Riddells Creek appeared to be a magnet for newsworthy events. Since it's opening, it seems to have attracted more than its fair share of Media attention.
1861 Employment ad.
During construction of the Bendigo Line, the newspapers continually ran advertisments for the contractors, who were seeking Tradesmen and Labourers to work along the line. At Riddell's Creek, a source of good Basalt (Dacite?) was located on the south side of the railway, and it's quarrying provided the stone for the structures and ballast from there through to Woodend. As a result, it was principally Stone-masons, Stone-Cutters and Stone-Breakers that were sought, exemplified by this ad which appeared in The Argus on February 5, 1861 .
(Courtesy TROVE):
1876 Accident.
On September 4, 1876, an up goods train collided with a preceeding train, which was stationary at Riddell's Creek. The goods, consisting of 25 Sheep wagons and 2 brake vans, had insufficient hand brakes applied to control its descent down the Riddell Bank.
BELOW is a copy of the official report on the incident, published in the Argus on October 10, 1876. (Courtesy TROVE):
1885 Complaint.
The Age, on December 30, 1885, published a letter of complaint regarding 'behaviour' at Riddell's Creek.
Aside from the style of writing, it may well have been written today.
(Courtesy TROVE):
1898 Derailment.
On the morning of Saturday, January 22, 1898, a down passenger train derailed as it was approaching the Riddell's Creek station. The contemporary press reports tell the story:
BELOW: Several photographs of this incident were also published,
the source of these copies is not known:
1947 Collision.
Railway Historian Jim Harvey authored an account of the July 1, 1947, Riddell accident, which was published in the January 2007 issue of the ARHS Bulletin. The following has been extracted:
"Thirty-eight trucks and the guard's van, left behind outside Riddell station from a Castlemaine-Melbourne goods train, formed an obstruction into which a following Bendigo-Melbourne goods train crashed with great force about 6.40 am. The problem started when two trains were combined into one at Woodend and this train broke away right behind the brake van in the middle of the train. So the front section passed Riddell in fog and the Signalman there saw the van (of the first portion of the train) go past the box window and without checking for tail lights or disc, belled Train Arrival to Gisborne. Consequently Gisborne let the following train, hauled by A2 904 go, and approaching Riddell it ran into the stopped rear portion of the preceding train as the Guard was hurrying back in the fog to protect."
A2 829 entered service on 24th January 1913, became A2 904 and was superheated on 31st July 1933. Following the collision at Riddells Creek, the locomotive was dismantled in order to lift the sections back up the embankment. On examination at Newport it was decided to not repair it and consequently A2 904 was one of the first of the class scrapped on 31st July 1947
BELOW: The pages 1 & 26 reports on the incident from the Argus, July 2, 1947. (courtesy of TROVE).
ABOVE & BELOW: A2 904 depicted on its side down the bank, with the 60 ton and 5 ton Newport workshops cranes on the embankment above the wreck
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Page modified Jan 31, 2022