Seymour railway station, Victoria

VlineRailwayStation1
NAME=Seymour
IMAGELINK=Seymour_station_from_road.jpg
CAPTION=Station building and yard viewed from Station Street
CODE=SEY
DISTANCE=101.69 km
LINES=Albury-Wodonga
Shepparton.
PLATFORMS=3 (2 BG, 1 SG)
TRACKS=
STATUS=Staffed Station
FACILITIES= [http://www.viclink.com.au/stop/view/20342 Link]
TIMETABLES= [http://www.viclink.com.au/stop/view/20342 Link]
MELWAYORVICROADS=VicRoads
MELWAY=

Seymouris a railway station on the North East railway in the town of Seymour, Victoria, Australia. Seymour is a staffed station and was once the home of a railway refreshment room. A locomotive depot was once located at the country end of the station, today the home of the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre and to stable V/Line trains.

The station serves V/Line passengers on the Albury-Wodonga and Shepparton lines, being located at the junction between them, and is the terminus of interurban Seymour line services. There is a short platform on the standard gauge Sydney-Melbourne railway, although regular services on this line do not stop at Seymour. [cite web| url=http://www.countrylink.info/timetables/southern_summer/melbourne_to |title=CountryLink: Melbourne to timetable |accessdate=2008-06-08] The station also has a goods yard.

History

The railway line to Seymour was officially opened on November 20, 1872. The line from Essendon station had opened on April 18 the same year, but finished to the south at a temporary terminus at School House Lane,cite journal | year = 1990 | month = March | title = Tracks Across the State | author = Sid Brown | journal = Newsrail | publisher = Australian Railway Historical Society (Victorian Division) | pages = pages 71-76 ] due to the bridge over the Goulburn River not being finished.

Station building

When the station opened only a single platform was provided, with temporary timber station buildings and three tracks."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 7] A brick building was erected in 1874-75, with extensions and alterations made in 1883-84 including a new street facade."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 9] In 1886 the subway was provided to the platform from Station Street, and in 1887 the street entrance to the station removed to permit the opening of the back platform. A level crossing was provided to access the station, and after more alterations in 1926 the station took the form it is today.

To support the station, a number of Departmental Residences were erected by the Victorian Railways to house railway employees and their families. By the turn of the century there were 29, increasing to 82 by the 1960s. Today they have since been sold to private owners."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 41]

While the stations looks like one large building from Station Street, it is made up of numerous smaller buildinfgs behind a common facade. The refreshment room is a grand two storey building, while the ticket office and waiting room is a collection of smaller buildings. A platform was not provided on the standard gauge line until 1974, but is only once carriage long and has not been used for regular services."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 51] The station was altered to the current interior layout in 1997, when a general refurbishment was carried out and the parcels office was converted into a waiting room and toilets."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 10]

The station is currently undergoing $1.5 million upgrade of the coach interchange, [cite web
url=http://www.vline.com.au/home/news/en/20/1198/article.aspx
title=News - Seymour Station ~ Coach interchange upgrade
publisher=www.vline.com.au
accessdate=2008-04-04] with the access subway to the station being rebuilt on a shallower grade to provide for wheelchair access.

Refreshment room

A railway refreshment room was opened at Seymour station in 1873, replacing the one at Kilmore East."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 14] It later became the largest country refreshment rooms in the state.

By 1875 the room was serving at least 6 trains per day, with 15 minutes permitted for passengers to eat. In 1884 the rooms were expanded with new buffet and dining rooms. Buffet patrons ordered and collected their food from a counter and ate elsewhere, while dining room patrons sat down and received table service."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 15] They were originally managed by a leasee, but were taken over by the Victorian Railways in 1919 in preparation for the creation of their Refreshment Services Branch in 1920."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 16]

The rooms catered for 150 standing in the buffet, and 112 seated in the dining room, and was staffed at it's peak by 34 employees who lived in a cottage complex near the station."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 16] By the 1976 the rooms were in decline, serving light refreshments only by a staff of only 11. The rooms closed on October 8 1981 when on train catering was rolled out to all trains passing though the station."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 19] The buffet room was refurbished in 1993-95 for community uses, but the dining room is used for storage."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 20]

Loco depot

The loco depot at Seymour existed from the opening of the station until 1993."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 26] It was the home of the S class 4-6-2 Pacifics as used on the "Spirit of Progress" for the whole of their working lives.

The depot was originally located just to the north of the station, with a two loco shed and a 42 ft turntable. It was moved to the current location in 1889 where a new 9 track 'roundhouse' style shed was erected in timer and corrugated iron, along with a coal stage and brick offices. In 1902 it was extended to 13 bays, and in 1910 to twenty bays that almost made a complete circle. The original 40 ft turntable was replaced in 1890 by a 50 ft version, and by a 70 ft in 1907. In the 1930s an electric turntable was provided, until replaced by a more modern version in 1954.

At the peak of operation in June 1950, 245 railway men worked at Seymour Loco Depot, made up of 60 drivers, 57 firemen, 41 cleaners, 14 mechanics, 53 shed staff, 9 rail motor staff, and 11 train examiners."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 27] By 1958 the number of staff had declined to 181 with the arrival of diesel locomotives, the last steam locomotive housed there withdrawn in 1966.

Much of the roundhouse was removed in 1961 in conjunction with construction of the standard gauge line alongside, with the rest of the roundhouse removed in May 1971 leaving just workshop buildings. By 1976 only 125 were employed at the depot, and by the 1980s locomotives were no longer based at the depot. It was officially closed on April 8, 1993."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 28] Today it used to stable V/Line trains, as well as being the home of the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre.

Goods shed

A goods shed was provided at Seymour in September 1873, of the same though track rounded roof style seen at Kilmore East, Tallarook, Avenel, and Euroa."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 38] In 1885 the yard was extended from 3 to 9 tracks, and a new but smaller goods shed was provided. It was lengthened in 1909 and again in 1930.

Until the 1960s the main outbound traffic was agricultural produce, wool, firewood, timber; along with incoming supplies for town. By the 1970s small consignments of goods were only handled by a number of larger stations, with road transport used the rest of the way. The Seymour Freight Centre opened on February 8, 1978 to serve the local area, and remained in used until April 27, 1985."Seymour - A Railway Town" p. 39]

References

* [http://www.vrhistory.com/Locations/Seymour.pdf Victorian Station Histories: Seymour station]
* [http://www.fallingrain.com/world/AS/7/Seymour.html FallingRain Map - elevation = 151m]
* cite book
author = John C. Jennings and Robert K. Whitehead
title = Seymour - A Railway Town
publisher = Seymour and District Historical Society
date = July 2005
isbn = 0 9751658 0 1

VictorianStations
Line1=Albury-Wodonga line
Line2=Shepparton line
Previous1=Tallarook
Previous2=Tallarook
Here=Seymour
Next1=Avenel
Next2=Nagambie

Mangalore Station is demolished and was located between Seymour and Avenel stations.