▁provided ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 4 , ▁and ▁tests ▁of ▁continuous ▁train ▁bra kes ▁carried ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 4 ▁Col onial ▁Parliament ▁passed ▁The ▁Railway ▁Const ruction ▁Act , ▁which ▁author ised ▁fifty - n ine ▁new ▁lines ▁to ▁almost ▁every ▁corner ▁of ▁the ▁col ony , ▁and ▁thus ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Oct opus ▁Act . ▁The ▁proposed ▁lines ▁would ▁serve ▁both ▁new ▁agricult ural ▁towns ▁and ▁support ▁sub urban ▁land ▁spec ulation . ▁It ▁was ▁also ▁this ▁de cade ▁that ▁the ▁first ▁narrow ▁gauge ▁line ▁was ▁opened ▁from ▁Wang ar atta ▁to ▁Whit field , ▁with ▁three ▁other ▁lines ▁following ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 0 . ▁The ▁South ▁Gi pp s land ▁line ▁was ▁also ▁opened ▁from ▁D anden ong ▁to ▁Le ong ath a ▁by ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁However , ▁by ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 9 0 s ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁col ony ▁was ▁now ▁covered ▁in ▁rail ways , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁the ▁M alle e ▁country ▁in ▁the ▁north ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁col ony ▁which ▁saw ▁further ▁line ▁open ings , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁M ild ura ▁line ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 3 . ▁ ▁A ▁new ▁century ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁the ▁A 2 ▁class ▁steam ▁locomot ive ▁was ▁introduced . ▁There ▁were ▁ 1 8 5 ▁locomot ives ▁in ▁this ▁class ▁and ▁they ▁were ▁Victor ian ▁Railway ' s ▁main ▁passenger ▁locomot ive