Fred's Films: Warburton Line 1963

The 'Warburton Line' steam locomotive railway filmed originally in 1963, shows the clean and flowing Yarra River and the lush surrounds of the Yarra Valley as it meanders on its journey. Shot by Fred Daley, steam train enthusiast and 8mm home movie maker, this is a tribute to the Line as two years later "despite opposition, 1965 line closed". "But the rails are not silent in April 1968" when Fred and friends use a hand-pump rail car to run along the overgrown and forgotten tracks. His inter-title stating: "Now it's goodbye Warburton June 1968 - perhaps the prettiest broad gauge line of all." The line found new use years later having been converted to a walking and cycle track but one gets the feeling Fred was right about the use of it as a railway line as this film stands testament to the grandeur and beauty of the original steam adventure.
Fred's Films. Warburton Line (1963), is just one of the many that we are digitising. Discover more about the process on our website.
Detailed catalogue entry information:
collections.acmi.net.au/object...

[@geoffb108]

Amazingly when watching this silent footage it took a long time to realise it was silent. My brain was providing the sound track.

[@pamgreen2836]

I used to go on childhood holidays to Warburton. 2 suburban trains before catching the steam train at Lilydale. It was a long morning and we were glad to have a pie and sauce at the tearooms. Fantastic memories

[@jessesands4099]

Fantastic Footage Of The Warburton Railway Line In 1963 Two Years Before Closure In 1965! Such A Terrible Shame This Line Was Closed!🙂🚂🚃🚃🚃🛤️🏞️

[@gregbarrow4497]

To whoever took this footage, thank you

[@bonza167]

imagine the tourism potential if this was still open

[@aarondavies5621]

Well they're remaking the track to Yarra Glen so that should be a pretty similar route

[@mickcarson8504]

I said the same thing. I wanted to lobby for the Grantville-Whontaggi line to stay open because of the magnificent sea views. But, no. Talk into one ear, out of the next ear your advice goes. Even from Cranbourne to Whontaggi it will be a perfect trip enroute to Phillip Island. But (again) It wont happen. Talk about the stupidity of people who want to use polluting cars, have to find parking, etc. Tsk tsk, old Australia was better.

[@rogersmith4983]

Too many tourists here already , would love the train though

[@gojivr369]

Imagine all the trees on the tracks though.

[@domsfilms1489]

@@rogersmith4983 preach

[@gregbowen617]

Great stuff! Love seeing the old rail corridors and their history unfold…

[@mickcarson8504]

The good years, where Australia was Australia, nothing else but australia. 🙂👌

[@AuMechanic]

Great video Shame the closed the Mansfield and Bright Lines, would be great to get on the train to go skiing these days and avoid the conga line of cars and buses. However it is a good thing the "ways" were turning into bicycle paths because that means that the "way" still exists and they can re-lay modern rail on it anytime in the future if it becomes viable. Keeping in mind that even if the old rails were left there, rails and sleepers don't last forever so rails and sleepers don't matter, its the "way" that matters and cycle paths keep then from being put to other uses of that would make a future re-laying of tracks not possible.

[@smitajky]

Unfortunately they only need to sell a few hundred metres to destroy the corridor. That has happened at Ovens on the Bright path. It has happened at Mount Evelyn on the Warburton path. And it has happened near Maindample on the Mansfield path. Even where they didn't sell of the land, such at to Whittlesea they have not replaced the rails to the destination. "We can't have crossings on the level and we must give priority to cars" so the costs of replacing the line have been astronomical and Plenty road cannot cope.

[@AuMechanic]

@@smitajky They can compulsorily acquire land just as easy as they sold it. Numerous suburban properties where acquired for the level crossing upgrades simply for staging not even for the line itself. So yes it makes it more costly but the majority of the way remains so long as they are kept as cycle paths.

[@bigal4919]

@@smitajky part of the old right of way between Launching Place and Yarra Junction is part of the Warburton Hwy.

