标题: Going off the rails [打印本页] 作者: jamie 时间: 2008-1-9 06:50 标题: Going off the rails Here is an article from www.TheAge.com.Au, Melbourne's morning paper.
It describes old dis-used rail lines that are now used as bike trail and walking trails. Perhaps Zhejiang and China has a number of old trails/rail lines, roads that can be used by bike tourers. Maybe the below format can be used.
Anyone can retrace the rail routes of yesteryear by bikeor on foot.
IN THE days before every household had a car, Victoria wascrisscrossed by passenger train services to every little town thatcould pressure its local member of parliament to get a railway runout to its doorstep. Most of these lines were eventually declaredfinancially non-viable and closed down, with rails and stationsremoved.
However, their ghosts live on. Many defunct railway reserveshave now been turned into rail trails — long, narrow pathwaysthrough urban landscapes or natural scenery. As early trainscouldn't handle overly steep grades, these trails tend to bereasonably flat, good for either walking or cycling. Here's asample of some city and country rail trails worth tackling.
INNER CIRCLE RAIL TRAIL
Goods trains chugging down the leafy, expensive streets of NorthCarlton and North Fitzroy? Quelle horreur! But it wasn't that longago that the Inner Circle Railway ran from Merri Creek across toRoyal Park, paralleling Park Street. In 1888, when the railwayopened, passengers from then far-flung Preston followed this routeto end up at Spencer Street. Inner Circle passenger trains weresuspended in 1948, but football specials still ran occasionally todrop people off near Princes Park. Finally, the line was closed in1959.
Nowadays, the Inner Circle line is a pleasant "linear park"— a long, straight band of green running from Rushall stationto Royal Park station, and part of the Capital City Trail. At thevarious road crossings of the former railway, there are stretchesof old track left in place, embedded in the street surface. There'seven an alternative section of trail that diverts to EdinburghGardens, following the branch line that used to end at Fitzroystation.
Starting point: Rushall station (Epping line) or RoyalPark station (Upfield line)
Distance: 4 km
Diversion: Try the popular breakfast menu at the Tin PotCafe, 248 St Georges Road, North Fitzroy, not far from the Fitzroyleg of the trail. Or visit the zoo at the other end. Railway remnant: Check out the line's one remainingstation building, North Carlton, towards the western end of thetrail. Nowadays it's a community centre.
OUTER CIRCLE RAIL TRAILIn the good old days of 1880s Marvellous Melbourne, you could do nowrong by punting on property. The best sort of land to buy was thatalongside railway lines, a fact that promoted the development ofthe Outer Circle line. It ran cross-country, starting fromFairfield and heading south-east all the way to Oakleigh. However,just after the line was opened, the spectacular crash anddepression of the 1890s burst the property bubble and stalled thedevelopment of new suburbs. Passenger services were cancelled,though one section of the Outer Circle survives today as theAlamein line. Today the Outer Circle is a rail trail for most of its length.The most straightforward way to enjoy it is to walk the sectionfrom Kew to East Malvern, maybe cheating in the middle by catchinga train to Alamein. It's a pleasant walk, taking in narrow,atmospheric cuttings and wide swathes of green parkland betweenresidents' backyards. Recommended starting points: Corner of Harp Road and HighStreet, Kew (Tram 48, stop 39), or East Malvern station (GlenWaverley line). Distance: 9 km Diversion: Break the walk with a coffee at the Town &Country Gardens Cafe, 24 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn, where the trailcrosses the road. Railway remnant: As you walk the stretch between Kew andEast Camberwell, count the solid old bridges that once carried roadtraffic above the rails. Also look out for the signs markinglong-forgotten stations such as Deepdene and Roystead. ROSSTOWN RAIL TRAILIt must be some sort of record — this privately-owned railwayclosed after running just one train in 1888. Carnegie was onceknown as Rosstown, named after early Melbourne settler WilliamRoss. Ross' dream was to build a sugar beet factory on the edge ofthe city, with a dedicated railway to transport the resultant sugarto its eager sweet-toothed inhabitants. However, the project was awhite elephant from the moment construction began in 1883. Theresulting line was so shoddy that it took years to gain officialapproval. The Rosstown Railway, finally completed in 1888, linkedOakleigh to Elsternwick, passing Ross's factory. Ross's sugar beet business was hit by financial troubles,however, and Queensland's sugar cane industry was gearing up toprovide sugar to the south. The factory failed, was vandalised andeventually demolished. Today it's difficult to see where therailway once ran, as its route was turned into streets and parks.However, the Rosstown Rail Trail is signposted along itslength. Starting points: Elsternwick station (Sandringham line),or Hughesdale station (Pakenham/Cranbourne lines). Distance: 7 km Diversion: At the start or end of the trail, catch amovie at the Classic Theatre, 9 Gordon Street, Elsternwick, one ofMelbourne's oldest theatres. Railway remnant: Halfway along the route, check out therail bridge that carries the Frankston line over Oakleigh Road.This would once have separated the two railway lines.
LILYDALE TO WARBURTON RAIL TRAILThis rail trail was once a lifeline for the agricultural and timberindustries of the Yarra Valley, and its residents. Opened in 1901, it carried timber and produce from the UpperYarra to Melbourne, along with passengers, until 1965. Then therails were removed and the railway reserve became an overgrownwasteland, until a group of local volunteers came up with the ideaof the trail and helped clear the route and refurbish bridges.
