The Alexandra Timber Tramway is a fascinating recreation of the old timber tramways era in Victoria.IN THE mid 1940s, travellers along a back lane off the Goulburn Valley Highway would be suddenly confronted by a diminutive locomotive hauling a row of timber trucks along a narrow gauge tramway joining the sawmills in the forest and the nearest township.
The timber tramway has long since passed into history, along with the forest mills it served.
There were once eight sawmills in the rugged Rubicon Forest, until all but one were destroyed in the devastating fires of January 1939. Since then, the forest has regrown, and the old timber tramways have been pulled up.
Happily, the era of the bush mill and its tramway has been recreated at the Alexandra Timber Tramway, 130km north-east of Melbourne.
Visitors can ride a restored section of the original tramway behind the two oldest Australian-built diesel locomotives, or behind a small steam locomotive built a century ago. They can inspect the large number of preserved industrial locomotives, wonder at the power of the two huge steam logging winches, or just browse through the museum of local history.
When finished at the tramway, they will have time left to explore Victoria’s last gold-rush town with its historic buildings, or visit many other of the region’s fine tourist attractions.
The Alexandra Timber Tramway is open from 10am to 4pm on the second (steam-hauled) and fourth (diesel-hauled) Sunday of every month, and most public holidays.
Admission charges are moderate, and everyone can happily spend several hours or even half a day riding the trains and inspecting the exhibits in the grounds of the old Alexandra railway station.
For further details phone Joan on 0427 509 988 or visit www.alexandratramway.org.au.
