The track from Roto to Hillston was of the most basic nature and would have
needed a complete rebuild even when it was in service. I would imagine that
rebuilding even if it has been lifted would not be much more expensive than
re-railing and ballasting had it been operational.
Ivanhoe was really two towns. The old town having the shops, pub, school
and hospital was three or four km from the railway town and even had
separate post codes at one stage. By the time the railway came into its own
with the upgrading of the line in the late 1960's there was no need for the
old town to move to the railway as happened in other places in the pre
automobile days. In its heyday in the mid 70's Ivanhoe supplied crews for
four IP's a week (loco only); 261,620,253 and 524 interstate freights most
days; 53 and 54 pickups once a week; 44 ore train weekdays as well as
providing the driver for the Comet Mon to Sat. In those days all freight
trains fuelled at Ivanhoe and all freights had three man crews.
It was a short life.