Rail heritage

[ozbob]

Photograph of AC16 locomotive LE to Brisbane at Dinmore 5th December 2009



Photograph mufreight 5th December 2009

[ozbob]

R711

[ozbob]

R707 expresses past Tallarook

[ozbob]

Queensland Steam "The Bety's"

[Otto]

Roo Chasing ?

[mufreight]

It would seem that rail heritage operations in this state are becoming the burden of the various rail preservation groups, most of whom are under resourced to preserve this states rail heritage.
A case in point is the ARHS museum at Rosewood.
A recent visit saw the line from the Rosewood township (Museum Junction) to Perrys Knob overgrown and out of service with the two 2000 class railcars looking very forlorn at the old coal washing site.
It is understood that there is a bridge on this section of line that requires major work or replacement and this is beyond the present finances of the society.
Given time as the line continues to deteriorate with lack of use or maintenance to will be lost and any possibility of linking up the presently operating isolated museum section at Kunkala by reinstating the line under the Rosewood Marburg Road then becomes even more remote.
Given the isolation of the line from that essential for any tourist operation, public transport, this heritage preservation effort could well wither on the vine as did the Beaudesert effort.
Is there sufficient community and enthusiast interest to to raise the funds to ensure that the now unused missing link is reinstated and brought back into operation while it is still achievable.
Any thoughts?

[ozbob]

AC 16 steam locomotive at Darra today 29th June 2010









Photographs mufreight 29th June 2010

[tronixstuff]

Given the isolation of the line from that essential for any tourist operation, public transport, this heritage preservation effort could well wither on the vine as did the Beaudesert effort.
Any thoughts?

Beaudesert rail were granted at least $660,000... and still fricked it up. I think their example basically ruined any other railway heritage effort's chances of getting real money from any level of Government. Frankly if ARHS Qld received that kind of money, they would work absolute wonders with it.

[ozbob]

"The BEST OLD STEAM LOCOMOTIVE VIDEO"

[ozbob]

I was fortunate to receive from my late Grandfather's estate a publication titled 'Queensland Railways What we have done'  Published in 1956

This is a photograph of Taringa station as quadruplication was proceeding. Page 57.

[colinw]

What a great old photo.  I always love seeing photos of Brisbane before the crazy growth started.

But for the vagaries of the political process, that quad should have seen 1500V DC SX sets powering along under chunky Sydney style DC catenary not too long after that was taken.  I wonder what suburban rail would look like in Brisbane today if the wires had gone up in the '50s as originally planned?

[ozbob]

612 ABC Brisbane --> Celebrating Queensland's proud rail history

Train enthusiasts from around south-east Queensland gathered in Grandchester yesterday for the 145th anniversary of the first railway journey in Queensland's history.

[Sunbus610]

ARTICLE: Historic footbridge may be lost
Carly Morrissey | 5th August 2010 from Gympie Times

THE life of an historic pedestrian footbridge that connects the heritage listed Gympie Railway Station with the Railway Hotel may soon be over with council running out of money to maintain and upgrade the structure.

Read more HERE

PS: Hoping I've posted this newspaper article under the right thread Ozbob.

[ozbob]

Visitor through Oxley  RM 1901





Photographs R Dow 12th August 2010

[Sunbus610]

An interesting little article I stumbled across titled "The birth of Queensland's railways" ~ from the Autumn 2010 edition of the Queensland Heritage Council newsletter 'Time and Place'

[ozbob]

Southern Downs Steam Railway

















Photographs mufreight 15th August 2010

[ozbob]

Doug the dog, recognises class .. 

[QGT]

My Photos from the ARHS Laidley Spring Festival Tour    
http://picasaweb.google.com/QueenslandsGreatTrains/ARHSTourLaidleySpringFestivalSeptember2010#



Cheers,
QGT

[ozbob]

Thanks to Colinw

The attached images are an article from the January 1952 edition of "Railway Transportation", documenting something that almost came to be ... a 1500V DC Brisbane electric suburban railway system. I stumbled across this interesting article on the internet.  If the project described below had proceeded, Brisbane's rail system may have ended up quite different to how it is today.  I have chosen to post it as it provides an interesting insight into the way politics influence the rail industry.

