Comments on: Photos from ten years ago: January 2008

By: Marcus Wong

Marcus Wong — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 06:11:25 +0000

Google Street View shows that the level crossing light was missing throughout 2014 and 2015:

https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-38.0966167,144.3721582,3a,49.2y,15.57h,85.91t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sBGkwaW6dVGbiGQJtoqNcew!2e0!5s20141201T000000!7i13312!8i6656

By: Marcus Wong

Marcus Wong — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 06:09:48 +0000

In reply to Paul Westcott.

Thanks for the extra info Paul – I’ve got the North Shore log siding opening date down as 2003:

https://www.railgeelong.com/location/277/

By: Paul Westcott

Paul Westcott — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 09:53:02 +0000

The cessation of log transport to Midway by rail was more to do with Pacific National’s unwillingness to continue it, rather than the 2009 fires. Freight Australia actively chased rail business on broad gauge, even introducing its RTL “locomotive” for the log traffic.

PacNat has little interest in expanding, or even retaining, broad gauge freight. It increased its fee to Midway for the service, so the chippers turned to road. PacNat has now scrapped all the log wagons.

Ironically, for many years before it paid for the construction of the dual-gauge siding into its site, Midway unloaded the logs on the North Shore yards and then trucked them the last kilometre to the chipper.

The flashing light installation on the west (station) side of the disused Abery Road level crossing went missing a few years ago. For some unaccountable reason it was replaced last year. The system was being tested on a Saturday morning when I passed by. What for?