Geelong Locomotive Depot
The current locomotive depot at Geelong opened in 1917, replacing an older depot that was located in what is now Geelong Station's main carpark. The depot was an important one for the entire South-Western line; with both main line, shunting and branch line locomotives serviced there.
A 70 foot turntable was provided, as well as a 360 degree roundhouse which was unique to Victoria. It could house 35 locomotives, but was progressively demolished over the years, until the 1960s when little remains. The largest coal stage outside the metropolitan area was located at the depot, 400 foot long by 50 foot wide with a capacity of 2000 tons, with 100 tones being used on a daily basis. It was removed in 1960 and replaced by overhead cranes.
At the peak approximately 35 movement went to the depot every day, with 48 broad and narrow gauge locomotives supervised by the depot, growing to 56 locomotives during grain season. In 1935 there were 290 staff, as well as 67 drivers and 82 firemen and cleaners.
The depot took the form it is today in the 1980s, with the provision of a three road corrugated iron shed beside the turntable, as well as a modern fuel point and sanding tower. A crew office is located to the south of the turntable, but is now leased out to a non-railway organisation. A large gantry crane over two roads was once located to the west of the main lines but saw little use in recent years, eventually being removed in 2014.
The depot was managed by EDI Rail until July 2010, when Bombardier took over the maintenance of the V/Line locomotive hauled fleet. Today both Pacific National and V/Line use the fuel point, but only V/Line use the depot to stable their locomotives - PN uses North Geelong Yard. The stub roads around the turntable are used to stable locomotives overnight and on weekend, as well as the EM100 track recorder when not in use.
Construction of an additional two road fuel point for the use of the VLocity railcars commenced in 2006 and was completed in 2007, but the facility was never commissioned, resulting in railcars are fuelled by road tankers. A second round of works expanded this fuel point in 2009, which finally saw it used for the purpose for which it was built.
As part of the expansion of the V/Line fleet in the lead up to the opening of Regional Rail Link, additional sidings were created in the depot to provide space for a total of 48 carriages to be stabled overnight. To create room for these new sidings, the disused gantry crane was demolished.
Diagram
- Fuel point and sanding tower
- Loco shed
- Stabling roads
- Former crew office
- Stabling roads, new DMU fuel point
- Gantry crane sidings
Events
| May 20, 1917 | Opened |
Line Opened
| November 1, 1856 | Line opened Lara to Geelong |
| June 25, 1857 | Line officially opened between Geelong and at temporary terminus at Greenwich. A ferry was used the complete the journey to Melbourne |
| 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
| April 11, 1863 | Line duplicated North Geelong Junction to Geelong - due to construction of line to Ballarat |
Photos
Nine of 46 images found displayed. Click them to enlarge.
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 Up end connection to the locomotive depotMarch 25, 2023 |
 Looking back to the signals for up trains departing GeelongMarch 25, 2023 |
 'Limit of Shunt' board at the down end of locomotive depotMarch 25, 2023 |
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 Signal and catchpoint for the north end of the locomotive depotJanuary 27, 2019 |
 Looking out over the tracks from Pako Raw cafeJuly 24, 2018 |
