1924, and to Meringur in 1925. The final extension was to Morkalla in 1931. As the towns along the line shrank, due to reduced populations caused by increasing farm size and mechanisation, the line became used only on a seasonal basis and was closed completely in 1988. The Red Cliffs to Meringur section was dismantled during 1990 and 1991.
There were several proposals to extend the line across the border into South Australia to connect with the South Australian Mallee railways, either by joining the line to Paringa, or as an extension of the Peebinga railway line.
A very short section of the line near Red Cliffs has been rebuilt in a narrow gauge by the Red Cliffs Historical Steam Railway, which operates monthly tourist services, using heritage locomotives.
The highlight of the Red Cliffs Railway is the Skylark locomotive which is still in use today.
The Red Cliffs Railway is still going strong.
IMAGE CREDITS:
Weston Langford Collection
State Library of South Australia
If I knew you were making this video I could have shown you a lot more interesting sites involved with the Morkalla line of railway including ballast sidings, locomotive turning triangles built and proposed, a better description of the Victorian rolling stock and preserved station buildings at Meringur. Your drone shots show an excellent view of the country traversed with this developmental line.
Thanks for watching, Bruce. I'm no expert so I'm happy to take your advice. Maybe I'll head back one day to ride the Red Cliffs train!
Another gr8 video mate, will check out when next headed to Mildura,
Thanks! Definitely better (but slower) than doing the boring Sturt Highway again!
Thankyou Mike for producing these gems. I love your videos of these abandoned lines. Keep their memories alive.
It's my pleasure! More to come.
Lots to see if you know where to look. Some of those little towns still have a football club present ,they are based in Mildura and share the old name in respect to the town. I love the flies and the heat. It’s awesome country.Another fantastic video well done Mike
Cheers, Omallee! Cool info on the footy clubs. I reckon most of those towns would struggle to put a tennis doubles pair together these days.
Lovely gems of the local heritage
It's almost unbelievable what I come across sometimes. Things that just wouldn't happen in the city.
Those old photos surely have lots om memories inside them ! The station looks very beautiful ✨️✨️
Well done Mike, I always learn something new!
Cheers, Antony.
I'm always learning as well. And driving,
A lot of driving.
It's lucky for me that I love driving. 😊
Really enjoyable clips, thanks for your time. Well worth a visit one day, the museum looks great. Cheers.
Glad you enjoyed it. That Millewa museum is pure Aussie gold.
What a fantastic little museum you found, I must find it next time Ime up in the mallee . Great video. The sands of time are literally taking their country back
It is such an amazing find in literally the middle of nowhere. Thanks for watching.
Your observation on the sands of time is spot on. 😊
I travelled from Red Cliffs to Meringur in 1980 in a ZLP (or CP) van on a wheat train. The taxi rhat came to exchange the crew got a flat tyre. The train was detached at Red Cliffs and I rode on the T class running light engine to Mildura. Better than waiting for a bus. At the time Red Cliffs station was manned and the building had unusual signal levers which were at chest height and rotated 180 degrees and had levers which were about 3’ long indtead of the more usual longer levers that came out of the floor. I took photos which are in a box somewhere. I probably took a photo of the flat tyre. I struggle to remember the advantage of the levers (I asked the signalman) but you can apply force in both directions than rely on counter weights.
Morkalla was the longest line to Melbourne at 413 miles.
In the NEWSRAIL magazine it was speculated the longest round trip possible was from Morkalla to Balranald via North Geelong.
Great video. Really enjoyed it. I liked the old station set up with ticket rack and date press. It’s amazing to think the old ways never really changed for 150 years. I worked the old traditional way and prefer it to the railways of today.
Thanks for watching! There's heaps more to come from my Western Victoria safari.
Thanks for sharing. I didn't know that there is a tourist railway along part of he old right of way. I imagine Mildura Crews ran the trains along this branch.
It's my pleasure, Richard. Slowly widening my travels to Victoria and NSW lines. Hopefully a QLD line or two next year.
Thanks mate! Clever what they did with the railway station name signs
No worries, Ken. I wonder if they're town signs from the highways though?
@@Outdoorstype could be! If that line continued to Paringa and they joined it to the Morgan line ( new line Barmera to Morgan as planned) you could have been standing on a new interstate route! If only