AGM Glassworks

Industry
Line: Geelong and Warrnambool
Opened:
Closed: 1998

The Australian Glass Manufacturers opened their works at Spotswood early on, with a railway siding being provided off the line from Spotswood to the Spotswood Pumping Station. Branching from the up end of the station near the Hudson Road level crossing. It then curved to the east. running into the works.

The company had opened the works in 1890 as the Melbourne Glass Bottle Works, having relocated from a site in South Melbourne occupied since 1873. Initially twelve and a half acres of land were purchased between the railway line and the river, and in the first decade of production at the new site, the company had expanded until it occupied 'five or six acres of buildings' and employed 500.

The AGM siding fell out of use with the end of sand trains from Koala Siding (near Nyora on the South Gippsland line) in 1998. The signal box, siding, dwarf signals and crossover at the up end were all decommissioned in August 2001, and later straight railed. However much of the siding remains in place today, buried in concrete driveways and hardstand on private land.

Events


Opened
1998 Closed
Line Opened
October 3, 1857 Temporary Greenwich terminal and stub line closed. Geelong line now connected to the partially completed Williamstown line. A ferry complete the journey from Williamstown to Melbourne
January 17, 1859 Williamstown line finally completed to Melbourne. Geelong trains can now operate direct to Spencer Street Station
Track Amplified
(January 19, 1887) Line duplicated Yarraville to Spotswood

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Sources