Gembrook Yard.

The main feature of Gembrook yard was the two timber sidings. Timber from extensive 3' 0" and 3'6" gauge timber tramways was transferred to the 2'6" gauge VR railway trucks.

An apology: The original version of thi page only mentioned a 3'6 gauge timber-tramway. M. J. McCarthy's excellent book "Bellbrakes, Bullocks and Bushmen" has diagrams of the changes to Gembrook yard. The following table is derived from his plans.

Years	Tramway	Guage	Location
1904 - 1921	East Beenak Tramway. C1919 owned by Grundy	3'6"	South of what was to become Russell's road. By 1920 shifted to the south of Crane road.
1921 - 1924	Northern Timber Mills	3'0"	Replaced East Beenak Tramway.
1924 - 1927	Hardwood Transport Company (a partnership of mill owners)	3'0"	South of Crane road.
1927 - 1943	Russell's Steel tramway	3'0"	South of what was to become Russell's road and north of Crane road.
1945	Russell's tramway dismantled.

The clearances on the timber sidings were restricted -leading to the following instruction in the General Appendix to the Rules and Regulations:

Clause 2 of the instructions on page 69 respecting Clearances of Structures, Stacks &c., is modified in respect of certain Timber sidings at Gembrook, as set out hereunder, and employees engaged in shunting operations &c., are to exercise special care in order to ensure the safety of themselves and Departmental rolling stock.
1. 1. In respect of the sites in the two Sidings at Gembrook, locally known as the Crane Road and Russell's Road, the lessees have been granted a modification in respect of the clearances to be observed, which, in cases where the line is on a curve has been reduced from 7 feet to 5 feet six inches.
  2. No variation has been granted regarding the clearance on Narrow gauge "Straight" Lines.
On Russell's Siding, two skids, a winch, and chaff shed erected close to the Deadend of this Siding are within the clearance of 5 feet 6 inches mentioned above.
Engines are to stop short of, and not pass, the nearer of these skids.

I don't know why the second instruction was numbered 2(a)(i), for 2(b) is not in the general appendix.

7 ' is 2.133 m.; 5'6" is 1.676 m.

Two relevant entries appear in the Weekly Notices

15/3/1927: No. 1 rd extended 200 ft at Deadend a/c Mr. Russell.
7/7/1930: Provision of a departmental road motor service Upper Fern tree Gully to Gembrook has resulted in a decrease of the passenger service.

This latter entry is obviously the precursor to the reduction of services. Surprisingly the railway lasted another 22 years.

Return to the Gembrook page.

url: http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/~narrow.gauge/gemyd.htm