Yarra Glen fire damage. 21/4/09

21st April 2009

On February 7th 2009 ('Black Saturday') bushfires of never-before seen intensity swept across Victoria, killing nearly 200 people and destroying property and infrastructure across the state. These photos were taken at Yarra Glen on the closed Healesville line two and a half months after the fires, showing damage to the station area, and the burnt out trestle bridges in the up direction, one of which was 260m long.

Burnt trestle bridge near Tarrawarra.	The alignment of the closed Healesville line on the up side of Yarra Glen, with a burnt out trestle bridge.	Looking down from Yarra Glen station.	Burnt sleepers and platform facing at Yarra Glen.
Yarra Glen station building, which miraculously survived the fires.	Burnt sleepers and platform facing at Yarra Glen.	How ironic... A newspaper cutting fro 1998 at Yarra Glen station, about a previous fire.	The seemingly home-made sign on the platform at Yarra Glen.
A Met era sign at Yarra Glen.	This shed at Yarra Glen was completely destroyed by the fire, Yarra Valley Tourist Railway lost a large amount of per-way and maintenance equipment that had been stored here.	Yarra Glen, looking down.	Yarra Glen station, showing the burnt platform facing.
Burnt sleepers at Yarra Glen.	Many sleepers, such as this one in the up end points at Yarra Glen, were completely burnt out, just leaving a hole.	Looking up along the burnt track at Yarra Glen.	Nearly every sleeper was burnt out in this set of points at Yarra Glen. It looks like the more recently replaced ones fared better.
Remains of the up end point and home signal levers at Yarra Glen.	Fire damaged track just on the up side of Yarra Glen.	Half-burnt sleeper at Yarra Glen.	Fire damaged track just on the up side of Yarra Glen.
A burnt out trestle bridge on the up side of Yarra Glen.	A burnt out trestle bridge on the up side of Yarra Glen.	Remains of the home signal at Yarra Glen.	A burnt out trestle bridge on the up side of Yarra Glen.
A single sleeper is still clinging to the middle of where there was once a wooden trestle bridge, up side of Yarra Glen.	A few remaining sleepers hanging from the rails, the bridge completely burnt away, Yarra Glen.	A burnt out trestle bridge on the up side of Yarra Glen.	A burnt out trestle bridge on the up side of Yarra Glen.
Remains of the 260-meter wooden trestle on the up side of Yarra Glen.	Remains of the 260-meter wooden trestle on the up side of Yarra Glen.	Remains of the 260-meter wooden trestle on the up side of Yarra Glen.	Remains of the 260-meter wooden trestle on the up side of Yarra Glen.
Two posts still stand amongst the remains of the 260-meter wooden trestle on the up side of Yarra Glen.	Two posts still stand amongst the remains of the 260-meter wooden trestle on the up side of Yarra Glen.	Only six posts of this bridge on the up side of Yarra Glen were still standing, this one only just.	Remains of the 260-meter wooden trestle on the up side of Yarra Glen.
Remains of the 260-meter wooden trestle on the up side of Yarra Glen. Amazingly, part of this post didn't actually burn.	Two posts still stand amongst the remains of the 260-meter wooden trestle on the up side of Yarra Glen.	A single burnt post is all that remains standing of this small wooden trestle on the up side of Yara Glen.	A single burnt post is all that remains standing of this small wooden trestle on the up side of Yara Glen.
This gate once discouraged people from walking across this small trestle bridge on the up side of Yarra Glen... Won't have that problem anymore!	A burnt out trestle bridge on the up side of Yarra Glen, with a gate that once discouraged people form walking across.