Menzies Creek railway station

Menzies Creek railway station, formerly known as Aura railway station, is located on the Puffing Billy Railway in the town of the same name. History It was opened with the line on 18 December 1900. It was named after an early settler John Menzies. On 5 December 1904 it was renamed Aura, after the estate of the Shire President. The station reverted to its previous name on 4 July 1947. Throughout this period, the Post Office kept the name of the town as Menzies Creek which it remains to this day. When the station was operating under the Victorian Railways it had a loop siding, a standard portable station building, and a goods shed. As the original station building had long been demolished, a replacement building of reclaimed Victorian Railways' "portables" was built in the 1980s. In 1990 the station buildings was moved to its current position as an island platform during a construction exercise undertaken by combat engineers of the 7th Field Engineer Regiment (Australian Army Reserve). Platforms and layout Menzies Creek has an island crossing platform with a track on each side (1 and 2 Road), a loop siding (3 Road) where Goods wagons are stored. And a Undergear Inspection track, leading onto a headshunt ('A' Siding) to the Museum Siding. 3 Road and 'A' Siding points are manually operated by McKenzie and Holland Small Point Levers, both of which are Annett locked. Facilities The station now is home to the Aura Tearooms, and Puffing Billy Narrow Gauge Museum. Signalling The station is home to a 14 lever interlocking McKenzie and Holland Rocker Frame, which has been in full service since the 16 December 2006. Prior, the frame had only had 4 levers operational. The frame now controls 1 outer home arrival on each side (1, 14,) 4 arrival signals, 2 on either side (2, 3, 12, 13,) alongside a calling on signals for each mechanically selected by track circuts 4 departure signals, these are the only wire operated signals at the station. (5, 6, 9, 10,) 1 Upper quadrant 3 position permissive signal, almost always having to be manually operated by the signalman in the form of a Push button in the cabin to Call and Set the signal back. (L1569) 2 Electric Points controlling arrivals into 1 and 2 roads from Belgrave & Menzies Creek, keys are also provided on the frame to manually change the points providing a failure. (4, 11,) The remainder of the points at the station are Operated by McKenzie and Holland Small Point Levers with the Exeption being the point from 'A' Siding to Museum siding Alongside this, Menzies Creek contains many other raritys. Annett Keys: Pilot Lever No. 7 Contains a 'A' Pattern Key attached to the Frame, to remove the key the lever must be Reversed. The 'A' Pattern Key unlocks either point for No. 3 Road. Behind the frame on a separate Non-Lever mounted holster, the 'B' Pattern key is mounted. This key unlocks the Point for 'A' Siding. Lever 8: the most Unusual thing about Menzies Creek has to be Lever 8, which is a GREEN Lever. Green levers were only ever used once by the V.R. in the form of a Overhead Switching lever for the tramsquare at Elsternwick. However Menzies Creek uses its to control the School Road Level crossing situated next to the station on the Down end. When lever 8 is REVERSE. the crossing is held UP, stopping it from activating. This lever is ALWAYS locked by a Padlocked Collar Lock. Block Shelf: the block shelf at the station includes 6 Needle Signal Repeaters for signals 1, 2, 3, 12, 13, 14. and 6 Barrel indicators for the same levers for Switched Out/Guard In Charge proceedues. 2 Point Indicators are also mounted below the Shelf to show the State of the Point alongside if it is Locked or Unlocked. The Most notable thing on the Shelf is the Track Indication Diagram, a fully lit diagram of the station ENTIRELY track circuted to show position of trains. this is REQUIRED due to the interlocking nature of the frame. Gallery References External links Melway map at street-directory.com.au