About SideTracked Caches
This cache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breath taking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More Information can be found at the SideTracked Website.
About the Station
Opening on 6 February 1951, Westall station originally comprised two workers-only platforms for staff at the adjacent Martin & King railway coach-building factory. On 1 June 1959, the station became available to the general public, and all services began stopping there. The station, like the locality itself, gets its name from an early market garden proprietor who lived in the area.
On 19 July 1975, the former timber station building on Platform 1 was damaged by fire. In 1985, boom barriers were provided at the former Westall Road level crossing, which was located at the Down end of the station.
The station had a stabling yard located at its southern end, as well as a number of industrial sidings serving nearby factories. On 17 April 1998, the Westall train maintenance centre was officially opened in the former goods yard, as part of the decentralisation of train stabling and maintenance from the former Jolimont Yards. The buildings were approximately 2,850 m2 in size, and permitted bogie repair and replacement, under-carriage and overhead work. The facility cost $15 million, which also included the Bayswater facility.
In 2000, the Westall Road level crossing was grade separated, and replaced with a road overpass. By 4 February 2001, the boom barriers at the former level crossing were decommissioned.
On 26 July 2006, a fire in the waiting room on Platform 1 caused major damage to half the station building, the ticket machines, seats and a section of the platform. The city-bound platform was closed off and passenger services to Flinders Street operated express from Springvale to Clayton, bypassing Westall, until temporary fencing was placed around the building. The damaged section was subsequently demolished and rebuilt.
In May 2008, the Victorian State Government announced that the Westall station precinct would receive a $151 million upgrade, which included a rebuilt station, a new third platform, a third 2.6-kilometre track between Centre Road and Springvale Road and additional storage space at the Westall stabling yard. Work commenced in January 2010, with the majority of the works completed by October of that year. Following these works, Westall was upgraded to a Premium Station.
About the cache
Don't try to access from the top of the bridge! It has to be accessed from the station side.
Don't climb the walls They are unstable.
Enjoy the VIEW!