Major Civil Engineering Effort 1887 Creates Rail Line

From Alphington to Heidelberg the geology presented a major challenge to making a suitable grade for the 1880s steam locomotives.

The Argus,

11.02.1887, Page 9
The Heidelberg to Alphington line is two and a half miles in length, being from the completed portion of the Alphington to Clifton-hill line, which has been constructed for about three years to a point at the rear of the Austin Hospital for Incurables.

The line terminates at the corner of the Heidelberg-road and Banks-street (sic) at an edge of a steep embankment, and about a quarter of a mile from the Heidelberg township.

Just before reaching the Heidelberg station a tremendous cutting has been made, it being at the deepest point 50ft. from the surface. It extends for a distance of about 200 yards, and the quantity of material excavated will be about 100,000 cubic yards, which has been utilised in forming an embankment at the opening of the cutting, extending nearly to the Ivanhoe station.

A bridge is being erected over the deepest part of the cutting mentioned at Burgundy-street, (????) the brick foundations being partly completed. The material excavated is first-class, of reefy clay, and has had to be blasted, owing to its hard nature. A rich deposit of beautiful white pipeclay was also penetrated.

The cuttings have been made wide enough for a double line, but it is only intended to lay a single one at present. Extra provision had to be made for drainage at the embankment, a 4ft. brick culvert being inserted therein.

At the Ivanhoe station a great amount of heavy work had to be done besides the raising of a high embankment from the Heidelberg-road, a considerable amount of the requisite material for which had to be procured by making two new roads and a cutting at the station yard.

A bridge, with an opening of 50ft., had to be erected here as an entrance to the station yard. [Ed. - spanning Waterdale Road?]

The bridge over the main Heidelberg-road is being erected near the Ivanhoe township, and is a great undertaking. The foundations are being built from the bottom of a deep cutting, and are well advanced.

Bridges have also to be erected over private property at this point, from which to the Darebin Creek there is a series of excavations and embankments. It will be seen that the whole of the work, from start to finish, has been a series of earthworks of a more than ordinary character, which have required great care in construction.

The greatest undertaking on the whole line is the bridge over the Darebin Creek. It consists of six spans, of 60ft. each, the piers of which are completed. The height of the highest span is 50ft. from the bed of the creek, and the foundations had to be excavated to a great depth before a solid foundation was found.

On the opposite side of the creek to the junction with the completed portion of the Alphington line a solid bed of bluestone rock had to be quarried through, blasting having to be resorted to continually.

The whole of the work on this line is well advanced, and it is expected that it will be completed in about six months.