Prototype Location
Opened in 1872, Tallarook railway station is located in Victoria, on the Main Northeast line to Wodonga.
Along with the line through to Seymour, Tallarook became a junction for the Mansfield branch line to Yea in 1883, with the line extended to Mansfield in 1891, then Alexandra in 1909.
A turntable was installed when the station became a junction, and the main line was duplicated from Broadford in the same year, with the double track extended north in 1886. The first interlocked signal box was erected in 1885, controlling three platforms and a four-road yard. The crossovers for the branch line initially faced the down direction, requiring up trains to reverse; an up-direction crossover was added in 1911.
When a parallel standard gauge line was built in 1962, it was laid through the middle of the station and three broad gauge crossovers were installed across the standard gauge mainline giving access to the station sidings. A new signal box was also opened around this time, with a crossing loop on the standard gauge line opening in 1969. This was the only crossing loop added after the initial construction of the line.
The current main road underpass, located nearby in the down direction of the station, was built in 1961, and replaced a previous level crossing. By June 1970, the turntable was removed.
Tallarook served as the junction for the Mansfield line until 1978, with the last regular passenger train to Mansfield operating in 1977. After the line to Mansfield was closed, one of the standard gauge crossings was removed in 1979, with another removed at the down end in 1981. The goods yard was closed by November 1982, with the last connection to the goods