[@dunxy]

Amazing stuff

[@raybesserdin7542]

The best Warburton line record I've yet seen. Thanks for this. Brilliant

[@gardensbytheminute2668]

Just moved to the area and finding the history fascinating. Thanks for the great footage

[@fordlandau]

Wow. Great footage.

[@michaelroper4237]

what a tragedy they scrapped this line

[@mickcarson8504]

True. I've been riding my bicycle on the track that was once a railways for many years. It's sad to think of commuters riding the train to work. The same with the Wonthaggi line. They shouldn't have shut it, they could have still left it as a tourist destination, like Puffing Bill. The same with Yea, Alexandra, Mansfield lines. People love steam trains.

[@TankEngine75]

@@mickcarson8504 Yeah

[@TankEngine75]

Yeah

[@jakartaman3365]

Good video, considering it would have been shot on 8mm which was the norm at the time. Often wished I had traveled on this line as a kid growing up in Melbourne, but sad to say I never did. But at least the rail trail is there now to enjoy. Cheers.

[@rodwilson2114]

the line is still running, all be it for bicyclists runners walkers and others, great film thanks fred

[@stephentamme5281]

my old mate barney, he truly was a stream engine driver

[@smedleyfarnsworth263]

I thought it was Barney.

[@GoJoGeoff]

Great video

[@smitajky]

At 6:35 a truck goes blithely across despite the wig wag working fine. Then advance a few years to the Kerang disaster. Some things NEVER change.

[@mickcarson8504]

Of course they never change. How do you expect to change when there are idiots among us?

[@jessesands4099]

Well Said!

[@railtrolley]

Truck is on the Warburton Highway. The level crossing is just before Launching Place station. The line ran behind the Launching Place hotel, and the station was just past it. Station platform is still there AFAIK.

[@kevinmartin2516]

@@railtrolley The station platform is still there, but it's really only the raised ground now, as you walk/ride on the platform. The platform edging has been removed here - stolen years ago? The line of big trees marks where the platform edge used to be.

[@michaelnaisbitt1639]

Line was killed off by bus line lobbying government. Stone bridges still intact

[@ryanlewis9557]

I wish I was alive in those days instead of now .

[@ivanhajncl8833]

I wish Mick Crasson were alive in those days instead of now. We need fewer such trilobites, all eaten up with bile and hate.

[@marythompson4319]

“The Bairs and the Bairds On Warburton Mountain “. 🎼

[@halitosis75]

Warbuton line still in operation serving Melbourne 8 times per day

[@pm270100]

ok in 1973 ish nacks jumped on a BSA 125 i said c how far you can go he no come back so watson jumped the zephyr found him 12 or 15 miles down the track // had fun getting the zep off the track

[@TristXD]

That D3 698 is currently operational with Steamrail :D

[@darylcheshire1618]

That was the loco used on the Commissioner’s Train.

[@johnpro2847]

Who was the SM at Warbuton @ 8:10. Also a very shy rail motor driver for some reason ?

[@kolixan]

i wouldve absolutley gone to this line for tourism

[@clayauslewis4236]

1.35: Train driver puffing on his pipe. Doesn't he get enough smoke on the job!

[@bushranger51]

Pretty good quality, considering it was shot originally on 8mm, the technology of the day didn't go to sound for home movies, like a modern video camera, but good none the less. Perhaps they'll reinstate this line one day as the population of Melbourne moves out that way.

[@woobyvr9654]

bushranger51 there’s not much of the line left just platforms that need some serious work And the abandoned turntable at warby

[@smitajky]

No chance. The Whittlesea line is in desperate demand but rebuilding is being very slow because they decided that all road crossings must be done on grade separation. This upped the cost of relaying enormously. And that is on a straight, flat, surface level rail line in a densely populated and rapidly growing corridor. Do I need to say more?

