Jackson Harding <jaxsonjo@camtech.net.au> wrote in messageI was aware of a lot of this. I was aware that the rule books were similar, but not that they were nearly identical.
38182EBC.3A690150@camtech.net.au">news:38182EBC.3A690150@camtech.net.au...> > There's a reason for that. Back in the 1850s, the chief engineer to the
> > colony of Victoria did not have any experience building railways. He
left
> > all the decisions to the consulting engineer to the Agent General in
> > London, a bloke by the name of I.K. Brunel. That's why Geelong -
Ballarat
> > and Melbourne - Bendigo were built double track with all the trimmings,
it
> > was the then GWR standard.
> >
> > Cheers
> > David
>
> That is also why, IMHO, the VR and the GWR "feel" similar.
>
>There is more in that than you realise, take a copy of the GWR 1934? Rule
book and compare it with any VR rule book uptil 1966 and not only are they
worded almost word for word, the rules even follow on in the same sequence,
(different Regulation and Rule numbers though).Look at the design of the stations between Hawksburn and Caulfield (and
Oakleigh, Essendon and a few more) and look at photos of Birmingham Snow
Hill and you will see that the brick work design patons are almost
identical. The private Geelong and Melbourne used Bridge Rail (some still
exists in the Museum), Lara was originally to be called Swindon where the
G&M was to build a workshop, ARHS had a book for sale a few years ago about
a fellow called Shea (I think that was his name? He was the G&M Engineer
and was GWR trained). V/Line even intended naming a G class "Great Western"
back in 1985 to commorate the GWR 150, but Roper stopped it. (I have a
letter from Senior V/Line Management to prove this). So yes the old VR was
very much one of God's Wonderful Railways.Bob.
As for the station architecture, having just been through some of the west country by rail whilst in the UK on business there are even more similarities. Although the old VR never erected a pagoda shelter on a platform, even some of the timber buildings are similar. Many signal cabins have similar structures as well.
The Lara-Swindon connection is a new one to me (on this same trip I made the connection "change at Swindon for Didcot" to visit the Railway centre there).
Naming a "G". There was an easy way around this, "But Mr Roper,
it's named after the wine growing area in the west of the state"
True railway people would know the truth.