Portarlington railway rolls on

The Portarlington Miniature Railway was conceived by the Rotary Club of Drysdale Inc in 1995, which began the search for a suitable location alongside with the Geelong Society of Model and Experimental Engineers Inc (GSMEE).

Bellarine Bayside Committee of Management invited the Rotary Club of Drysdale to make a presentation on the proposed miniature railway as they had seven hectares of land on the foreshore to the west of their holiday park.

The new miniature railway was originally opened by Bellarine MP Garry Spry in March 1999 before a large crowd of excited children and families. GSMEE members designed and built the first locomotive, powered by a Honda motor driving a hydrostatic gearbox and financed by Rotary Club of Drysdale.

GSMEE Members designed and built the required bogie wheels for the carriages and Rotary Members designed and built the carriages and attached the bogies to complete the job.

Individual members of the GSMEE and Rotary have provided free their own steam and diesel locomotives for use by the Portarlington Miniature Railway.

All personnel in this miniature railway are volunteers and all proceeds from the train rides (after running costs) go 50 per cent to charities on the Bellarine Peninsula and elsewhere and the other 50 per cent to the continued development of the miniature railway.

In conjunction with the station extension, two barbeque and shelter buildings were built by Rotary Club members for the benefit of the tourist public to enjoy throughout the year.

The railway will continue to grow and provide a great tourist asset for Portarlington, the Bellarine Peninsula and increasing source of funds for the Rotary Club of Drysdale to increase its ability to help charities and those in need both locally and further afield.

The railway has addressed its future through the formulation of a five-year strategic working plan.

Some ideas include a track extension, further landscaping, a new tunnel, more carriage/locomotive storage, new clubrooms, and roofing of the station area. The club is also conducting a membership drive to encourage new people to join up as active members.

Public services operate every Sunday (11am-4pm) during the summer months and the first and third Sundays of the month (11am-3pm) during the winter months. The railway also runs during the school holidays on Wednesdays, weather permitting, through the enthusiastic efforts of our volunteer membership.