Travel Australia

Cheviot Tunnel, Victoria

The historic Cheviot Tunnel is a key feature of the Tallarook to Mansfield Rail Line which operated between 1883 and 1970 and now the Great Victorian Rail Trail open to walkers, cyclists and horse riding enthusiasts. The Great Victorian Rail Trail meanders through undulating farmland along the gum lined Goulburn River with views into the foothills of the Victorian High Country.

Built for the extension of the Mansfield railway line from Yea, it is located near Limestone, roughly halfway between Yea and Molesworth. The construction of the tunnel became a necessity in order to negotiate the ascend at McLoughlin's Gap. It was built in 1889, at a cost of £88,661/2/11, by contractors Kenny Bros. as part of the Yea to Cathkin section. Kenny brothers won the tender for building the railway line as part of the Yea to Cathkin section at a cost of £88,661/2/11. Several casualties happened during the construction. An explosion on 14^th December 1887 killed 3 people. In May 1899, a worker died of injuries suffered from a rock fall.



The Cheviot Tunnel was constructed to carry trains under the Black Range at McLoughlin’s Gap roughly half way between Yea and Molesworth. The tunnel was constructed from an estimated 675,000 handmade bricks using local clay, sourced from Quinlan’s pit in a nearby paddock just west of the Tunnel. This was sourced from Quinlan’s pit in a nearby paddock just west of the Tunnel. Some steel hooks that held lanterns in emergencies still exist near the four indented safety alcoves. These are located at regular intervals along the eastern wall.



The tunnel is constructed at 1:60 grade. Once the end of the tunnel was reached, the hard-working stoker could take a well-earned rest as the train descended 8km on similar gradient past the Ballam Siding to Molesworth Station. The descend with several tight 500m, 600m and 800m radius curves, presented a difficult challenge to the train drivers. Several minor and major accidents occurred at Suicide bend (near Sheepwash lagoon) as trains descended at speeds to Molesworth Station.

The tunnel can be reached by taking Limestone Road and then Cheviot Road from Yea and there is a carpark near the tunnel from where it is a short walk. An information board nearby tells the story of the tunnel. the Great Victorian Rail trail stretching 134 kilometres from Tallarook to Mansfield passes through the tunnel.


Site of Cheviot Station

The locality of Cheviot was named after a nearby pastoral run called Cheviot Hills, which in turn was named after the locality on the English-Scottish border. It was also called Ross Creek. From 1889 until 1978 there was an active railway station here on the now abandoned Mansfield-Tallarook line. The rails have gone but an old goods shed survives. Cheviot Post Office opened on 9 April 1890 after the arrival of the railway, and closed in 1944.


Yea Station

The township of Yea is 172 metre above sea level. After Yea station, trains crossed the Yea River floodplain where there used to be a mile long wooden trestle bridge. It was replaced in 1946-47 by concrete and steel bridges. The line tnen commences a steep five-kilometre climb to the tunnel at almost continuous1:40 grade with many curves. The grade is briefly broken at the station which is at a 1:200 grade.

>Within a few years of its opening, the rail line was used to transport hardwood timber from the nearby Murrindindi Forest to Melbourne. Major timber mills operated in the area in the late 1800’s like Foran, Vinning, Wightman, McKenzie and others, transported timber to Cheviot Station along some 23km of 3 foot gauge timber tramways using horse drawn trams. The tramlines were used to minimise damage to the earthen roads and tracks. Two six-ton derrick cranes were installed at the station yards in the 1920’s to handle the large volume of timber transported. The timber industry peaked in the area from 1907 until the breakout of World War I and between 1923 and the Great Depression years.

Cheviot Tunnel: Quick Facts

Tunnel Length: 201 metres

Tunnel Height: 4.7 metres

Date Built: 1887 -1889

Gradient in Tunnel: 1:60

Railway service opened: 16^th November 1889

Passenger service closed: 27^th May 1977

Goods service closed: 3^rd February 1978

Railway line closed: 8^th November 1978

Location: 5181 Goulburn Valley Highway Yea 3717

Tallarook to Mansfield Rail Line

The Tallarook to Mansfield and Alexandra railways were branch lines passing through the Goulburn Valley of northern Victoria. They were constructed in three main stages: Tallarook to Yea from 1882-84, Yea to Mansfield from 1887-91 (which included the branch as far as Alexandra Road) and the final Alexandra Township Railway Extension commenced in August 1908 and completed by October 1909.

The line was built as a result of a decade of local lobbying, and provided improved access for agricultural products from the region to Melbourne markets. The line was quite scenic and included a 200 m tunnel near Cheviot and a viaduct over an arm of the Lake Eildon reservoir in Bonnie Doon, which was rebuilt in 1955 as part of the enlarging of the reservoir.



The last regular passenger service operated to Mansfield on 28 May 1977 by 280hp Walker railmotor 91 RM. It was replaced by a bus service via Yarra Glen, but was rerouted via Whittlesea after road upgrades were carried out. By this point the track had deteriorated beyond Yea, and after March 1977 the majority of services beyond this point were buses.

The line was closed on 8 November 1978 along with the branch line to Alexandra. The line was quickly dismantled following closure, preventing any chance of tourist services from operating along the line despite some interest being shown. Many bridges along the line were also removed with only the uprights remaining. The line has since been reopened as a 134 kilometre bike trail, the Great Victorian Rail Trail. The trail was funded by the Federal Government and local councils.