Otway Coal Company Siding
Line: Wensleydale
Distance from Melbourne: 114.102 km
Track Diagram: View
Opened: March 4, 1925
Closed: 1932
An aerial tramway from the Otway Coal Company brown coal mine terminated at this siding. The main line points faced Moriac, which lead into a loop siding headed due west for almost 450 feet (137.16 metres) before terminating in a 330 feet (100.584 metre) long dead end siding under the coal loading bins.
Initially the dead end was located on the north side of the coal bins, but following loading issues the dead end was lifted in July 1926 and relaid directly under the hoppers. Approximately 6000 tons of coal was despatched by rail in the first three years.
Operation of the mine stopped in 1928 due to difficulty in finding a market for the coal, but recommenced in 1931 with 8000 tones despatched by rail, before closing again in 1932 due to competition from New SOuth Wales black coal imports.
The company then went into liquidation in 1935 but the equipment was left intact. The Wensley Bray Company purchased it in 1943 and reopened the mine, having assumed control of the aerial tramway and siding, but did not use it, the Wensleydale end having been destroyed by bushfire in 1939. Coal was instead transport by truck to Winchelsea to be loaded into trains, or delivered direct to consumers in Geelong.
Events
| March 4, 1925 | Opened |
| 1932 | Closed |
Line Opened
| March 17, 1890 | Line opened Moriac to Wensleydale |
Line Closed
| October 12, 1948 | Line closed Moriac to Wensleydale |
Diagrams
NOTE: Diagrams are not to scale.
