1903-1904 Crops saved by new railway

On October 31st, 1903, the Border Watch wrote;

“The Bill for the construction of a railway from Wandilo to Glencoe has passed the House of Assembly. It had a short run through the House, the majority in it’s favor being so decisive that those opposed to it felt that it would only be losing time to attempt to block it. It is expected that it will receive equal favor in the Upper House.”
   On Wednesday August 10th, 1904 the first train on the new Glencoe to Wandilo railway line was loaded with potatoes by Mr A.B.Sinclair, a potato merchant. 
    By the following Monday it was reported potatoes were pouring out of Glencoe. A full train of 11 trucks containing about 50 tons went to Adelaide, and the next day a special train of 50 tons, purchased by Dalgety & Co, went from Glencoe to Beachport for shipment to Western Australia.
    Glencoe celebrated the completion of the railway line on Monday the 22nd of August with a banquet at the terminus in Mr A.Dow’s new barn. Invitations were sent to members of the Ministry, members of Parliament, and other leading residents of the state and district. Arrangements were made for a special train from Mount Gambier. 
    About 110 gentlemen sat down to a meal and speeches. A concert and dance was held in the barn in the evening, the dancing carried on till the daylight hours of the morning.
   In August 1904, Mr C.S.Mann, the engineer in charge of the construction of the railway, said it was the cheapest line in Australia, of 3ft 6in gauge, the cost of construction about 13.500 pounds for the line and 4,000 pounds for the rolling stock.
   The line united with the Naracoorte to Mount Gambier line about 8 miles north of Mount Gambier at Wandilo, then nearly north-west for 9 ¼ miles to the terminus opposite the cheese factory at Glencoe. Between Wandilo and Glencoe were three sidings.

​

The productive era

  In the First year, instead of taking a whole day to take one load of potatoes to Tantanoola or Mount Gambier, farmers could easily bring in three or four loads. But roads to the station, and the yards at the station were a mess, and the Railways Department was under constant pressure to bring them up to standard.
    By September of 1904, Messrs Clezy and MacArthur had opened their new stock yards near the terminus. In January 1905, the first mail was carried by train to Glencoe. 
   By March 1905, with potato digging in full swing, up to two trains a day were being despatched to Glencoe to clear the volume of produce, farmers receiving up to a record 8 pounds per ton, a huge change from the last year.
   Produce railed from Glencoe in 1904 since the opening of the railway in August, was given as 2,086 tons, principally potatoes, plus grain and dairy products. By the end of the financial year at June 30th, the line showed a small deficit, under the Act to be paid for by the landholders who could now market their produce promptly and cheaply. 
    The next years railings showed a huge increase, with over 5,000 tons of produce leaving the sidings of which 4,400 tons were potatoes, along with grain and dairy products.
    The railway also carried people from Mount Gambier to Glencoe for picnics, concerts, sports and the annual Spring Show. 
   By 1918 the newly upgraded road to Mount Gambier brought competition from motorised transport and by 1920 only 3,000 tons of produce was railed over the line from the whole district, potatoes were down to 390 tons, along with 1300 tons of wheat,oats and barley.
   By mid 1920’s potato growing was largely discontinued owing to high cost of production and uncertainty of markets, and had been replaced by the more stable dairy industry. 

 

The End of the Line

    In March of 1936 members of the Transport Control Board visited Mount Gambier with regard to the Glencoe and Beachport lines of railway, to make enquiries as to whether it would be in the interests of the State to close it and have another means of transport. 
  In 1955 the Transport Control Board questioned the future of the Wandilo to Glencoe Railway line but timber firms in particular considered it essential for their industry.