Fyansford Cement Works Railway

File:Bellarine-peninsula-railway-no4-steam-loco.jpg

Former Fyansford locomotive No. 4, hauling a tourist train at the Bellarine Railway in 2007

The Fyansford Cement Works Railway was an industrial railway near Geelong, Australia, built by the Australian Portland Cement Company to carry limestone from its quarry to its cement works at Fyansford.

The railway was notable for possessing a 1.3 km (0.81 mi) tunnel, the longest rail tunnel in Victoria except for the underground sections of the Melbourne City Loop, and for its fleet of one diesel and 11 steam locomotives, the majority of which have been preserved by heritage railway operators, in particular the Bellarine Railway.

History

The line was built in 1926, replacing an earlier overhead ropeway from the quarry to the main works. The railway had two main sections: one from the works depot to an older quarry, and a longer track which used the tunnel and connected to a newer quarry. The length of the main line from the new quarry to the depot was 5.6 km (3.5 mi). The track was built in 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm), one not often used in Victoria, where virtually all other railways were 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm).

The cement works railway operated until 1966, when it was replaced by an aerial beltway between a new crushing works on the quarry floor and the cement works. At the time of closure, the railway's motive power consisted of a diesel locomotive (which was sold to the Victorian Railways), and six steam locomotives which were donated to preservation societies.

Locomotives

Of the original twelve locomotives, seven (one diesel and six steam locomotives) are still in existence today. With the relocation to Queenscliff of the Australian Standard Garratt from the Australian Railway Historical Society Museum in May 2013, all six steam locomotives existing at the time of the line's closure are now in preservation at the Bellarine Railway.

Number	Builder	Year built	Wheel arrangement	Status	Notes
1	Beyer Peacock, Manchester, England	1938	2-6-0/0-6-2 Garratt	Scrapped	Some components from this locomotive were integrated into sister locomotive No. 2 when it was overhauled.
2	Beyer Peacock	1938	2-6-0/0-6-2 Garratt	Stored at the Bellarine Railway	Was on display at the Puffing Billy Railway's museum at Menzies Creek until 2010, before relocation to the Bellarine Railway for eventual restoration.
3	Victorian Railways, Newport Workshops	1945	4-8-2/2-8-4 Garratt	In workshops at the Bellarine Railway	The last remaining complete Australian Standard Garratt. Moved on 31 May 2013 from Australian Railway Historical Society Museum at Newport to the Bellarine Railway, for restoration.
4	Vulcan Iron Works, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, USA	1916	0-6-0T	Stored at the Bellarine Railway	Originally used at naval base in Henderson, Western Australia, acquired by APC in 1926, along with loco 5.
5	Vulcan Iron Works	1916	0-6-0T	Stored at the Bellarine Railway	Stored in park in Ringwood before removal for restoration.
6	Hudswell Clarke & Co., Leeds, England	1903	0-4-2T	Stored at the Bellarine Railway	Originally used as a shunter at the copper smelter in Wallaroo, South Australia before acquisition by APC, along with locos 7-9.
7	Hudswell Clarke		0-4-2T	Scrapped	See no. 6
8	Hudswell Clarke		0-4-2T	Scrapped	See no. 6
9	Hudswell Clarke		0-4-2T	Scrapped	See no. 6
10	Perry Engineering Co., Adelaide, SA	1926	0-4-0T	Scrapped	Originally used by the State Rivers and Water Supply Commission of Victoria in construction of the Hume Weir. Acquired by APC in 1946, along with loco 11.
11	Perry Engineering	1926	0-4-0T	Under restoration at the Bellarine Railway	Was on display at the Puffing Billy Railway's museum at Menzies Creek until June 2010, when it was relocated for eventual restoration.
D1	Clyde Engineering	1956	Bo-Bo	Operational at 707 Operations	Bought new by APC, sold to the Victorian Railways in 1966, regauged to 5'3" and renumbered T413.