Victorian Railways Timeline

This is a simple timeline of interesting events that occurred involving Victorian rail history. There is a comparison with events then taking place in the rest of the world at the time.

Year

Victoria

World

1854

Hobson's Bay railway opens

Allies land at Crimea, Sevastapol siege

Boers start revolt with British

1859

Victorian Government runs first train

Oregon becomes 33rd state

Work starts on Suez canal

1866

Brown coal found in the Latrobe Valley

Prussia defeats Austria

Clipper ship race China-England

1869

1869 Land Act starts 1870s South Gippsland land rush

3rd Maori rebellion suppressed in New Zealand

1872

Coal found at Wonthaggi

Victorian Parliament passes 'Education Act': compulsory school, free tuition

Overland telegraph Adelaide to Darwin links Australia to trans-oceanic cable network

1874

VR runs American bogie car

British 'Factory Act' limits weekly work hours to 56.5

Rickshaw introduced in China

1877

Melbourne newspapers take one day to reach Sale; four days to reach Foster

Five hours by stagecoach: Tooradin to Melbourne

Thomas Edison trials 'phonograph'

Samurai rebellion crushed in Japan

Edward Muybridge pioneers pictures of motion

1878

Victorian Government acquires private railways

Salvation Army founded

1886

VR integrates private owner rolling stock; new 'Registers' started

Strike in the U.S. for 8 hour day

Nigeria founded by Royal Niger Company

Canadian Pacific railway finished

Statue of Liberty dedicated

1887

'Intercolonial' express between Melbourne and Adelaide starts running with Joint Stock VR & SAR equipment.

Scientists discover speed of light

'Swan Lake' ballet composed

1888

Height of land boom: seven rail lines opened on 1st Oct 1888.

First railway in China opened

1889

Westinghouse Brake equipment starting to be fitted to carriages

Asa Briggs buys rights to 'Coca-Cola'

Eiffel Tower built in Paris

1891

Westinghouse Brake equipment starting to be fitted to freight stock

Works starts on Trans Siberian railway

'Zipper' patented in the U.S.

1894

Speight vs Syme Court case triggers three major effects:

Creation of diagram books, starting 1897

Start of triennial rolling stock stocktaking

Restricted rolling stock information; an effect that will last to the 1980's.

U.S take over Hawaiian Islands

'Pullman' strike, union leader jailed

Astonomer believes there is life on mars

1895

Start of triennial stocktaking to locate all vehicles

US Supreme Court rules income tax unconstitutional

Hydro-electric plant opens on Niagara Falls

X-rays accidentally discovered

1897

First rolling stock Diagrams Book issued to identify stock

Scientist finds atoms contain electrons

Boston opens underground railway

1899

Wangaratta - Whitfield narrow gauge ( 2'6" ) line opens

War starts between British and Boers in South Aftrica

1904

Handbrakes changed from side 2 to side 1 in wagon design

Rolls-Royce agree to build motor cars

1905

Swing door car modified with 'sliding doors' for trial

Trans Siberia railway opens

1907

Start of lengthening project (45' to 52') for suburban swing door carriages

US Army to build Panama Canal

20 million starving in Russian famine

1908

New edition of Diagrams Book released

Ford produces 'Model T' car

1909

'Tait' sliding door set prototype under construction

Astronomers sight new planet past Neptune

1910

Newcastle miners strike: Victoria decides to open coal fields

Last issue of Diagrams Book published. Update pages only from this year

Dalai Lama flees Tibet as China invades

Slavery abolished in China

Scott journeys to South Pole

1914

Project to lengthen cars finished

Last issue of Diagrams Book published. Update pages only from this year

Archduke Ferdinand assassinated at Sarayevo

Civil war in Mexico

Germany invades Belgium

Britain and Belgium declare war on Germany

1916

Cars for electric service under construction. Used as gaslit cars

Allies offensive on Somme

Tanks used for first time in battle

1917

Swing door gaslit stock conversion to electric suburban stock starts

USA enters European war

Plans for Jewish homeland in Palestine

1918

First of the new excursion cars placed in service (APL)

Married women over 30 get vote in Britian

British land at Archangel to fight Bolshevicks

Germany agrees to Armistice (cease fire without a victor)

In excess of 10 million die in WW.I

1919

The two McKeen cars converted to passenger cars for Altona shuttle

Allies supply food to starving Germans

Britian plans to partition Ireland

1921

Electric carriage codes modified to one letter descriptions

Germany finally agrees to pay war reparations

Britain send troops to Belfast to restore order

1923

Wagons modified with autocouplers and tested.

