Stressed by world news last week? I think it’s time for a “good news” story. This is a story about Andrew and Jennifer Forbes, who have devoted the last 40 years to building a dream.
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Andrew and Jennifer, with the early help of some volunteers, have built the “Kerrisdale Mountain Railway”.
Andrew is a boilermaker, who always wanted to build a steam locomotive. With his railway now built on a beautiful steep site not far from Seymour, and his hand-built steam engine rapidly reaching completion, he will soon have the dream complete.
As all of us husbands know, truly imaginative dreams need a wonderful enthusiastic wife, and in Jennifer, Andrew has just that.
She speaks enthusiastically about their steam museum, their operating diesel locomotives, and their large working collection of stationary steam engines which they restored themselves.
But the jewel in the crown is the cane-train sized railway that snakes its way up the steep hillside to a zig-zag switch-back, then on to the summit with its spectacular views.
The property is only 52 acres, but is scenic all the way, with views over the Upper Goulburn Valley, and out to Victoria’s high peaks, many with snow at this time.
I visited a week ago with the Classic Motoring Club, and on this occasion the wartime “Malcolm Moore” engine was our motive power.
It served on the Mourilyan Sugar Mill’s lines until 1995. These Australian-built engines were originally produced with the 1939 Ford V8 side-valve motor that was used to power so many Australian-designed vehicles during the war.
The comfortable open “toast-rack” carriages were designed to give the best view of the scenery, and an appreciation of the engineering required to get the railway up the mountain.
Late in the afternoon, kangaroos in large mobs crossed the line in front of the train.
If someone else hadn’t organised the tour I think I would have missed this wonderful attraction. It is only a short distance from the Hume Freeway.
I checked the web, because this is the sort of place that I would like to take the grandkids next holidays.
The Kerrisdale Railway is adjacent to the now-closed railway from Tallarook to Mansfield, which has been developed into a scenic rail trail.
Up the road is Yea, where we could have visited the 201 metre hand-cut Cheviot Rail Tunnel, built in 1883 and lined with 675,000 handmade bricks.
Visit www.kerrisdalemtnrailway.com.au for running times. I think you will agree that this is a beautiful place to visit.
