Article: Population boom could reactivate Wamuran rail corridor

[aldonius]

As long as the corridor is properly preserved.


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[dancingmongoose]

From what I've heard the council wants a busway, although a trail may be more feasible.

[Old Northern Road]

Here is a map of the proposed Caboolture West development. As you can see the Wamuran line is the northern boundary of it and would be completely useless as any sort of transport corridor. Best solution would be to build a bus interchange at Morayfield station and run feeder buses to it. However this is Moreton Bay Regional Council so at best all we will get is an hourly bus route which stops running at 6pm. Remember this is the same council who thinks the far more densely populated Redcliffe peninsula doesn't need any more than an hourly bus service.

[red dragin]

This seemed the best place for this, given the recent rumor's mentioned above.

Was around Caboolture this morning so I took some pictures of the remnants of the Wamuran (Woodford (Kilcoy)) railway line.


Bridge near Smiths Road, Caboolture. One missing sleeper (bolts still there!)

Noted the rail crossing was removed from the road at Smiths Rd. Sleepers and track still joined but cut into two sections and dumped on eastern side of Smiths Road on top of the track. No photo's sorry. Also noted industrial machinery parked clearly over the railway land off in the distance to the east.

Also noted a "W" whistle sign still in place eastbound towards Smiths Rd - survived time, weather and vandals surprisingly well. No photo sorry.


Overgrown track looking east near corner of Elva St & Del Rosso Rd. Several blue metal rock (road base) pedestrian crossings have been in place for a while along this section.


Devantier Rd crossing looking east. The track used for fence doesn't appear to be from the railway in this area, but possibly surplus from elsewhere.

Road crossing at this location (behind the dead end sign) probably still intact but covered by mud & dirt. Didn't have shoes suited to digging around.


Devantier Rd looking west. Track continues until King St meets the Diagular Hwy but has been clean cut when the new intersection and bridge was built. Williams Rd overpass has appropriate sized opening for the railway, despite being constructed well after the closure of the railway.


Track at small drain crossing next to Devantier Rd - 22lb rail dated 1949.

Noted a few weeks ago that Wamuran section from Atwood St to just south of the Hwy bridge is kept neat and tidy, aside from the rust it could be mistaken for still being in use. After that point there is a well worn pathway southbound beside the track from pedestrian usage.

No signs of track removal that I have noticed in the past few months, having traveled that road a few times.

[ozbob]

Thanks!  Great photographs ...

I managed to get to Wamuran by train before it closed.



Opening of Kilcoy Railway Station, December 1913

from http://blogs.slq.qld.gov.au/jol/2013/11/21/celebrating-rail/

[Fares_Fair]

A work colleague who lives at Wamuran told me this week that they are removing the old railway tracks...

[red dragin]

A work colleague who lives at Wamuran told me this week that they are removing the old railway tracks...

Thanks. Been about 3 weeks since I was that far up. Didn't have time to look today.

[colinw]

Great photos!

That'll actually be 82lb/yard rail in the photo above.  22lb/yard is lighter than any rail ever used on the QR.

I made it to Wamuran twice, an enjoyable little branch line, but can only imagine the journey beyond through Woodford to Kilcoy.

I don't really see much prospect for re-opening and re-use given the shape of the Caboolture West development, but think it is best that the corridor is kept "just in case".  Perhaps it could eventually reappear as a nice low cost busway from Caboolture Station along part of the corridor, then dive off into the heart of Caboolture West.  That is assuming Caboolture West has anything like a defined activity centre, rather than just being endless bland suburbia.

Corridor preservation is the key here.  Doesn't have to be rail.  Right now even a bikeway would be nice.

[red dragin]

I knew 22 lb wasn't right but in person and zooming in on the original photo, that's what it looked like.

Checked a few spots but as the line is so overgrown I was lucky to find those numbers.

Given what I saw on the back streets (Inc a car with a hole cut in the boot and bumper with a stretch strap holding the boot shut!) I'm not sure the market will be there for a while either.

Might try and check further up the line soon.

[Stillwater]

To be found at Woodford -- the Durundur small gauge (610mm) railway.



The railway operates steam train rides from Woodford on the first and third Sundays of each month from 10am-4pm from the Margaret St station, about 20 minutes drive west of Caboolture.

[red dragin]

A work colleague who lives at Wamuran told me this week that they are removing the old railway tracks...

All gone. Seen reported elsewhere and was on Del Rosa Rd Caboolture today. A few piles of the rotted remnants of sleepers is all to be found

[pandmaster]

Why were the tracks removed?

[red dragin]

Why were the tracks removed?

