Train Travel: The Historical Victorian Railways Documentary - World Documentary Channel

The Victorian Railways operated trains in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The initial train lines in Victoria were exclusive companies, yet when these business neglected or skipped, the Victorian Railways was set up to take over their operations. A lot of the lines run by the Victorian Railways were of 5 feet 3 in (1,600 mm), nevertheless the train lines also operated around five 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge lines in between 1898 as well as 1962, as well as a 4 ft 8 in (1,435 mm) typical scale line in between Albury as well as Melbourne from 1961.
A Department of Railways was created in 1856 with the very first session of staff. British designer, George Christian Darbyshire was made first Engineer-in-Chief in 1857, as well as steered all train line construction job up until his replacement by Thomas Higginbotham in 1860. Due to political turmoil in the Victorian Government, Higginbotham was among 137 officials eliminated from workplace on "Black Wednesday" on 8 January 1878 when the Government was refuted supply. He, like a variety of other elderly policemans, was not reappointed. Robert Watson then took over as Engineer-in-Chief. In 1880 a new Ministry shared a desire to redress the oppression by re-instating Higginbotham. At the untimely end of Higginbotham in 1880, William Elsdon took over for 2 years before his retired life in 1882, and Watson then go back to his former position as Engineer-in-Chief, which he delayed to the time of his death.

The Historical Victorian Railways Documentary

On 1 November 1883 assent was provided to the Victorian Railways Commissioners Act 1883, 47 Vic., No. 767, to build, handle the state as well as maintain's trains. The team of the Department of Railways came for the Railway Commissioners, which ended up being generally known as Victorian Railways. The elaborate head office at 67 Spencer Street were opened in 1893.
Victorian Railways grew to service all parts of the state, even extending some lines into New South Wales under the 1922 Border Railways Act. In the late 19th century the trains ended up being something of a political football with politicians requiring brand-new lines to be developed in areas where web traffic degrees never ever validated it. The result was that by the start of the 20th century, no Victorian (apart from those in the hill areas) were more than 25 miles (42 km) from a train line.
Conversion of the Melbourne rural system to electrical operation commenced in 1919 and also was finished by 1930, creating just what was declared at the time to be the world's biggest electric rural rail system. A common gauge line connecting to the New South Wales system was created in 1961 permitting via trains to operate between Melbourne as well as Sydney, Australia's 2 largest cities, for the initial time.