NZer here - great video! I love the rural areas shown here - great scenery!

Great Vid. Thanks for posting! Travelled over that section behind R 707 & J515 in the Ninetys ( SSS, Castlemaine, Maryborough, Ararat, Cressy, N Geelong, SSS ) Never in my wildest dreams (read nightmares) did we think that our railways would be so systematically destroyed!

As a former Castlemaniac I recall seeing friends off on the railcar to Maryborough when I was a small child. I always wanted to travel on the line, but never did. This video allowed me to vicariously do the journey after all.

I was born and raised in that area, really enjoyed your tour, I remember going to Maldon many times from Castlemaine, on a Sunday, when my mother visited relatives there. Old rail motor with a radiator grill, can still recall the sweat running off the poor driver in summer who wore only shorts and singlet back then. Stationmaster at Maldon gave me a thick ear once for playing on the station scales after being told not to, my mother said "Told you so...", that was in the mid to late 1960's. I went to school with a lad from Newstead, his father was a railway sleeper cutter. Wouldn't mind a "tour" of Castlemaine signal box (A & B boxes)? Great work, excellent and informative narration too...

Very interesting video. I travelled on that line in 1966 as part of a rail tour for the reopening of the (broad gauge as it was ) Avoca to Ararat branch. At least some of the station buildings have not been demolished.

As a now former Maldonite (Maldon resident), I am amazed that the Vic. Goldfields Railway (Maldon - C/maine) didn't put dibs on this line for future development, instead of it becoming another white elephant rail trail. I often drive the roads near the track around Newstead/ strangeways/Guildford, What an awesome trip it would be. Oportunity lost, Such a shame.

Wonderful video. People need to see how our towns used to interconnect so they can appreciate rail in Victoria, not only for what it was or what it is today, but what it could be in the future.

What a fascinating video, great work. There is so much good infrastructure still there, it could be re-opened if there was a desire for use.

Was a great video. I live in the general area and pass the old line often (Newstead, Guildford, Campbells Creek). But it was interesting seeing the station sites. I knew Campbells Creek had one but not where, same with Stangeways. And I was surprised so much of Moolart was still around as you can’t see that from the main road. Sad the don’t use Carisbrook station but then the town itself always strikes me as struggling anyway. If you look at Google maps satellite images you can map out the route of both the old highway and railway pre-dam. Always thought Yappen had a station as well as it passes right by the old good township site

This is brilliant, showing exactly the right approach to documenting/visiting closed lines. The use of the drone really works, especially when trying to show ,junctions, old station layouts or viaducts. I think your video on Carlsruhe to Lionville [which I did enjoy] would have greatly benefited from being done this way. I had been up that way with a drone myself, but never really got the kind of footage you have in this video. A suggestion on video: occasionally, the video is quite jerky. You might want to 'de-tune' your drone so you can get really smooth video. Look up 'EXP and/or gimbal settings' for your drone model.

Carisbrook has quite an interesting but undocumented history, ive been trying to scrape together every bit of information I can about it. For a brief period after it was destabilised it was a private residence, its also been extended at some point. I didn’t know it had a carriage dock thats new to me. Pains me to know that the line was considered for reopening, i hope we do get the Geelong-Ballarat-Bendigo rail one day.

Thanks for this video, the drone shots were brilliant. I think it's a shame it's being torn up, this would have been the perfect line to run a Ballarat to Bendigo service, and be part of a link between a Geelong-Ballarat-Bendigo regional rail route. Unfortunately it seems we have to deal with the current mediocre coach services, or waste time with 3-hour+ services catching a train into Melbourne and changing between services and hope that there's no delays that would result in another hour's waiting time.

Terrific video,especially using the drone,l look forward to more videos looking at our rail heritage and the closed railines,that sadly😔,there are many,some of the track looks like its waiting for the next🚆

Great video! This line has always been fascinating. Up until about 2 years ago there were some remnants of the old level crossings at Maryborough, Newstead and Campbells Creek. It's amazing how fast history is erased, it's almost impossible to tell that Campbells Creek used to have a station.

When the Cairn Curran is dry (at around 30% capacity) the pylons for the old bridge across the creek can still be seen and I assume pylons for the the old Joyces Creek station too. Next time it’s near empty I might head up there for another look armed with this history. Thank you for the video.

If I recall correctly, that bridge at Guildford was refurbished in the early 2000s only a short time before the line was effectively closed for traffic. Good video

Once again Hello my friend! This video has brought back vey fond memories for me! My Mum and her family are originally from Maryborough/ Carisbrook. I was born at Seymour in August 1960. After we moved to Melbourne in 1962. I can remember going on holidays up at Maryborough with my brother Terry who unfortunately passed😢 in July 2012. I can remember travelling in the rail motor from Castlemaine to Maryborough in the mid to late 1960s??? I can't remember the class of rail motor??? But I remember sitting with my brother up front looking out the front window across from the train driver cabin. I have really enjoyed watching this video and found it very interesting as it brought back vivid memories for me. I can't wait to show my Mum who is now 91💗. Thank You for showing!! And Cheers . From Stephen ❤️👍🙂

This used to be my 2nd favourite line. Only Maryborough to Avoca was prettier to drive. Of course Warrnambool comes 3rd. Thanks Colin.