Been closed for years. The level crossing at Caboolture where the line spurred off was removed ~ 8 years ago. All the sleepers where passed rotten.

Today (almost the same position as my 2nd top picture above)

[colinw]

Good.  Now the rails are gone, there's nothing to stop it being turned into a nice mixed use trail.  It runs right past the high school, so would make a great bike path for students.

Keep the corridor - we may want it again in 20 or 30 years ... or not.

[red dragin]

Good.  Now the rails are gone, there's nothing to stop it being turned into a nice mixed use trail.  It runs right past the high school, so would make a great bike path for students.

Keep the corridor - we may want it again in 20 or 30 years ... or not.

Would make a great bike path full stop. If I had a mountain bike I'd be riding it already.

I only just resisted the temptation to take the SUV for a cruise... 

[red dragin]

Moreton Bay Regional Council has released their new Draft Planning Scheme.

Of interest is that the PT corridor on which this thread is based is still there in the plan (despite LNP requests to remove references to it).

https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/uploadedFiles/moretonbay/development/planning/mbrc-plan/draft-maps/SF_Place_Types_Caboolture.pdf

Follows the old rail corridor to Moodlu (old quarry just west of Caboolture - near where my Devantier Rd pics where taken) then heads into the planned Caboolture West development area.

On the interactive map the corridor to Wamuran is still shown, labeled "Utilities".  The corridor to Wamuran still forms part of the NCL land parcel if you where to check its ownership......

[red dragin]

I'm heading to Woodford on Sunday to start helping out at ANGRMS, so if anyone would like pictures of any of the publicly accessible sections of the railway corridor please let me know.

Last time up ther, a points lever and section of track between Atwood St & D'Aguilar Hwy overpass Wamuran where still in place as part of a park (local Lions club I think?).

[red dragin]

https://www.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/general.aspx?id=154130

Rail trail planned for Caboolture to Wamuran section  "which closed in 1964"

[tazzer9]

Someone at council really want this trail to go ahead. 

[#Metro]

Might be better off as a Class A or Class B busway.

[verbatim9]

Good.  Now the rails are gone, there's nothing to stop it being turned into a nice mixed use trail.  It runs right past the high school, so would make a great bike path for students.

Keep the corridor - we may want it again in 20 or 30 years ... or not.

Would make a great bike path full stop. If I had a mountain bike I'd be riding it already.

I only just resisted the temptation to take the SUV for a cruise... 

Yes! A Rail trail good for tourism and good for health. Rail trails are booming especially in Vic.

[dancingmongoose]

"Tourism" and "Caboolture" are not words usually used in the same sentence.

[achiruel]

Perhaps MBRC wants to change that?

Apparently the BVRT has been very good for the towns along it, I imagine it will be even better once the Wulkuraka Station to Wanora section is completed, allowing direct access by train to the commencement of the trail.

[Old Northern Road]

Might be better off as a Class A or Class B busway.

A busway for a bus that only runs 7 times per day?

[#Metro]

A busway for a bus that only runs 7 times per day?

On closer inspection, constructing a short section of road between Del Rosso Road and Toohey Street (430 m) would do the job.

[red dragin]

The corridor has quite a worn dirt path in places, the section out of Wamuran under the highway down to the estate south east of down being the most used.

Flicking through the concept, who ever is behind it must be a bit of a train person, as they want to show where the line diverged into two tracks at places like Moodlu and approaching Caboolture.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Might be better off as a Class A or Class B busway.

No way in hell. Its the same as the 335 running along Gympie Road going past stops no one uses (because its too difficult to access as it means crossing 6 lanes of busy traffic + 400m of empty cricket fields) instead of going past houses that currently have a 2hrly bus service. And when you do build a busway how many buses do you think Caboolture would have running along it?? It'll be a northern busway repeat all over again hahahahahaha.

[Gazza]

Yeah, I dont get why any PT has to follow that allignment.
I think weve moved on from just recycling an allignment because its there.

Have a look at the Pacific Highway upgrade. Significant portions follow a new better route, rather than just duplicating an existing section "because it's there".

New PT routes should aim to go where the demand is, not just where the land is cheap.

[red dragin]

Probably going to spend my Ekka Holiday on Monday (MBRC region) tracing out as much of the old right of way from Caboolture to Kilcoy, that is publicly accessible.

Works for the rail trail where quite progressed in Caboolture last time I looked about two months ago. Will grab some photos.

I'll post up anything of interest, most pics will also go onto the Woodford Railway Facebook page over time (I am now the main admin behind it).

[ozbob]

Thanks.  I managed a couple of trips to Wamuran by rail before it went!