Gallery of images.
Derrinal Station was initially named Wild Duck, and was one of the original stations on the line. It was probably so named after the nearby Wild Duck Creek and the Wild Duck Hotel. It was located a short distance on the north side of what was McIvor Road, now Old Bendigo Road.
The short access road into the station now runs from Old Bendigo Road and meets the McIvor Highway, At this point, the road turned a sharp right before and after the rail crossing to run to the goods or passenger platforms. The road did not have its own name until 2015 when it was officially named Derrinal Station Lane.
March 1889 - At the Wild Duck Road, Behind the Black Swan Hotel, Mr. Moss, Butcher, is knocked over by his horse which bolts at the sound of an approaching train. He is run over and injured. He 'went to his horse's head' as the train to Sandhurst approached. The horse bolted, knocking Mr. Moss down and racing a wheel over his leg and scattering articles in all directions. The horse ran the cart into a tree and pulled up. Parts of the harness were broken, the cover knocked off the cart and the meat thrown out, but it fortunately fell on a cloth and escaped the dust. The driver of the train, on reaching Derrinal Station, came back with his engine and offered to take Mr. Moss into Sandhurst. [22/03/1889 - McIvor Times].
May 1893 - The Argus, May 15, shows Mr. C. Cole, Stationmaster, being transferred from Derrinal to Lindenow and being replaced by Mrs. McNamara, Woman-in-Charge, from the Engineer of Existing Lines Branch. This indicates that her husband had also been transferred to Derrinal, for line maintenance purposes. It was a common practice for the wife of a track Repairer to be employed as a Gatekeeper or Woman-in-Charge.
November, 1905 - Down mixed trains may shunt when running on the Train Staff.
July, 1914 - The points at each end, and to carriage dock, are secured by Staff Lock. The Key is the Heathcote - Knowsley Train Staff.
June, 1915 - The Up and Down Home Signals are abolished.
December, 1927 - Derrinal may be opened as an Intermediate Composite Block Post in the Heathcote - Axedale Electric Staff section.
August, 1931 - The station is disestablished as an Intermediate Composite Block Post.
December, 1941 - The passenger train service is withdrawn from the Wallan-Bendigo Line, never to be restored between Heathcote and Bendigo.
August, 1942 - A reduction to No-one-in-Charge takes place.
November, 1958 - The station is announced as closed to all traffic.
September, 1958 - The closure to all traffic is deferred.
December, 1958 - Derrinal is finally closed to all traffic.
John William Betts - May, 1892 (from newspaper article). Betts was dismissed on 07/12/1892 (from Rigg of the Railways - Tom Rigg)
C. Cole - until May 1893 (from newspaper article mentioned above). The last Stationmaster at Derrinal.
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