Re: [Vic] Alamein Line

["Chris Parnell" <chris@infinisource.com>]

The overhead continued to a substation at East Malvern on the Glen Waverley
line. That's how the Alamein line received its supply of current. In 1962 I
went to Gardiners Creek where the cutting ends at Ryburne Ave and found the
blackened stumps for the railway bridge that ran across the river (it was a
very long bridge) and probably halfway up to where the freeway is now. All
the trees near that cutting are part of the long-gone Ashburton forest.
Sparks have never proceeded beyond Alamein platform (although 24D went
through the end of the road and finished nearly sideways in 1960). The road
bed was in excellent shape all the way down to the river - as I walked it
several times and it could have accomodated electric traction, but this was
never to be.  A new bridge would have been needed, and Glen Waverley was
still single line with wooden poles holding up the catenary at that time. I
have seen some photos showing the black bridge (as it was known) surviving
up to the mid 1940's.

CP