G cars introduced with gas and electric lighting

Swing door car conversion to electric service suddenly cancelled

French occupy Essen when Germany defaults on reparation payments

Nazi party holds first rally in Munich

Salt tax restored in India

622,000 German marks worth one British pound

1924

First electricity sent from Yallourn to Melbourne

Handbrake symbol (white square) used for identification

Commissioners say 'No more four wheel wagons to be built new'

VR takes control of Deniliquin & Moama railway

MGM film company formed

First winter Olympics staged in France

Lenin dies

Britian plans Far East naval base

1925

American bogie freight vehicles start running

Barframe bogies in service

First 'motel' opens in the USA

British surgeon performs first heart surgery

1926

New stock constructed is fitted with auto-couplers or 'transition gear'

British troops end 7 year occupation of the Rhineland

Winnie the Poo published

1927

"Part converted" electric stock converted to BC cars

Malcom Campbell sets world land speed record of 174 mph

Australian Parliament House opened

1928

10 year project started to convert suitable stock to autocouplers

Oxford English Dictionary completed after70 years work

1932

Conversion starts on fitting autocouplers to Vestibule stock. Dual (auto/screw) coupled locomotives have notches cut out of buffers to vestibule/buffer lock.

Hitler granted German citizenship

Japan invades Manchuria

Sydney Harbour Bridge opened

1933

Some six wheel stock converted to four wheels/autocouplers

US ends 14 years of prohibition (ban on liquor sales)

1934

Cast bogies for freight wagons and suburban fleet start running

Bonnie and Clyde killed in Louisiana, US

1936

Enamel paint starts to replace 'paint and varnish'

King Edward VIII abdicates

Civil war in Spain

1937

Spirit of Progress ( SOP ) starts running

SOP shunting engines ( D4, E electric ) have top half of buffers cut back to prevent equipment damage on car width diaphragms

Stalin starts party purges

Airship Hindenburg bursts into flames

Republic of Eire established at Dublin

US inventions - Nylon (artificial silk), dry copying to replace wet copying , Polaroid camera

1939

Uncoded "Spirit of Progress" cars renumbered to AS/BS stock

IRA suspects rounded up as new anti-terrorist laws start

Germany invades Poland, war declared by Britian

1941

WW cars recoded back to AB cars to make "RAAF Recruiting Train"

Japanese bomb Pearl Harbour

1945

Most remaining fixed wheel cars converted to Workmen's sleeping cars

Worlds first general purpose computing device: 30 tons, 1500sq ft area, 18000 valves, 5000 instructions per second

1953

Start of scrapping all non autocoupled freight stock

Korea Armistace signed

Hillary climbs Mt Everest

1956

Non autocoupled freight stock removed from service

Khruschev denounces Stalin

Israelis invade Egypt

1960

End of buffer removal from freight stock. 1928 project finished

U-2 spy plane shot down

1961

Standard Gauge link Melbourne - Sydney opened

Yuri Gagarin, first man in space

"Bay of Pigs" Cuban invasion

1963

Bogie Exchange started (between 5'3" to 4'8 1/2" guages); letter 'X' in code

Last four wheel wagons 'Built New' ( see 1924 )

Profumo/Keeler affair

First woman in space

President J.F.Kennedy assassinated

1974

7" lettering applied to freight stock, large VR logo to bogie stock

Turks invade Cyprus

Nixon resigns after Watergate

1978

First Victorian 'Natcode' in running: VOCX

First TestTube baby

First non-Italian Pope for 450 years

1979

Start of bogie vehicle recoding to four letter system

'Three Mile Island' nuclear accident

Khomeini replaces deposed Shah of Iran

1981

Victorian Railways adopts trading name 'VicRail' with new colour scheme

First Space Shuttle

1984

Start of guards vans being recoded to four letter system

AIDS virus "found"

