Off the Beaten Track

During the early 1900s, a railway ran from Daylesford, via Trentham and to the Carlesruhe junction where the original bluestone station (1862) still stands although not in use today.  The line carried timber from the forest and potatoes from the local growers as well as passengers. The railway today is defunct but there are signs of its path and I find myself discovering some of its mysteries while I cycle the area. The line was opened in 1880 to via, Tyldan, Fernhill, Trentham and to Daylesford. It closed in 1978 and many of the stations along the way only retain remnants of their existence today. I intend on walking the old tracks during the warmer months in search of these remnants of lost history.

There's a gravel road called Rippers Lane that takes you pass a few farms and then it dips down into a small valley. The train in the past travelled over the creek that ran under the wooden trestle bridge that exists today as a relic of the past.

The train of the past ran over this trestle bridge carrying timber and potatoes to Melbourne via Woodend. 

With the recent rain, our creeks are flowing well - the recent summer dried all the creeks and the local reservoirs fed from the streams were at an all time low. Local residents tell us that this is the best they've seen for a decade. We may even have the trout return.

These little guys came out to check me out while I was taking photos - very friendly indeed.