In the late 1940s, the Queensland Government authorised electrification of the Brisbane suburban system at 1500 volts DC, the same system of electrification used in Melbourne & Sydney from the 1920s.  The complete Brisbane system would have been electrified by the late 1950s, bounded by Ipswich (Wulkuraka), Ferny Grove, Petrie, Shorncliffe, Pinkenba (!!!), Lota and Kuraby.  The system was projected to carry 50 million passengers a year, using 3 car electric trains.  On completion, Brisbane's electric rail system would have been only a few miles shorter than Sydney's then system.  Service frequencies were to be 40 minute basic headway on all lines except the inner section of the Ipswich line to Darra, which would have run every 20 minutes.  Extension of the wires to Beenleigh & Southport was also projected as a later extension, and had it occurred would almost certainly have saved the original Gold Coast line from closure.

This article, from the January 1952 edition of Railway Transportation, tells the story.  Note the price of the complete project - 9 million pounds!








The Queensland Government fell in 1957 as a result of the ALP split.   The incoming Country Party / Liberal Party coalition Government cancelled the Brisbane electrification, instead opting to dieselise the suburban system - completed by 1969.

Not all contracts associated with the electrification could be cancelled, so the Brisbane suburban system contains many bits of infrastructure which can be traced to this project :-  High level platforms on many lines, Quad track from Roma St to Corinda, plus associated  signalling, 94 lb/yard rail on most lines (replacing the old 60 lb/yard lightweight rail), the station buildings at Chelmer, Graceville & Sherwood which were to be the 'standard' suburban station design, double track from Yeerongpilly to Kuraby. 

There are some intriguing remnants of partially completed works from this project, eg. the double track on the Pinkenba line, never laid, has left a never used platform and half built overbridges at Clayfield station - to this day it would be dead easy to restart the Doomben duplication as the right of way & stations are just sitting there.  There is also a very large bulldozed area Wulkuraka, just west of Ipswich, which was to be the electric train depot in Ipswich, and the stabling yard at Ipswich itself occupies the site of the proposed replacement Ipswich station to the west of the current station.

The electric trains for this project were ordered from ComEng in Granville, Sydney, and were delivered through the 1950s and into the 1960s.  There being no electrification, they became known as the SX class suburban carriages.  In reality they were electric trains with room for a driver's cabin, headlights, destination indicators, etc, but were never completed and ended up in service for as locomotive hauled carriages from 1959 to 1999 - initially steam hauled, then diesel hauled from 1969.  Strangely, some of them were eventually electric hauled - by the 3900 class electric locos which were introduced in 1989.  These carriages were retired in 1999/2000 with the end of loco hauled passenger workings in Brisbane - but are still in use on the Zig Zag Railway in NSW, and on the Auckland suburban rail system in New Zealand.  The SX class carriages were one of the smoothest riding classes of rollingstock ever used on the QR - with a much better ride quality than the electric multiple units that replaced them.  The traction motors for the SX class were delivered, and were stored at Ipswich workshops for decades, eventually being scrapped in the 1990s without ever having been installed.  How I would have loved to have ridden in an SX class electric train, under thick 1.5KV DC wires supported by wooden masts!


Nearly all the projects planned in the 1940s eventually happened, starting with electrification from Darra to Ferny Grove opening in 1979.  All of the major track duplications, triplications and quadruplications originally planned eventually happened in the 1990s with some work ongoing.  One positive result of the cancellation was that Brisbane ended up with a 'world standard' 25000 volt AC electrification instead of the archaic 1500V DC used in the southern states.

Why is this relevant to us?  Only to show how the politics of the day have a profound impact on the rail industry.  Nearly every major decision impacting the railways is ultimately controlled by politics, and often profound changes can occur as a result of political whims rather than common sense or need. A single short sighted decision can delay progress for decades, and end up costing us dozens of times over.

cheers,
Colin

[Peter J]

BB18 1/4 1089 returns to Roma St Station at the end of a Tour for ARHS Qld to Toowoomba's "Carnival of Flowers" on Sunday 19 September 2010.
Photo by Peter Jones, Website hosting provided by QGT.

[ozbob]

Great photograph Peter!  Thanks for sharing it.

