If you like spotting trains, this is a good stretch to spot them between Jordanville and Holmesglen. During peak hour they speed along about 7 minutes apart and become about 17 minutes later during the day in the in-between times.
The modern trains today along the Glen Waverley line bear little resemblance to steam engines reminiscent of childhood stories like Thomas the Tank Engine.
Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Australia) tells us in its article about Rail Transport in Australia that “The first railways in Australia were built by private companies, based in the then colonies of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
“The first railway was privately owned and operated and commissioned by the Australian Agricultural Company in Newcastle in 1831, a cast-iron fishbelly rail on an inclined plane as a gravitational railway servicing A Pit coal mine. The first steam-powered line opened in Victoria in [12 Sept] 1854. The 4 km long Flinders Street to Sandridge (now Port Melbourne) line was opened by the Hobsons Bay Railway Company at the height of the Victorian gold rush.
“In these early years there was very little thought of Australia-wide interests in developing the colony-based networks... Despite advice from London to adopt a uniform gauge, should the lines of the various colonies ever meet, gauges were adopted in different colonies, and indeed within colonies...
“Suburban electrification began in Melbourne in 1919 (1500 V DC). Sydney's lines were electrified from 1926 (1500 V DC), Brisbane's from 1979 (25 kV AC), and Perth's from 1992 (25 kV AC). Mainline electrification was first carried out in Victoria in 1954...
“Diesel locomotives were introduced to Australian railways from the early 1950s. Most units were of local design and construction, using imported British or American technology and power equipment.”
Fun facts and milestones
1831 – New South Wales – Australian Agricultural Company's cast-iron fishbelly rail on an inclined plane as a gravitational railway servicing A Pit coal mine.
1854 – Victoria – First steam powered railway from Melbourne to Sandridge (Port Melbourne).
1883 – Railways of New South Wales and Victoria meet at Albury
1887 – Railways of Victoria and South Australia meet at Serviceton
1913 – Lawson Billinton designed the E2 Class locomotives upon which Thomas the Tank Engine is later based upon. “When Awdry created Thomas, the engine existed only as a wooden toy made for his son Christopher. This engine looked rather different from the character in the books and television series, and carried the letters NW on its side tanks, which stood for "No Where" according to Awdry” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Tank_Engine).
1915 – Standard gauge Canberra to Queanbeyan railway opened
1919 – First electric suburban trains run in Melbourne
1930 – Standard gauge Sydney–Brisbane railway completed with trains crossing the Clarence River on a train ferry until the opening of a bridge at Grafton in 1932.
1945 – Thomas the Tank Engine series, written by Reverend Wilbert Awdry and his son Christopher, was published. “After Awdry's wife encouraged him to publish the stories, the publisher of the second book in The Railway Series, Thomas the Tank Engine, hired an illustrator named Reginald Payne. Awdry selected a real locomotive for Payne to work from to create authenticity: a Billinton designed 0-6-0 E2 Class of the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. This may have been chosen simply because Awdry had a photograph to hand... Payne was not credited for his illustrations at the time, and it is only since the publication of Brian Sibley's The Thomas the Tank Engine Man that he has started to receive major recognition. It had often been erroneously assumed that C. Reginald Dalby created the character, as he was responsible for illustrating books 3–11 and repainting the illustrations of books 1 and 2” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_the_Tank_Engine).
1946 – Thomas the Tank Engine appeared in the 2nd book in the series. He becomes the focus of the 4 short stories contained within. Thomas’ best friends are Percy and Toby. He has the number 1 painted on his side.
1954 – first main line electrification, from Dandenong to Traralgon in Victoria
1962 – Albury to Melbourne standard gauge railway opened, completing the Sydney–Melbourne railway
1966 – Western Australia's first private standard gauge railway opened – the Goldsworthy railway transported iron ore 112 km from Mount Goldsworthy mine to Port Hedland
1979 – British writer/producer Britt Allcroft arranged a deal to bring Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends to TV as a series.
1995 – Melbourne–Adelaide railway standard gauge railway completed
2004 – Adelaide–Darwin railway standard gauge railway completed
THE CACHE
The cache itself is a very small micro but you are looking for something that looks a bit larger than that. You will need to bring your own pen. Please ensure that the lid is replaced securely on the cache and then into the zip lock bag for extra protection before replacing the whole thing where you found it and position it well.
This trail is quite well used, so great stealth is needed. Stay safe and use a stick if necessary. As usual, do share about your adventures today but avoid logging any spoilers. Let’s keep the fun going.
And if you are feeling particularly adventurous, there is a bouldering wall just before the pedestrian crossing at Warrigal Road that you might like to check out.