After numerous schemes to connect the two localities, a railway was finally opened on the 19th of January 1887 between North Creswick on the Ballarat to Maryborough line and Rocky Lead (later renamed Rocklyn), an extension to Daylesford was opened on the 1st of June 1887. However, the Daylesford to North Creswick railway was closed in July 1953 when it's once a fortnight mixed passenger/ goods train was withdrawn.
Stations on this line were located at: North Creswick (Junction), Broomfield, Allendale, Kingston, Newlyn, Rocky Lead, Wombat, Leonard's Hill (later renamed Leonard), Ballan road (later renamed Sailors Falls), Woodburn and Daylesford.
North Creswick:
The passenger platform mound remains at the former junction station site. You can also see where the roads for the former goods yard were. Around 150 metres towards Maryborough, is where the line swung away from the mainline. A rail trail starts here and continues until around 100 metres short of the former Broomfield station site.
North Creswick was once an important junction, as it provided yet another through route to Melbourne via Daylesford and Woodend, and straight down the Bendigo main line. Opened in 1887, the station had all the proper passenger facilities, including a separate interlocked signal box. In 1952 they shut the Newlyn to Daylesford section, and in 1976 again back to Allendale. The remains of the branch were used to burn redundant wooden bodied passenger stock, which in hindsight was a shocking waste of lovingly crafted coaches. The branch closed completely in 1985, however the junction facilities lingered for a few more years. No trace of the original station, and signal box, can be found.
For a bonus cache, collect the four sets of numbers from the C2D railway station caches using the hint sections at each: North Creswick Station (GC6B4W3); Broomfield Station (GC6B4VZ); Allendale Station (GC9K6PZ) and Kingstown Station (GC6B4W4). The formula given will locate the track to Morningtown Ride (GC69CJE).
HINT FROM NORTH CRESWICK STATION: Locate smaller power box 'B&R Danger', use three digit number = ABC.