Crowes railway line

Crowes railway
Overview
StatusAbandoned
Stations23
Service
TypeVic
History
Opened1 March 1902 (to Beech Forest)
20 June 1911 (to Crowes)
Closed11 December 1954 (Ferguson to Crowes) (Ferguson-Weeaproinah reopened January 1955)
30 June 1962 (Colac to Weeaproinah)
Technical
Line length44 mi (71 km)
Number of tracksSingle track
Track gauge2 ft 6 in (762 mm)
Route map

0 mi 0 ch
0 km
Colac
Wilson Street
Hearn Street
Queen Street & Pound Road
1 mi 10 ch
1.81 km
Elliminyt
Reservoir Creek
Aireys Street
Reservoir Creek
3 mi 57 ch
5.97 km
Tulloh
4 mi 74 ch
7.93 km
Coram
6 mi 65 ch
10.96 km
Barongarook
10 mi 0 ch
16.09 km
Watson & Facey's Siding
10 mi 50 ch
17.1 km
Birnam
Loves River
13 mi 2 ch
20.96 km
Kawarren
13 mi 52 ch
21.97 km
Henrickson's Siding (formerly Hitt's Siding)
15 mi 48 ch
25.11 km
Lovat
Gellibrand River
17 mi 20 ch
27.76 km
Gellibrand
19 mi 0 ch
30.58 km
Gellibrand ballast siding
Water pipe over railway
20 mi 77 ch
33.74 km
Banool
22 mi 68 ch
36.77 km
Wimba
Road bridge over railway
24 mi 55 ch
39.73 km
McDevitt (1904)
24 mi 61 ch
39.85 km
McDevitt (1930)
26 mi 31 ch
42.47 km
Dinmont
27 mi 20 ch
43.85 km
Devitt Bros. Siding
28 mi 71 ch
46.49 km
Ditchley
29 mi 48 ch
47.64 km
Beech Forest
30 mi 45 ch
49.19 km
Buchanan
32 mi 21 ch
51.92 km
Ferguson
34 mi 12 ch
54.96 km
Weeaproinah
34 mi 74 ch
56.21 km
Pile Siding
35 mi 38 ch
57.09 km
J. G. M. Knott Siding
35 mi 51 ch
57.35 km
Kincaid
37 mi 45 ch
60.45 km
Wyelangta
38 mi 45 ch
62.06 km
Petitt's Siding
39 mi 31 ch
63.39 km
Stalker
40 mi 19 ch
64.76 km
Macknott
41 mi 66 ch
67.31 km
Lavers Hill
43 mi 65 ch
70.51 km
Crowes

5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm)
2 ft 6 in (762 mm)

The Crowes railway line was a 2 ft 6 in (762 mm) narrow gauge railway located in the Otway Ranges in south-western Victoria, Australia, running from the main line to Port Fairy at Colac to Beech Forest and later to Crowes.

It was the third of four narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways, opening to Beech Forest in March 1902, and extended to Crowes in June 1911. Nearly 44 miles (71 km) long, it was the longest of the narrow gauge lines. It was also the last to close, finally succumbing in June 1962, although the line had been truncated back to Ferguson railway station in December 1954, only to be reopened to Weeaproinah in January 1955.

Sections of the route have been developed as the Old Beechy Rail Trail.