Reviving the Rattler

[mufreight]

There are more than 600 members in this forum who supposedly support rail transport and one would assume our rail heritage.
The Mary Valley Rattler is in a considerable amount of trouble due to a lack of practical support both physical and financial.
Donations of $10 by even half of the RBoT membership would go a long way towards ensureing the future of the Rattler, an infusion of $3000 would show the government that the Rattler has a level of support from the community generally and might prod Mr Newman to provide some assistance, eithr financial or practical.  Low security prisoners from the Maryborough Correctional Centre could be a source of labour for the rerquired resleepering and QR would surely have some older track machines nearing the end of their ecenomical life that could be made avaliable to the Rattler.
If heritage operations such as the Rattler are to survive they need all the support that those interested in any form of rail transport can give.
My donation to the Rattler has been sent so lets see how many RBoT members will do likewise.     

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[Golliwog]

http://www.thevalleyrattler.com/

How to donate:

The Rattler needs your support!!!

Target: $100,000 by February 2013.

The Valley Rattler is seeking donations from friends and supporters

How does YOUR DONATION assist the Rattler?

$12.00 buys dog spikes for a sleeper! (Anchors rail to a sleeper)
$140.00 buys a wooden sleeper and puts it under the track
$650.00 buys a tender full of coal
$4200.00 buys coal for a month

Your donation will be publicised ( with your permission) on the MVHR’s website and Facebook page. A certificate of donation (as well as a receipt) is provided.

Donations can be made via the Rattler office:

    by credit card by phone to the office
    by cheque
    by direct deposit.

Don’t hold back!! Donations will help activities such as workshop activities, plant hire, bridge timbers, track maintenance, care for the steam locomotives and carriages, marketing, training, and paying the bills!!!! If you wish to donate for a particular activity tell us about it.

The Valley Rattler is approved by the Tax Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient - Donations are tax exempt!!!!!

Direct Debit details: MVHR Donor Account,  BSB  064416   AC No  10150747

To receive a receipt for your donation contact the Valley Rattler office with details of an identifying deposit entry as well as your address.

The Valley Rattler is a not for profit organization operating heritage steam train tours through the Mary Valley from Gympie to Imbil.

    Train Operations are staffed by volunteers.
    Equipment and track is maintained by paid and voluntary staff.

After two years of depressed tourism conditions:

    The MVHR’s financial reserves have been depleted.
    The current suspension of services renders the situation as critical.

At risk is the experience the Valley Rattler offers patrons:

    Recreating branch line steam train operations
    The care of heritage equipment.
    The handing on of work skills through 90 volunteers

To continue the MVHR’s operations to Imbil:

    The MVHR needs $100 000 by Feb 2013.
    This allows the MVHR time to source funding for a midyear infrastructure program in 2013.
    The MVHR can fund some of the $100,000 from asset sales but we need your donation to help get us through.

We are happy to receive in kind donations.

Thank you for your consideration, your donation and Supporting the Rattler!!

Tony Hallam
President
MVHR.

Contact:        07 5482 2750
PO Box 385 Gympie 4570
rattler@mvhr.org.au
www.thevalleyrattler.com
In person at Old Gympie Station in Tozer St Gympie

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[Gazza]

and one would assume our rail heritage.

What about bus heritage, or ferry heritage?

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[Golliwog]

and one would assume our rail heritage.

What about bus heritage, or ferry heritage?

Do we have any bus or ferry heritage?

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[mufreight]

An active bus preservation group exists that has preserved some of the private operator bus heritage and the Brisbane Tramway Museum has preserved some ex council buses, as for ferries I understand that the maratime museum covers that intrest
.

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[SurfRail]

and one would assume our rail heritage.

What about bus heritage, or ferry heritage?

Queensland Omnibus and Coach Society (QOCS) and Heritage Bus Association (HBA) both have fleets of heritage vehicles from here and interstate.  The tram museum at Ferny Grove also has some (inoperable) trolley buses in their shed.  Neither is in need of significant funding seeing they don't have to pay for the roads.

Heritage railways are of necessity very capital intensive, seeing they need to maintain their own alignment (generally with 19th C tech like timber sleepers and dog spikes) and older types of rollingstock are manpower intensive to run and maintain.

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[ozbob]

ABC News --> Group to form plan to save Rattler train

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[mufreight]

So far just over 240 people have read this thread so there is an obvious interest in the future of this heritage railway.  If half of that 240 people made a donation of $10 each that would give not only $1200 towards the work needed for the Rattler to regain accreditation but it would show governmrnt that there is an active interest in reviving the Rattler. 

