Description

The Tucker Truck came on Tuesdays

The Timber Industry at Erica, Its Sawmills, Tramways and People

By Mike McCarthy

Published by the LRRSA
ISBN 978-0-9093-406-4-3

Discover the history of the timber industry in Erica and the surrounding mountain ranges. The Tucker Truck Came on Tuesdays explores the sawmills, tramways and communities that helped shape this rugged part of Victoria. Drawing on decades of research, Mike McCarthy brings the region’s industrial past to life through detailed accounts, maps, diagrams and historic photographs.

The Railway That Opened Up the Timber Industry

When the Moe to Walhalla narrow-gauge railway opened in 1910, it created a way to transport large amounts of timber from the surrounding mountains. The railway served the valleys of the Thomson and Tyers rivers, where vast forests supplied valuable timber.

One of the most important species was Eucalyptus regnans, also known as Mountain Ash. This towering tree played a major role in the region’s timber industry.

Sawmills, Tramways and Isolated Communities

The book explores the extensive network of timber tramways that connected sawmills to the Walhalla railway. These lines used two different track gauges: 3 ft and 2 ft 6 in.

The tramways supplied the railway at several locations, including O’Shea and Bennett Siding, Knotts Siding, Erica, Collins Siding, Moondarra and Gould.

Along the way, you’ll learn about the timber mills and the remote settlements that grew around them. The book also examines the people who lived and worked in these isolated communities.

More Than 60 Years of Research

This detailed history covers many aspects of the timber industry, including its political, economic, technical and social impact. It draws on more than 60 years of research.

The author brings together interviews, historical documents, maps and extensive field research. As a result, the book offers a detailed picture of how the industry operated and how it shaped life in the region.

Maps, Locomotives and Historic Photographs

The book features a wealth of visual material to bring this history to life. It includes:

• • Colour maps and detailed diagrams of the tramway networks

• • Histories of the steam and internal-combustion locomotives used on the tramways

• • A large collection of historic photographs documenting the industry and its people

Together, these resources make the book a valuable reference for railway enthusiasts, timber industry historians and anyone interested in Victoria’s industrial heritage.

Book Details

• • Author: Mike McCarthy

• • Publisher: Light Railway Research Society of Australia (LRRSA)

• • ISBN: 978-0-9093-406-4-3

• • Format: Hardback

• • Length: 336 pages

• • Paper: Art paper

• • Size: A4

• • Illustrations: 65 maps and diagrams, plus 383 photographs

• Reference material: Includes a bibliography, references and an index