TARADALE
| Malmsbury | 67Miles 52Chains 19Links / 108.876km | Elphinstone |
ABOVE: Looking Northward, toward Bendigo. It's suspected that this picture was take during the 1910's. (Photo [with some distortion correction] courtesy of PROV).
A Contract was let for the construction of a passenger station, out buildings, goods shed, and other works at Taradale on October 10, 1862. Less than 2 weeks later, on October 21, the line through to Castlemaine was opened.
By 1899, Taradale was provided with non-interlocked Up and Down Distant, Home and Starting signals.
On October 10, 1928, the station was permanently closed as Block Post. Up and Down Distant and
Starting signals were crossed. Points of main line crossover were spiked and locked by Hand Locking Bars. Platform
quadrants operating Up and Down Home signals were secured in the reverse position. Two weeks later, the Station Master was withdrawn.
The following year, the Down distant signal was restored and minor signalling alterations occured from time to time until February 1922, when the last remaining signals here were abolished.
The main line crossover was removed on March 10, 1935, and the siding was abolished around 1963.
Taradale was closed to all traffic on November 16, 1977.
(Information gleaned from Andrew Waugh's 'Victorian Station Histories')
ABOVE: The front of the main station building on the down platform. (Photo courtesy of PROV).
ABOVE: An empty RM 62 passes through Taradale on its way Northward. September 8, 1973. (Photo courtesy of Weston Langford)
ABOVE: Looking in the up direction, BELOW: The down side station building. March 4 1987. Both photos courtesy Des Jowett.
BELOW: The goods shed on the down side/down end of the station. March 4 1987, photo courtesy Des Jowett.
ABOVE: A 1904 VR plan.
ABOVE & BELOW: Taradale viaduct as built, it was later strengthened.
Taradale is probably best known for its imposing viaduct which was strengthened in 1933 to accomodate heavier locos. ABOVE: viewed from the down side of the line and BELOW: viewed from the up side of the line, both photos 2023.
Feel free to email me with any corrections or comments
Page modified Jan 31, 2022