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[Gazza]

So far just over 240 people have read this thread so there is an obvious interest in the future of this heritage railway.

Either that or the thread showed up when the "Show unread posts since last visit" button was clicked.

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[mufreight]

working on the assumption that better than half the people who use this website know what they are doing and where their interests lie.   

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[ozbob]

Petition

http://www.change.org/petitions/the-rattler-supporters-support-and-save-the-rattler-2

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[ozbob]

Gympie Times --> Rattler's getting back on track

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[Fares_Fair]

Article: Business group plans to get Rattler running
Sunshine Coast Daily
2nd December 2012

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/business-group-plans-to-get-rattler-running/1644078/

[quote/]
THE famous Valley Rattler could get back on track when supporters meet to put together a recovery business plan.
 
The Rattler's service was suspended by the safety regulator because of two derailments this year.
 
A strategic workshop is being held by the business advisory group after a preliminary assessment of the Mary Valley Heritage Railway identified opportunities for growth.
 
Gympie MP David Gibson hoped the workshop would come up with a plan to identify the strengths and opportunities in the MVHR and highlight what actions and support were needed to get the suspended tourist rail operation running again.
 
"It is important that any plan incorporates the efforts of local volunteers who are integral to the success of the MVHR," he said.
 
The results of the workshop will be presented to state and local government and other organisations.
 
MVHR president Tony Hallam said he hoped the business plan would enable the Valley Rattler to operate long into the future.
 

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[ozbob]

From the ABC News click here!

Donated sleepers help Rattler rail service

Donated sleepers help Rattler rail service

Posted 1 hour 4 minutes ago

The Mary Valley Heritage Railway has been boosted with a donation of timber sleepers from Queensland Rail.

The Rattler service needs major upgrades, before the rail safety regulator will allow it to resume operations.

General manager Jim Walker says the 240 sleepers will be a big help.

"Queensland Rail are donating those to us," he said.

"They're actually providing them [from] Winton and they're sleepers that have only been under track there for a couple of years, so we understand they're in very good condition and they'd be ideal for us for our work here in Gympie."

Mr Walker says it is hoped 2.5 kilometres of track can be repaired initially.

"Our initial strategy is to just get back with short runs," he said.

"That'll probably be just running north from Gympie towards Queensland Rail's main line but stopping a bit short of it but that'll get some wheels turning and things happening."

The Mary Valley Heritage Railway says it hopes to resume a shorter service by February or March next year.

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[Fares_Fair]

It is wonderful of Queensland Rail to donate the timber sleepers to the Rattler.

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[ozbob]

From the Caboolture News click here!

Determined Rattler employees work without pay

Determined Rattler employees work without pay
10th Dec 2012 11:02 AM

 MARY Valley Heritage Railway's terminated employees are determined to keep the historic tourist attraction and are continuing to oversee operations without pay.

Volunteer manager Jim Walker said seven of the 10 paid employees had remained with the organisation as unpaid workers, as no-one wanted to see years of hard work fall by the wayside.

Mr Walker said volunteers were finding new ways to attract visitors to the historic railway station where the Rattler and the Red Rocket remained stationary for now.

With a number of activities being trialled, MVHR is looking at holding events at the station until it could get normal operations back on track.

"We are looking at doing a monthly twilight market next year," Mr Walker said. "What we are doing is adapting the sorts of things we were doing when we were moving, to stationary events."

Mr Walker used the opportunity of being in the media to put a call out to any stall holders interested in being involved with the twilight markets and other events.

"Especially those who had a stall at Kandanga and Imbil. It would be a good opportunity for people to catch up with their favourite stalls."

For MVHR to continue operations to Imbil it needs to raise $100,000 by February 2013.

The MVHR can fund some of the $100,000 from asset sales but needs corporate and community support.

A $12 donation buys dog spikes (which anchors rail to sleeper) for one sleeper. $140 buys a wooden sleeper and puts it under the track, $650 buys a tender full of coal and $4200 buys coal for a month.

Donations can be made by phoning MVHR on 5482 2750.

MVHR's annual AGM will be held on Wednesday evening.

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[ozbob]

From the ABC News click here!

'More work to be done' on heritage railway

'More work to be done' on heritage railway
Gympie Mayor Ron Dyne says more work is required to ensure the survival of the Mary Valley Heritage Railway.

A business advisory group held a teleconference yesterday about the Rattler after the safety regulator suspended services because of two derailments last year.

Councillor Dyne says work is also continuing on repairs to the track.

"They were laying sleepers last weekend, as I understand it, with the donation of 240 sleepers from Queensland Rail," he said.

"So that's always appreciated but there's obviously more work to be done and a lot more sleepers to be laid.