1988

Service stock recoded to three letter system

20 million homeless after Bangladesh flood

Year	Victoria	World
1854	Hobson's Bay railway opens	Allies land at Crimea, Sevastapol siege Boers start revolt with British
1859	Victorian Government runs first train	Oregon becomes 33rd state Work starts on Suez canal
1866	Brown coal found in the Latrobe Valley	Prussia defeats Austria Clipper ship race China-England
1869	1869 Land Act starts 1870s South Gippsland land rush	3rd Maori rebellion suppressed in New Zealand
1872	Coal found at Wonthaggi Victorian Parliament passes 'Education Act': compulsory school, free tuition	Overland telegraph Adelaide to Darwin links Australia to trans-oceanic cable network
1874	VR runs American bogie car	British 'Factory Act' limits weekly work hours to 56.5 Rickshaw introduced in China
1877	Melbourne newspapers take one day to reach Sale; four days to reach Foster Five hours by stagecoach: Tooradin to Melbourne	Thomas Edison trials 'phonograph' Samurai rebellion crushed in Japan Edward Muybridge pioneers pictures of motion
1878	Victorian Government acquires private railways	Salvation Army founded
1886	VR integrates private owner rolling stock; new 'Registers' started	Strike in the U.S. for 8 hour day Nigeria founded by Royal Niger Company Canadian Pacific railway finished Statue of Liberty dedicated
1887	'Intercolonial' express between Melbourne and Adelaide starts running with Joint Stock VR & SAR equipment.	Scientists discover speed of light 'Swan Lake' ballet composed
1888	Height of land boom: seven rail lines opened on 1st Oct 1888.	First railway in China opened
1889	Westinghouse Brake equipment starting to be fitted to carriages	Asa Briggs buys rights to 'Coca-Cola' Eiffel Tower built in Paris
1891	Westinghouse Brake equipment starting to be fitted to freight stock	Works starts on Trans Siberian railway 'Zipper' patented in the U.S.
1894	Speight vs Syme Court case triggers three major effects: Creation of diagram books, starting 1897 Start of triennial rolling stock stocktaking Restricted rolling stock information; an effect that will last to the 1980's.	U.S take over Hawaiian Islands 'Pullman' strike, union leader jailed Astonomer believes there is life on mars
1895	Start of triennial stocktaking to locate all vehicles	US Supreme Court rules income tax unconstitutional Hydro-electric plant opens on Niagara Falls X-rays accidentally discovered
1897	First rolling stock Diagrams Book issued to identify stock	Scientist finds atoms contain electrons Boston opens underground railway
1899	Wangaratta - Whitfield narrow gauge ( 2'6" ) line opens	War starts between British and Boers in South Aftrica
1904	Handbrakes changed from side 2 to side 1 in wagon design	Rolls-Royce agree to build motor cars
1905	Swing door car modified with 'sliding doors' for trial	Trans Siberia railway opens
1907	Start of lengthening project (45' to 52') for suburban swing door carriages	US Army to build Panama Canal 20 million starving in Russian famine
1908	New edition of Diagrams Book released	Ford produces 'Model T' car
1909	'Tait' sliding door set prototype under construction	Astronomers sight new planet past Neptune
1910	Newcastle miners strike: Victoria decides to open coal fields Last issue of Diagrams Book published. Update pages only from this year	Dalai Lama flees Tibet as China invades Slavery abolished in China Scott journeys to South Pole
1914	Project to lengthen cars finished Last issue of Diagrams Book published. Update pages only from this year	Archduke Ferdinand assassinated at Sarayevo Civil war in Mexico Germany invades Belgium Britain and Belgium declare war on Germany
1916	Cars for electric service under construction. Used as gaslit cars	Allies offensive on Somme Tanks used for first time in battle
1917	Swing door gaslit stock conversion to electric suburban stock starts	USA enters European war Plans for Jewish homeland in Palestine
1918	First of the new excursion cars placed in service (APL)	Married women over 30 get vote in Britian British land at Archangel to fight Bolshevicks Germany agrees to Armistice (cease fire without a victor) In excess of 10 million die in WW.I