[QGT]

My Photos from the ARHS Tour Silver Bullet Luncheon Express 2010
http://picasaweb.google.com/QueenslandsGreatTrains/ARHSTourSilverBulletLuncheonExpress2010#

Railmotor and XPT at Roma Street in the Morning

Spring Bluff Station



Toowoomba Station



1620 heading to Spring Bluff

The Railmotor back at Roma Street


Cheers,
QGT

[ozbob]

Nice!  I think we need the rail motor on regular commutes to Gatton and Helidon ..  

Thanks for sharing.

I took daughter number one on the last regular Saturday rail motor service to Gatton in the 90s.  Sad day ..

[#Metro]

Does anyone have an old Brisbane tram timetable?
Just interested in what the frequencies weekday/weekends would have been. 

[p858snake]

Does anyone have an old Brisbane tram timetable?
Just interested in what the frequencies weekday/weekends would have been. 

The FG tramway museum should, If you ever want to visit.

[kw]

With the talk of 'Line Pairings' on the forum, I thought I'd post up the original line pairings. This original map is from daverm66 on imageshack.

FERNY GROVE - IPSWICH
SHORNCLIFFE - BEENLEIGH
PETRIE - THORNSIDE


But I can also remember as a kid early 90's? That is was:
CABOOLTURE - CLEVELAND
SHORNCLIFFE - IPSWICH
FERNY GROVE - BEENLEIGH

- Kent

[#Metro]

  What a shock!

And look at the little box- BUS CO-ORDINATED!!! 

I don't suppose there is a timetable too!
A quick comparison might give a withering view!

[STB]

The co-ordinating bus is now route 254 and 255 at Birkdale station.  There is a bus at Thorneside (route 253) but it's designed for Capalaba connections.  If you try and alter the bus timetable to get connections at Thorneside, you lose the connectivity at Capalaba and if you alter to the bus timetable (route 250) to get connections with route 253 at Capalaba to have connections with the train at Thorneside then you lose the connectivity at Cleveland, Victoria Pt and Redland Bay and the ferries.  It's all tied in.

[ozbob]

From the Noosa News click here!

Rattler volunteers fly last flag

Rattler volunteers fly last flag

Lee Gailer | 4th November 2010

FLAGMEN Brian Davis and Geoff Johanson will wave their red flags goodbye on November 21 when they become the last in Queensland, and possibly Australia, to halt traffic for a steam train to pass at a level crossing.

The pair of Dagun Station volunteers will miss this historic tradition of flagging the train, which was re-introduced in 1988 by the Mary Valley Heritage Railway.

At that time, traffic was flagged down at most of the level crossings enroute to Imbil however, the practice was phased out from 2002 when Queensland Rail's Safety Unit increased its focus on safety at level crossings throughout Queensland.

The Dagun Community Group continued to use flags to clear the tracks at the station until MVHR recently ordered them to "cease and desist" in compliance with industry practice.

MVHR manager Jim Walker said police had also raised concerns about the risk to local drivers who may expect to be flagged down at other level crossings used by the Valley Rattler.

He said MVHR's risk assessment had identified flagging as a hazard for the people on the ground, particularly at night because the crossings were poorly lit.

"The Rail Safety Unit has emphasised the correct level crossing practice for the last four to five years now and it does not include the operation of flags," he said.

"If we chose to have flagmen we would need a series of signs to alert motorists but we don't have that in place.

"We consulted with police locally and they put it to us that they wanted to see MVHR comply to industry practice, so that is what we have done."

FAR from taking a negative approach to the decision, the Dagun Community Group has decided to celebrate the fact that Dagun is the only station in Queensland — and perhaps Australia — where the historic tradition of flagging the train has continued.

In conjunction with MVHR, Dagun volunteers will be making a day of it on Sunday, November 21, to celebrate the end of an era.

"Any train buff, and indeed anyone who recognises that we are losing a lot of links to our past, will enjoy the chance to farewell the flags," Dagun Community Group president Len Summers said.

"Steam trains were flagged at crossings when they first started running in Australia in 1854 and in Queensland in 1875, so we are talking (more than) 150 years of history here.

"We believe it's probably the last time it will happen in Australia, so we are making a family day of it."

Plans are afoot to bring in the Gympie Vintage Car Club, the Bushrangers from Imbil and Dagun school kids to hark back to a time of good old-fashioned transport.

The Mary Valley Lions Club will provide a barbecue and attendees will be encouraged to wear period costume.

