Hamilton to Koroit
Aug 22 1890: Hamilton (Coleraine Jct) to Penshurst line opened 19 miles of single track railway costing £4,089 per mile. (£77,694 total cost)
Aug 22 1890: Dunkeld to Koroit line opened (Dunkeld - Penshurst section closed March 24 1891) 49.25 miles of single track railway costing £3596 per mile. (£177,101 total cost)
Jan 1 1906: Croxton East renamed Tabor.
Sep 20 1929: Hawkesdale destroyed by fire.
July 22 1958: Woolsthorpe passenger platform removed.
Sept 30 1963: Purdeet passenger platform removed, open for goods in truck loads only.
Oct 12 1977: Hamiliton (Coleraine Jct) to Koroit closed to all traffic
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YATCHAW
ABOVE: Yatchaw is the first station on the cross country line from Hamilton, ( Coleraine Junction) to Koroit. 56 DERM seen here is returning to Melbourne after an excursion to Coleraine on 18 Oct. 1970. Only the almost flattened earthen platform remains at this site now. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
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TABOR
ABOVE: The next station at Tabor (opened as Croxton East) has similar facilities to those at Yatchaw but on comparing the two Mallee sheds they are quite different in style with Tabor being the more usual design. Little remains to be seen at this location now. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
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PENSHURST
ABOVE: RM 85 pauses at Penshurst whilst running an ARHS tour to Coleraine and Balmoral lines. Feb 23 1957. (photo courtesy Des Jowett)
ABOVE: Penshurst is the main town along the line with most of the other stations located some distance from the small towns they served. This view is on 11 January 1977 is facing towards Hamilton. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
ABOVE: This platform view at Penshurst on 11 March 1967 was prior to rationalisation of facilities. The train was on a tour of some western district branch lines. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
ABOVE: Oil burner J 544 is waiting in the platform road at Penshurst to cross the Hamilton to Warrnambool goods with locomotive J 538 running the train. 11 March 1967. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
ABOVE: Much of the goods traffic along this line was though loading, with superphosphate and agricultural products being the main inwards loading for small settlements along the route. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
ABOVE & BELOW: Y 149 on No. 1 down goods at Penshurst, April 4 1971. (photo courtesy Doug Miles)
ABOVE: Y 131 on No. 84 up goods at Penshurst, April 4 1971. (photo courtesy Doug Miles)
ABOVE: Y 149 on No. 1 down goods is crossing Y 131 on No. 84 up goods, Penshurst, the Hamilton and Warrnambool crews are "changing over". April 14 1971. (photo courtesy Doug Miles)
ABOVE: T 384 is at Penshurst on a western district tour train returning to Melbourne via Port Fairy the next day, after spending New Years eve stabled at Warrnambool. 31 December 1975. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
ABOVE: 56 DERM 56 pauses briefly at Penshurst on route back to Melbourne on 18 October 1970. Watering facilities for steam locos were still operational at this time and can be seen at the down end of the platform. This is the only photo showing a newly installed cowling on top of the station chimney. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
ABOVE:: Nature was quickly reclaiming the station and yard environs by May 1978 eight months after closure of the line. This was the third station building here with a large station building being moved to Kyabram around the time passenger services ceased. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
ABOVE: The proud staff at Penshurst post 1912 which is when the station building shown was built, Museums Victoria Collection.
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MINHAMITE
ABOVE: A Mallee shed at Minhamite was all that remained on the station platform in October 1970. Passenger platforms at the other intermediate stations of Purdeet and Woolsthorpe had been removed by the early 1960s. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
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HAWKESDALE
ABOVE: After fire had destroyed the original station building at Hawkesdale it was replaced with the usual VR style of portable building seen at many small locations on the network. This view is towards Hamilton. 18 October 1970 (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
ABOVE: Hawkesdale station and yard is situated on a 40 chain curve which was an unusual site for a station to be located; it was the second largest station along the line. T 384 has a short train consisting of just two sleeping cars. 31 December 1975 (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
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KOROIT
1950 Koroit signal arrangements
ABOVE: The well maintained station and garden at Koroit as seen on 14 January 1977. Thankfully this brick station building did not suffer the same fate of the next station along the line at Port Fairy. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
ABOVE: Everything looks well tended at Koroit on 14 January 1977, however it was only eight months prior to the Port Fairy line and the cross country line to Hamilton being closed. In very early years passengers from Port Fairy would change trains here and proceed to Hamilton without needing to go into Warrnambool. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
ABOVE: Seven years after closure the situation did not look good for the Koroit station building with vandalism occurring on site by February 1984. Fortunately restoration work was undertaken and the building remains intact. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
ABOVE: A general overall view in May 1978 towards Port Fairy and Hamilton showing Koroit station and yard before dismantling of the railway had commenced. Situated on the Warrnambool to Port Fairy Rail Trail the station area is now a rest area along the way. (photo courtesy Neville Gee)
