Kaoota Tramway 2017

No rest for the weary, a week off then back into it. Tas has taken pity on us and set an easy one for today, which is the Kaoota Tramway track.

Weather is clear as we park on Lawless Rd. near the end of the Nierinna Creek track and head up the first hill.

Comparing notes about Christmas/New Year

Up the first hill. We'll wipe that smile off your face, Renate!

These are not the front runners, Tas & Peter have disappeared in the distance

We continue past the poultry farm. It's a mystery what is done there now, no sounds of happy chooks, no people, little indication of activity.

Never mind, we start getting views as we get higher.

Looking towards Snug Tiers

Start of the track

I'm not quite sure why the council stopped cars from parking here, there's plenty of room. The recommended spot is a narrow area by the chook farm leaving cars partially on the road.

The Tramway

I've covered the history of the area in a previous blog, but it was originally constructed to carry coal from a mine at Sandfly. When that stopped logs, fruit and people were carried until it finally shut around 1922.

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Originally there were 10 bridges along its 20 km length. For a short time there were two locomotives, but only one remaining at the end. In 1920 a bushfire stranded the remaining engine by burning a bridge. As it was too expensive to rebuild, the loco lay idle with a timber shed built around it. Only when the track began to be pulled up did it get moved. That was 1922.

Krauss 4526 2-4-0T, Builder's number 4526 constructed 1902

That was for the trainspotters among us.

On we go, over a less picturesque bridge.

Over the bridge and through the woods

It's a great area for manferns...

...and some blossom is out

Mt. Wellington. You can't get away from it

We've found a convenient shelf for Morning Tea

Break finished, we move off again. It's pleasant walking along the track and if you keep your eyes open you can sometimes find relics of its heyday.

I spotted a small spike just lying among the stones. We last walked here in 2015 and if you look at that blog you'll find a photo of Peter holding a proper sized spike from the rails.

Sleeping Beauty

This will be a very large candle during a bushfire

We're coming to the official end of the track

 I doubt if this had anything to do with the tramway, it's next to a tin shed and appears to be a pig sty.

Blackberries cover some old machinery

This is old farming equipment i.e. a spring-tooth harrow. Just needs a little attention.

The old tin shed

A flash photo reveled nothing of interest inside. Further on are a couple of bench seats and a picnic table for the comfort of walkers plus an interpretive sign. A car park is just a short distance away.

We look out over Allens Rivulet or as the sign on Sandfly Road says, Aliens Rivulet. We're not stopping here, but continuing on, still following the original route of the tracks towards Kaoota central. We don't get all the way, because it turns into private property, so we return to have lunch at the picnic table.

The railway continued along here still heading for the coal mine

Great views

After lunch we begin the walk back, almost all down hill.

Wild rose

It will all dry up very soon

Peter had taken a copy of the track on his phone. we wanted to locate where the loco had been stored when the bridge was burned out. We're pretty sure we found an area that would offer enough room for an engine shed. On the map from the sign, one of the markers is for a fatal accident and I can find nothing about it. I did find that a block fell from the roof of the mine, landing on a miner and paralyzing him. That was in 1909.

Remains of a sleeper

 Just above it you can see by the darker earth where another sleeper rested.

Almost back to the cars

A great walk to start the year with. We had 13 walkers and covered 15.58km in 4:41hrs.

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A couple of old photos to end with.

Margate wharf

Coal miners