Serviceton railway station

Serviceton railway station is located on the Western standard gauge line in Victoria, Australia. It served the town of Serviceton.[1]

Serviceton
Station in October 2006
LocationElizabeth Street, Serviceton
Coordinates36°22′33″S 140°59′09″E
Owned byVicTrack
Operated byV/Line
Line(s)Western standard gauge
Adelaide-Wolseley
Distance461.70 kilometres from Southern Cross
Platforms1
Tracks1
Construction
Structure typeGround
Other information
StatusClosed
History
Opened1889
Closed1986

History

The Adelaide-Wolseley line was extended from Bordertown in South Australia on 19 January 1887 coinciding with the opening of the line from Dimboola in Victoria.[2]

The Premier of South Australia, John Downer, wrote to his Victorian equivalent, James Service, suggesting that the new border railway town and station be named Downer after him. Service wrote back and said that as it was in Victoria, it would be named Serviceton after himself, although at the time of construction the land was claimed by both colonies.

As Serviceton was the border post, train crews and engines were changed between the South Australian Railways and Victorian Railways. A customs house/railway station was commissioned in 1887 with costs shared between the two colonies. The complex of 15 main rooms including a large refreshment room was completed in 1889.[3]

With federation, customs roles finished in January 1901 although trains would continue to changes locomotives until the 1980s. On 7 September 1951, the westbound Overland service collided with its eastbound equivalent at the station with four A2 class locomotives destroyed and one fatality.[4][5]

The refreshment rooms closed in 1981 and the station closed as a manned station in 1986.[6] Today it houses a display of local and railway memorabilia.[7]

Victorian Railways DRC railcar services to Serviceton ceased on 1 December 1978.[8] The Overland previously called at Serviceton on its journey from Adelaide to Melbourne.

The closure of the station is referred to in the Tom Waits song Town With No Cheer, featured on the 1983 album Swordfishtrombones.

gollark: Where can I listen to this alleged "internet radio"?
gollark: Go listen to osmarks internet radio™ or something.
gollark: It'll take a while for the DNS to propagate, but I also registered https://☭☭☭☭☭.tk.
gollark: I am now registering osmorons.tk.
gollark: Well, give me the CODE to ADD.

References
  1. Serviceton Vicsig
  2. Railway History 1880-1899 Australian Railway Historical Society
  3. Serviceton Railway Station West Wimera Shire Council
  4. Rail Disaster at Serviceton Barrier Miner 7 September 1951
  5. Expresses Collide at Serviceton: One Dead, Passengers Shaken Canberra Times 8 September 1951
  6. At your service ABC Western Victoria 2 June 2011
  7. Serviceton Historic Railway Station Culture Victoria
  8. "Rail Passenger Service Withdrawals Since 1960" Newsrail March 1997

Media related to Serviceton railway station at Wikimedia Commons

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