The event will coincide with the monthly historic re-enactment at Imbil and celebrations will kick-off at 1pm.

The Gympie Regional Council recently adopted a 40kmh speed zone for the Dagun crossing, while a 50kmh speed zone will apply at the nearby Amamoor-Kandanga crossing.

[QGT]

My Photos from the ARHS Qld Landsborough Steam Train Tour
http://picasaweb.google.com/QueenslandsGreatTrains/ARHSLandsboroughSteamTrainTour#

Roma Street

Landsborough


Roma Street


Cheers,
QGT

[ozbob]

ANGRMS Woodford  --> http://www.angrms.org.au/

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times click [urlhttp://www.qt.com.au/story/2010/11/23/santa-riverbank-shopping-centre-arrival-appearance/]here![/url]

Santa set to steam into Riverlink

Santa set to steam into Riverlink

23rd November 2010

SANTA, being the celebrity he is at this time of the year, will arrive in style at Riverlink shopping centre this Saturday.

He will ride on board Queensland Rail's impressive and historic A10 No 6 steam train.

Santa's usual mode of transport, reindeers and the sleigh, will be rested while Santa visits Riverlink to pose for photos and delight youngsters.

The No.6 locomotive, part of QR's heritage fleet and one of the state's oldest working steam trains, hasn't been out on a run from The Workshops Rail Museum since it took part in Q150 celebrations last year.

"We mollycoddle it a bit," a QR spokeswoman said.

No.6 was built in 1865 in Scotland. Santa said his steam-powered visit to Riverlink would not just appeal to children.

"We have an elderly lady who visits every year," he said.

Pets can even have their photos taken with Santa this year.

This Sunday, from 9am to 2pm, owners can take their pets along to Riverlink to meet the man in red.

Santa arrives at Riverlink this Saturday about 10am. For photo bookings, call 3294 5500.

[Sunbus610]

Hey, a belated thanks Ozbob on those pages about the 1950's railway electrification proposal for Brisbane, I'd missed seeing it earlier on, it's certainly an interesting read.

[Sunbus610]

Not sure if anyone is interested in viewing this aerial view of South Brisbane from back in 1984 which shows the old South Brisbane Interstate Station (pre Expo 88) including the standard gauge carriage sheds etc.

[Golliwog]

Wow, that looks weird. Its South Bank, without the parklands. Or the convention center. Cool.

[colinw]

I took daughter number one on the last regular Saturday rail motor service to Gatton in the 90s.  Sad day ..

Hey, I rode that one as well.

I continued to Toowoomba on a McCafferty's bus, and then returned to Ipswich on the Sunday on the very last Toowoomba to Ipswich railcar service.  The Sunday afternoon railcar from Toowoomba to Ipswich was an unadvertised extension from Toowoomba of the last service from Helidon on a Sunday.  You could buy a ticket on it, and it was listed in the Helidon timetable with a footnote saying it started in Toowoomba.

The reason it existed was as a positioning run from the Toowoomba to Roma railcar service, which ceased at the same that the Helidon services did.  Only the return leg from Toowoomba was available for passengers, the positioning run to Toowoomba was not shown in the timetable and I have never found out when it ran.

[QGT]

Today A10 No.6 made a trip with Santa down to Riverlink Shopping Centre















More photos
http://picasaweb.google.com/QueenslandsGreatTrains/A10No6SantaAtRiverlinkShoppingCentre#5544108549929036754


Cheers,
QGT

[shiftyphil]

Saw this on a another forum, thought someone might be interested...

keep an eye out on the Redbank to Swankbank section of railway Line between 12 and 1pm for a piece of history on the move. We're moving a 1950's 90 ton English Electric diesel loco from Redbank Workshops to Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway for restoration - she hasn't turned a wheel on the mainline since 1987.

[ozbob]

Steam at Corinda.  Positioning heritage train for tours this weekend.
I heard the train pass my house and it was sounding magnificent, even if slightly off beat.









Photographs mufreight 2nd December 2010

[QGT]

Today 1225 was moved from the Redbank Workshops to QPSR Depot Box Flat
1729,1225,1769 leaving Redbank


More photos
https://sites.google.com/site/qgtstrainsphotos2010/home/train-pictures/english-electric-1225-hybrid

Cheers,
QGT