[@railtrolley]

The policy for all new lines being built or restored in Melbourne for public transport, is to not have any level crossings. An average grade separation, to replace and existing crossing in the suburbs costs about $100 million.

[@woobyvr9654]

@Andrew Waldron Warburton

[@Nathan13954]

Aside from platforms is there any relics of this line I can find on or around the Warburton trail?

[@railtrolley]

Nathan. The station building is still there at Yarra Junction, and is now a museum. The goods shed also, and some rolling stock. It is somewhat hidden if you go there by road, but is on the left on the Warby Hwy - going towards Warburton, near the sports ovals.

[@aarondavies5621]

There's actually a 3-4m section of track at Millgrove on the down side of the Warburton highway crossing. Nothing spectacular but a remnant nonetheless

[@bigal4919]

most station platforms are intact, Yarra Junction is now an established museum and the turntable is situated behind the Sports Club at Warburton oval.

[@matthewdempsey6583]

where is k150 now scrapped or preserved ?

[@railtrolley]

AFAIK scrapped. The K which ran the last train to Warburton was also scrapped.

[@JustMe-bo2yu]

@@railtrolley K188

[@davidnorton7464]

would've made a great tourist line

[@TankEngine75]

Yeah

[@mickcarson8504]

This is really a great video, a nostalgic time when railways and trains were the lifeline of country Victorians, until the idiot politicians decided to close all country lines except Puffing Billy lines if it wasn't for a group of persistent enthusiasts who fought long and hard to save and run Puffing Billy as a tourist attraction for years. Yet, they closed all other country railways much to the dismal of those who loved the trains, in particular the Warburton historical line and the Anderson- Whontaggi line which could have still been used as tourist lines. For years, as with everything our Government has do for money, they closed them down, forcing people into cars and increasing pollution tenfold. Then, instead of reopening those that had tourist potential like the ever loved Puffing Billy, the idiots removed or filled the railways with coarse gravel and used as walkers or bicycle tracks, ending an era where the possibility of reopening those tracks to link the towns and boost tourism. But, hell no, in Australia, when greed is out of control, they will sell even their wives to get rich. That, in my opinion is a disgusting attitude that has turned brothers against brothers, as we no longer seem to care about the state this country is heading now. Frankly we have lost all that we've had and what's left of our future is being sold to the Chinese. I wouldn't be surprised if the Chinese, as loaded with our money, the very money that should have been left in Australia for our future instead of being sent to China from buying Made in China products from the very industries that were once in Australia, providing jobs and prosperity to this young country until the Unions stuffed all that up with their EBA9, better wages and conditions, leading companies to get out of the country or go broke, e.g. Ford, Holden, etc. This of course change history. The Chinese then came back loaded with that money of ours and started to buy everything possible and profitable. I wouldn't be surprised if they ever restored some of these country railways for tourism and then brought in more Chinese tourists on sightseeing and probably buy the entire towns and farms. And this all started from the Governments allowing it to happen because it's not the first time this has ever happened where things have to be stopped, cut and or sold because of recessions, going bust here and there, owing money, etc. Plenty of time this has happened before. But today it's a different story. With China's 'buy this, buy this, buy this', came 'sell me this and sell me that', waving wads of money at the sheep. And since I have already said about having a greedy attitude, they will immediately sell everything that their fathers and forefathers had worked for to bring this young country to its feet. And they still do today, selling shiploads of iron and other resources that keeps Australians going for themselves. Instead, we are scraping those resources and selling to China to built a might armada, and then, like the Emperor conquered China, they will consider conquering Australia. And then what will you do, suffer? China smiles will melt hearts, trust me. Have a look at our Australian boys marrying Chinese women. That's a start.

[@r3v0lv3rz]

Yes.

[@michaelroper4237]

its a toxic communist mentality

[@brendansammut9278]

vic rail still owns the land

[@michaelroper4237]

@@brendansammut9278 you mean china

[@zeppo7238]

Must say it leaves for dead any branch line in England...