Thanks to the efforts of the Fulham Correctional Centre’s Nalu Community work crew, the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail, which traverses a 67km route through spectacular countryside, now features a restored Victorian Railways ‘G’ class freight wagon at the entrance to the small township of Cowwarr.
The Rail Trail came into existence following the closure of the Traralgon-Stratford railway line after more than 104 years as the vital artery in regional Victoria’s transportation system. The open wagons were once a common sight transporting freight across Victoria, but of the thousands built, only a few examples remain preserved on tourist railways. This popular recreational resource, which is managed by a State Government appointed, volunteer-based committee, is now an important and popular local community and tourism asset for walkers and cyclists. In recognition of preserving some of the railway heritage, the committee sought assistance to acquire some examples of original rail vehicles for restoration and display. In 2014, a surplus ‘G’ wagon was located some 149km away and transported to the Cowwarr site, almost half way along the 67km Rail Trail route. Following the removal of the majority of rail tracks some ten years earlier, work finally began on the first section of the Gippsland Plains Rail Trail.
Gippsland Plains Rail Trail Committee of Management Chairperson Helen Hoppner approached Fulham Correctional Centre’s Industry Manager Ian Riley seeking help in getting the wagon up to standard, and thus the Nalu Community work crew’s involvement in the project began. Over the next eighteen months, and after decades of neglect, the derelict wagon which had been built in 1945, was given seventy-six hours of much needed attention by the seven-man crew from Fulham Correctional Centre. Huge amounts of rust and layers of flaking paint were painstakingly removed before numerous coats of paint were applied to complete the transformation of the wagon.
“It now stands in pride at the Cowwarr Station close to a busy main road and we often see trail users and motorists stopping to take a photo with the wagon,” said Ms. Hoppner. “We thank GEO and the team for assisting with this community project.” The members of the work crew are proud to have been involved in the restoration of the ‘G’ freight wagon and are looking forward to the committee’s next project – painting of a crane trolley used in the laying of sleepers on railway tracks in years gone by.