The trail has become immensely popular for good reason —its length ensures a diversity of scenery along the route, passingthrough both farmland and native bushland.
The trail crosses several waterways, and follows the Yarra as itapproaches Warburton. Add in a number of local towns along theroute offering refreshment and you have the basis of a pleasant dayout on foot or via bicycle. If you're walking, a good strategy isto take the train to Lilydale, then the 683 bus to a point on thetrail. Have a bracing stroll, maybe some lunch, then catch the busback. Towns where the rail trail and bus route run near each otherinclude Wandin North, Woori Yallock, Launching Place, YarraJunction, Millgrove and Warburton. Recommended starting points: Former Wandin station site,off Warburton Highway, Wandin North; or former Warburton stationsite, above Warburton Highway, Warburton. Distance: 29 km (from Wandin to Warburton) Diversion: Take a break from the trail and drop into thehistoric Cunninghams Hotel, 2424 Warburton Highway, Yarra Junction,for lunch. Railway remnant: Also at Yarra Junction is the formertrain station, still intact and home to a historic museum that youcan visit on Sundays.
MURRAY TO THE MOUNTAINS RAIL TRAILFollowing the former route of the railway between Wangaratta andBright, with a branch line to Beechworth, this rail trail is animpressive challenge for the cyclist or hiker. The entire route isjust a shade under 100 kilometres in length, though it has a sealedsurface all the way. It's also very scenic, following the OvensValley and offering views of Mount Buffalo. Grades are mostlyreasonable, with steeper sections at Everton and Taylors Gap. Theside trip from Everton to Beechworth, however, is consistentlysteep, rising from 236 metres above sea level, to 538 metres. This,of course, means that when starting from Beechworth, the ride isalmost entirely downhill. As the trail passes by the towns of Wangaratta, Beechworth,Myrtleford, Porepunkah and Bright, food and accommodation isavailable at various points along the trail, making it possible towalk or ride it over a number of days. There are also foodie treatsscattered around the area near the trail, such as wineries and theMilawa Cheese Company. Starting points: From Wangaratta station, a streetcycle-way leads to the trail's starting point in Apex Park. InBright, the trail starts and ends at the former railway station,now a museum. The Beechworth end of the trail is situated at thetown's old railway station.
Distance: 81 km from Wangaratta to Bright, 16 km fromEverton to Beechworth. Diversion: An interesting alternative route departs themain trail at the Londrigan station site and rejoins it at theformer Tarrawingee station, passing through the tiny village ofEldorado. As the name suggests, this was a former goldmining town,and there's a museum documenting the gold rush days. Railway remnant: On the trail between Beechworth andEverton, you will notice a number of impressive embankments andcuttings that helped trains negotiate the mountainouscountryside. EAST GIPPSLAND RAIL TRAILAnother lengthy walk or ride that will test your leg muscles, theEast Gippsland Rail Trail starts where the current rail service toBairnsdale leaves off. Following the former line to Orbost, it runs10 kilometres along a sealed section to Nicholson, then on gravelto Orbost. Between Bruthen and Nowa Nowa, it passes throughColquhoun Forest. As you would expect, this rail trail heads through a variedrange of landscapes, including farmland and bush. Trail users cancatch the odd view of the Gippsland Lakes, and take advantage ofthe original cuttings, and restored bridges and tunnels, thatserved the original trains.
There is accommodation along the way at Bruthen, Nowa Nowa andNewmerella. Starting points: In Bairnsdale, the rail trail starts atHowitt Park on the east bank of the Mitchell River. The other endis at the back of the caravan park on Marlo Road in Orbost. Distance: 96 km. Diversion: From the Colquhoun Forest, the Gippsland LakesDiscovery Trail is another rail trail heading south. It partlyfollows the route of the former Mississippi Creek Tramway, andconnects by road to Lakes Entrance. Railway remnant: Between Colquhoun and Nowa Nowa, thetrail passes the former Stony Creek Trestle bridge, 275 metreslong.
For more information on these trails and others across Victoriaand Australia, visit the website of Railtrails Australia atrailtrails.org.au.
Short CutsAnd for those who don't want too much exercise, here are a fewshort and easy rail trails in the city: Hawthorn to Kew Rail Trail (1 km)There was once a shortbranch line running from Hawthorn station to Kew station, which wasclosed in 1957. It starts near the railway bridge on Power Streetthen runs to Hawthorn Grove. Sandridge Rail Trail (5 km)This follows the route ofAustralia's first steam railway from Flinders Street Station toPort Melbourne. At the corner of Clarendon Street and Normanby Roadyou can jump on the 109 tram if you get footsore. Belgrave Rail Trail (5 km)Before the suburban rail linewas extended from Upper Ferntree Gully to Belgrave in 1962, thisroute was part of the narrow-gauge railway used by Puffing Billy. Arail trail now runs alongside the modern rail route, so you canbail out (or in) at Upwey and Tecoma stations en route.作者: 公元 时间: 2008-1-9 09:55
谁能翻译下不？作者: aaron 时间: 2008-1-9 10:01
讲的是澳大利亚维多利亚州汽车普及前四通八达的铁路线，很多后来废弃不用了，现在被人们当作自行车道了作者: knight778 时间: 2008-1-20 16:44
在铁路上骑车......... 作者: 边疆 时间: 2008-3-31 18:35 作者: 边疆 时间: 2008-3-31 18:36
