A MUCH loved train line which transported goods and brought residents from the rural township of Whitfield into the city of Wangaratta, was officially closed 70 years ago this month.

Known as "The Whitty", in its heyday, the line carried mixed trains six days a week - Monday to Saturday - with passengers from Whitfield enduring a slow and bumpy two and half hour journey along the narrow gauge line into Wangaratta.

There they had a few hours to shop and conduct their business before boarding the 2.30pm train from Wangaratta back out to Whitfield.

Though modest when it came to comfort, families enthusiastically climbed aboard the specials which were run for events like football matches, shows, athletics carnivals and picnics.

A motor trolley service - the ‘Spirit of Salts’ - began running on non-train days, carrying the mail and other essential goods from Whitfield to Wangaratta and return, keeping the local store stocked.

Wangaratta resident Daryl Gregory tells us the last goods train ran between Wangaratta and Moyhu on Tuesday, October 6, 1953 and the last postal motor ran from Whitfield to Wangaratta on Saturday, October 10, 1953, before the Wangaratta – Whitfield line was officially closed on Monday, October 12.

He said the last goods train was operated by driver Albyne “Ocker” Creelman and fireman Don Johns.

In an article which appeared in Parade magazine in 1971, Mr Creelman wrote that the engine was called Polly, the Whitfield line known as Polly Land and the narrow gauge yard at Wangaratta was referred to as Polly's Yard (which was lost to the Melbourne-Sydney standard gauge line).

He said he remembered writing "Goodbye, Polly" in white chalk on the back of the engine on that final "melancholy" day.

"I also ran the last train to Whitfield on February 5, 1952," he said.

"Near Benalla a bushfire got out of control about 1pm..the fire, it was said, was caused by a man pulling a burning seat from his car.

"By late that afternoon the line between Moyhu and Whitfield was burnt out in several places and not repaired.

"I remember watching the fire on the horizon; it doubled in size every 10 minutes and destroyed many houses and much stock.

"The train ran to Moyhu only for 19 months after the Whitfield section closed, but because of a decline in traffic, it too closed on October 6, 1953."

Luckily there are those in the community who continue to treasure and preserve the memory of a service which once played a vital role in King Valley communities.