Rail Geelong

• Station layout
• Safeworking
• Rationalisation
• Recent years
• Events
• Diagrams
• Photos
• Sources

The station at Winchelsea was provided when the line was opened, the station building being erected in 1877. Until 2008 it could be used to cross trains, now it is just a passenger platform.

Station layout

The station building was built of polychrome brickwork, of similar design to that at Birregurra. The station master's office was extended at the up end at an unknown date, with timber additions to the residence also added at some point.

The van goods shed and cart dock was located at the up end of the platform. The original lamp room and toilet block were originally at the up end of the station building, but were later relocated to the down end of the platform. The 1929 track chart of the line showed the platform on the southern side of the line, opposite a four road yard and goods platform, where a weatherboard goods shed was provided. Number 3 road had a dead end extension at the down end, while a fifth road leading from the up end yard lead.

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Safeworking

Winchelsea was a crossing station from opening, by 1909 plunger locking of the mainline points had been provided. In 1913 the carriage dock was removed, by 1917 the up and down distant signals had been abolished. A siding for Permewan Wright Limited was provided in 1935, leading off the goods shed road at the down end. The dead end extension at the down end of number 3 road was abolished in September 1982.

Large Electric Staff was replaced by the miniature version in September 1928 to Moriac and Armytage, by 1930 the section to Birregurra was provided with a composite staff for Armytage. The composite staff was withdrawn in 1954. Automatic staff exchange apparatus was provided in September 1940 for up trains, in 1957 switch out facilities were provided to Winchelsea in the Moriac - Birregurra section. The station master was removed in January 1960.

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Rationalisation

In 1978 the switch out facilities were removed, the new section being to Colac, with a composite staff being provided for Birregurra. In November 1988 Train Order Working was brought into use, Winchelsea being established as a crossing station and needing to be attended for all trains. By January 1989 this requirement was removed for certain trains, with the up and down light signals being controlled by 5P key switches on the platform.

By 1980 the yard had been rationalised to three roads, with number 3 road lifted. The goods platform had also been shortened, and part of the loading platform removed, but the goods shed still remained. By the 1990s the wooden extension to the building had been demolished.

The goods shed was removed at an unknown data, and relocated to the Waurn Ponds campus of Deakin University (in Geelong) where it was part of a display of heritage buildings. In 2002 the university announced it was disposing of the collection, inviting offers for each of the buildings. The Victorian Goldfields Railway based at Maldon received the goods shed, the university covering the cost of transport, the shed being placed at Muckleford.

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Recent years

In recent years number 2 road often used for set back crosses of passenger trains. Four home signals were provided: two semaphores for up and down arrivals, and two colour light signals for up and down departures.

With changes to V/Line timetables by 2005 passenger trains no longer cross here, instead doing so on the double line on the up side of Geelong. On Saturday 26 / Sunday 27 July 2008 the main line points and number two road at Winchelsea were removed, effectively 'straight railing' the station. The signal were left behind, with the station still being used for the issuing of intermediate train orders, in particular for the up Warrnambool freight of an evening.

On February 22, 2009 Winchelsea was decommissioned as a block point, with the up and down semaphore home signals being removed. The up and down departure colour light signals were converted to LED automatic signals, to protect the level crossings at each end of the station. The signals are normally at proceed, with key switches provided so that the signals an be placed at stop, to prevent the operation of the level crossing lights. Moriac Block Point at the 98 km post was provided at the same time to allow for follow on moves in the section.

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Events

Line Opened

Safeworking

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Diagrams

NOTE: Diagrams are not to scale.

• 1929
• 1985
• 1995
• 2008

1929

Back to Year Listing

1985

Back to Year Listing

1995

Back to Year Listing

2008

Back to Year Listing

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Photos

Nine of 50 images found displayed. Click them to enlarge.

Additional platform exit leading into the car park Originally Myki was going to be rolled out to the entire V/Line network, with civil works done at stations. But there was a change of government in 2010 and incoming premier Ted Baillieu decided to cut the scope of the V/Line rollout to just the commuter belt around Melbourne. December 13, 2014	Looking down the line, over the station building December 13, 2014	Unused myki FPD stand in place beside the booking office Originally Myki was going to be rolled out to the entire V/Line network, with civil works done at stations. But there was a change of government in 2010 and incoming premier Ted Baillieu decided to cut the scope of the V/Line rollout to just the commuter belt around Melbourne. December 13, 2014
Quadrant levers still in place, despite the signals being long gone December 13, 2014	Looking up the line from the platform December 13, 2014	Looking down the line from the platform December 13, 2014
Looking down the line from the original Princes Highway overpass east of Winchelsea December 13, 2014	Parallel road bridge in place over the railway east of Winchelsea, part of the Princes Highway duplication December 13, 2014	The station from the up (eastern) end January 5, 2009

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Winchelsea resignalling

Nine of 24 images found displayed. Click them to enlarge.

Work continues on the signalling circuitry February 22, 2009	Tail end of the train passes work on the resignalling February 22, 2009	Tail end of the train passes work on the resignalling February 22, 2009
N467 crosses the Barwon River into Winchelsea February 22, 2009	Down end automatic signal in the process of commissioning February 22, 2009	Up end automatic signal in the process of commissioning February 22, 2009
N462 passes the former down home signal at Winchelsea February 22, 2009	N462 passes the former down home signal at Winchelsea February 22, 2009	N462 arrives into a stripped down Winchelsea February 22, 2009

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Sources

• http://www.vrhistory.com/ - Andrew Waugh
• Newsrail - September 2008, page 280
• Victoria's railway stations : an architectural survey
• Victorian Goldfields Railway - Muckleford Station & Yard
• Weekly Notice - 07-2009 (17/02/2009)
• Weekly Notice Extracts - Alan Jungwirth and Keith Lambert