Very sad. However Canada is was not far behind, Great video

Thanks for sharing this journey and the history. The sounds of the birds is majestic, too! Bring on the rail trail, what a joy it'd be.

As an old Maryborough boy, I used to catch the train to Maryborough when I was in the Army back in the late '60's, have fond memories of the line, the old Walker Railmotor used to take an hour to get from Castlemaine to Maryborough, which today, even with the reduced speed limits on the road between the two, only takes 30 minutes. It was much quicker going that way than going back via Ballarat, even with the change from the Melbourne train at Castlemaine.

Would be great to see the geelong-ballarat connection reopened plus a connection similar to this. I think a geelong-ballarat-bendigo connection would definitely see some use

This was a really nice video. Thanks for taking the time to shoot it.

In the late 1960s as kids, we occasionally caught a train from Maryborough to stay with Melbourne relatives after school on Fridays. Initially we used to catch a train from Maryborough to Ballarat then changed at Ballarat to the Melbourne train. However, we discovered that after the Ballarat train left Maryborough, a train to Castlemaine would arrive at the same platform ten or so minutes later. Maryborough to Castlemaine then Castlemaine to Melbourne, got us to Melbourne's Spencer Street station earlier than the Ballarat train. I therefore have fond memories of that trip.

The line was refurbished in the early 1990's (think it was 1990/1991?), used to cross it a couple of times a week at the Hepburn-Newstead Rd crossing and at Carisbrook. Line wasn't heavily used but often caught freight trains at the crossings, also used to hear the train horn blowing at crossings from our place. Some trains were grain hopper movements (may have been empties being reassigned) but also container traffic sometimes mixed hopper and container. My understanding was that after refurbishment the line was used to move freight from the marshalling yards at Bendigo across to the west of the state via Maryborough and Ararat to avoid travelling via Melbourne (happy to be corrected on this). Traffic appeared to reduce considerably following conversion of the main line from Melbourne through Ararat to South Australia to Standard gauge in 1995. There was a video on KZfaq (unable to locate it now) of the last train to use the line which was a ballast train destined to go via Maryborough and on via Inglewood but because of track work between Maryborough and Inglewood was diverted via Maryborough to Castlemaine through to Bendigo and then across to Inglewood, think that was sometime around 2010 or later. The line between Bendigo and Inglewood is now closed with the lifting of the junction at Eaglehawk. Also have a track plan from a report on reopening passenger service between Maryborough and Castlemaine dated 27/3/12 from Coffey Rail with a 1.2km passing loop at Newstead, unfortunately don't have a copy of the full report. Would have made genuine Intercity service between Bendigo and Ballarat possible. Rail that has been lifted from the track has been used by Victorian Goldfields Railway www.vgr.com.au/ to upgrade the track between Castlemaine and and Maldon.

Another great video! Sad to see another closed line, though. Love that golden triangle country! Cheers from Wagga.

interesting history

there was a push a few years ago by a group to reopen this line,led by Noel Laidlaw,don't know if they are still operating.

Wonderful video mate. I remember my dad shifting someone to Carisbrook when I was a boy i helped him and the vinelander was in town was a good memory he took me to see it stop briefly. Shame it's becoming a trail but at least its a preserved corridor

I can see your shadow while you’re filming Colin 😂 8:44

very interesting. i used to spend time up this way. i did find a video of a train on this line. i think the thumbnail shows the train on the bridge over the cairn curran reservoir.

Putty Cat your doing well in keeping me busy watching these Videos, I am fine with it.

It was rumoured that Maryborough was meant to be the new Spencer St Station but the local member was Minister of Railways and had it built at Maryborough. Also Maryborough was meant to be a regional headquarters but this went to Bendigo instead.

Interestingly, the Goods Shed at Carisbroook, also has a mileage carved into it, 107 59 47. Haven't seen any other sheds marked like this, but the goods docks at Kyneton and Taradale have a marked mileage, different to the Station mileage, as does the carriage dock at Echuca.

The Rails from the Station and the Bridge is still sitting there and it's all Rusty 2:10

Now VR R766 is on the Standard Gauge Now

Is there a V/Line Coach from Castlemaine to Maryborough.?

Did you Filmed it with a drone.?

I feel like rail trails diminish the history of railways because most of the rail infrastructure does get removed

G'day, it's such a pity that line is not able to run tourist Trains anymore as it's one of the most beautiful runs through the Central Victoria, l have rode my old BSA motorcycle from Newstead to Castlemaine crossing the line by road a few times it's a wonderful back road, been away so l have a few of your videos too watch, cheers mate and thanks for the history of this line, Neil.

I went on Daylesford road few weeks ago and dont see anyone on tracks no one, just thinking its Worksafe is must put fence on Guildford bridge and any long river bridge as well. Waste tax payers money to met requirments for public safety.

The closure was disgraceful, the private company was using the railway but did a dummy spit with the Maldon crowd and couldn’t see the way clear to share the rails to Maldon junction.

Enough with the "rails trails"put the trains back on,give goods access to Geelong.

.........sad..................very sad. What a waste.