BREAKING: Four historic train carriages were destroyed after an electrical fault caused a massive fire at the Newport Railway Workshops early Wednesday morning.
Firefighters were called to the Champion Road building about 1.20am.
MFB spokesman Steve Moore said the fire was in a building used for restoring antique locomotives and carriages.
“A locomotive and carriages were in the building at the time of the fire,” he said.
The blaze covered an area of about 50 square metres and flames were shooting through the roof when the first crew arrived.
Firefighters had difficulty accessing water and three aerial crews were called in.
The workshops, built in the 1880s, were the birthplace of many of Victoria’s locomotives and carriages.
They were used for restoration projects such as the A2 steam locomotive and vintage diesel B72.
Restoration tools were also destroyed in the blaze.
Specialist Hazmat workers were hosing down trucks and decontaminating firefighters and vehicles on Wednesday morning due to asbestos in the building.
Eighty firefighters took more than two hours to bring the fire under control.
“MFB firefighters were able to contain the fire to a section of the building,” Mr Moore said.
Eighty per cent of the building was saved but the damage bill is expected to run into hundreds of thousands, along with the priceless loss of history.
MFB fire investigator Damian O’Toole said the blaze was caused by an electrical fault.
“There’s been an electrical fault with the wiring causing it to ignite combustibles under the train,” he said.
VicTrack leases the heritage-listed workshops, built between 1884 and 1888, to Steamrail Victoria.
Steamrail Victoria board director Michael McGlade said it was a devastating loss.
“There are three restored carriages destroyed: one from 1886, 1889 and 1907, and we had one unrestored there from 1904.
“They used to operate on the Melbourne metropolitan network when it was operated by steam and then they were converted to electric and ran until the 1970s.
“They’re the last of those carriages in Victoria, so the oldest suburban carriages.
“So, it’s a major loss for the state. They’re not even in the museum.”
Pictures and more to come.
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— Melbourne Inc Alert (@incidentAlertMe) March 3, 2015