1919	The two McKeen cars converted to passenger cars for Altona shuttle	Allies supply food to starving Germans Britian plans to partition Ireland
1921	Electric carriage codes modified to one letter descriptions	Germany finally agrees to pay war reparations Britain send troops to Belfast to restore order
1923	Wagons modified with autocouplers and tested. G cars introduced with gas and electric lighting Swing door car conversion to electric service suddenly cancelled	French occupy Essen when Germany defaults on reparation payments Nazi party holds first rally in Munich Salt tax restored in India 622,000 German marks worth one British pound
1924	First electricity sent from Yallourn to Melbourne Handbrake symbol (white square) used for identification Commissioners say 'No more four wheel wagons to be built new' VR takes control of Deniliquin & Moama railway	MGM film company formed First winter Olympics staged in France Lenin dies Britian plans Far East naval base
1925	American bogie freight vehicles start running Barframe bogies in service	First 'motel' opens in the USA British surgeon performs first heart surgery
1926	New stock constructed is fitted with auto-couplers or 'transition gear'	British troops end 7 year occupation of the Rhineland Winnie the Poo published
1927	"Part converted" electric stock converted to BC cars	Malcom Campbell sets world land speed record of 174 mph Australian Parliament House opened
1928	10 year project started to convert suitable stock to autocouplers	Oxford English Dictionary completed after70 years work
1932	Conversion starts on fitting autocouplers to Vestibule stock. Dual (auto/screw) coupled locomotives have notches cut out of buffers to vestibule/buffer lock.	Hitler granted German citizenship Japan invades Manchuria Sydney Harbour Bridge opened
1933	Some six wheel stock converted to four wheels/autocouplers	US ends 14 years of prohibition (ban on liquor sales)
1934	Cast bogies for freight wagons and suburban fleet start running	Bonnie and Clyde killed in Louisiana, US
1936	Enamel paint starts to replace 'paint and varnish'	King Edward VIII abdicates Civil war in Spain
1937	Spirit of Progress ( SOP ) starts running SOP shunting engines ( D4, E electric ) have top half of buffers cut back to prevent equipment damage on car width diaphragms	Stalin starts party purges Airship Hindenburg bursts into flames Republic of Eire established at Dublin US inventions - Nylon (artificial silk), dry copying to replace wet copying , Polaroid camera
1939	Uncoded "Spirit of Progress" cars renumbered to AS/BS stock	IRA suspects rounded up as new anti-terrorist laws start Germany invades Poland, war declared by Britian
1941	WW cars recoded back to AB cars to make "RAAF Recruiting Train"	Japanese bomb Pearl Harbour
1945	Most remaining fixed wheel cars converted to Workmen's sleeping cars	Worlds first general purpose computing device: 30 tons, 1500sq ft area, 18000 valves, 5000 instructions per second
1953	Start of scrapping all non autocoupled freight stock	Korea Armistace signed Hillary climbs Mt Everest
1956	Non autocoupled freight stock removed from service	Khruschev denounces Stalin Israelis invade Egypt
1960	End of buffer removal from freight stock. 1928 project finished	U-2 spy plane shot down
1961	Standard Gauge link Melbourne - Sydney opened	Yuri Gagarin, first man in space "Bay of Pigs" Cuban invasion
1963	Bogie Exchange started (between 5'3" to 4'8 1/2" guages); letter 'X' in code Last four wheel wagons 'Built New' ( see 1924 )	Profumo/Keeler affair First woman in space President J.F.Kennedy assassinated
1974	7" lettering applied to freight stock, large VR logo to bogie stock	Turks invade Cyprus Nixon resigns after Watergate
1978	First Victorian 'Natcode' in running: VOCX	First TestTube baby First non-Italian Pope for 450 years
1979	Start of bogie vehicle recoding to four letter system	'Three Mile Island' nuclear accident Khomeini replaces deposed Shah of Iran
1981	Victorian Railways adopts trading name 'VicRail' with new colour scheme	First Space Shuttle
1984	Start of guards vans being recoded to four letter system	AIDS virus "found"
1988	Service stock recoded to three letter system	20 million homeless after Bangladesh flood