"It's a difficult issue. We need to look at all of the scenarios so that we can best come up with the scheme that would give operational readiness to the Mary Valley Heritage Railway but after this meeting, there is still more work to be done and we need to do that in the very near future."

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[Fares_Fair]

Rattler gets help from QR
Sunshine Coast Daily, p7
Tuesday January 15, 2013

Great to see a good news story.
Well done QR.

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[ozbob]

From the Gympie Times click here!

Rattler trust wins support

Rattler trust wins support
Shelley Strachan 18th Feb 2013 9:19 AM

 AN INDEPENDENT community trust will oversee the Mary Valley Heritage Rail under a recovery plan devised by a special Gympie business advisory group.

The advisory group was put together last year by Gympie Mayor Ron Dyne and MP David Gibson in an effort to salvage the embattled tourist operation from serious issues of track safety, finances and in-fighting.

The plan was presented to the MVHR management committee last Saturday and Mr Gibson said it was well received.

It suggests a community trust be established to oversee the governance, management and revenue distribution of the MVHR management committee, elected on a role-based model for operations and maintenance.

The committee will hold a special general meeting in the near future to ratify the report.

Some changes to the committee could occur at that meeting.

Mr Gibson said the MVHR was hoping to soon secure State Government funding to tackle its track safety issues, and that once that was underway the focus would be on getting the train running again, at least to Amamoor.

"When the business advisory group was first established we had strong community support from many of our local business and community leaders who wanted to provide their expertise to help keep the Rattler operating - this plan is their work." Mr Gibson said.

"The Rattler Recovery Plan is a result of various meetings and a workshop with essential input from MVHR management and presents ways to address the challenges the MVHR currently faces.

"This recovery plan puts forward the option of a local community trust with a board of trustees to take on the strategic planning, leaving the MVHR to get on with the job of providing an outstanding rail experience for tourists."

Mr Gibson praised the committee for its willingness to consider and accept the recommendations made.

"I thank Tony Hallam as chairman and all members of the MVHR for their work in difficult circumstances and for their willingness to adopt a new management structure with a community board of trustees.

"I have now presented the recovery plan to the state department for their consideration of the funding assistance required for the track recovery work necessary.

"I recognise that the recent flood events place an additional burden on the State Budget but I am sure the Rattler Recovery Plan will get a fair consideration."

Gympie Mayor Ron Dyne said both community and government support was vital for the recovery plan to stand the test of time.

"It is essential that any recovery plan for the Rattler gains widespread public support, otherwise we are in danger of facing the same challenges again," Mayor Dyne said.

Mr Gibson and Mayor Dyne thanked all members of the Business Advisory Group for their assistance in developing the recovery plan over the past three months.

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[ozbob]

Some recent photographs ..

















Photographs mufreight 17th February 2013

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[ozbob]

Gympie Times --> Train robbery 'mis-carriage'

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[ozbob]

From the ABC News click here!

Gympie's heritage railway gets track repair nod

Gympie's heritage railway gets track repair nod
By Bruce Atkinson

Queensland's rail safety regulator has given the Mary Valley Heritage Railway in Gympie the all-clear to resume operating its maintenance and inspection trains to repair tracks this weekend.

Operations were suspended on Tuesday after the alleged unlawful use of a locomotive by a 17-year-old boy.

Safety officials visited the railway yard in Gympie yesterday to investigate the incident.

Heritage railway president Tony Hallam says being able to continue repair work is a relief.

"We indicated that we would be having a volunteer track gang working on the weekend with maintenance vehicles being involved with that," he said.

"They said 'yes, that's okay' - we can operate that.

"We would also have a shunting movement occurring within Gympie yard on the weekend - they said 'yes, that's okay too'."

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[ozbob]

Gympie Times --> One giant step for Rattler

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[ozbob]

ABC News --> Partial green light for Rattler's return

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[ozbob]

From the ABC News click here!

Mary Valley railway to resume limited passenger services

Mary Valley railway to resume limited passenger services
By Jo Skinner

The Mary Valley Heritage Railway at Gympie in the state's south-east will resume limited passenger services from June 9 after approval from Queensland's Rail Safety Regulator.

The services will initially operate north from the Old Gympie Station three days a month for a 25-minute, 2.8 kilometre round trip.

The 1930s Red Rocket rail motor will run on alternate Sundays and the 1960s Silver Bullet will run once a month on Saturdays.

Repairs are still being made to the Rattler steam train and sections of track around the Gympie rail yard after two derailments last year.

Well done!   

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[ozbob]

ABC News --> Gympie's heritage railway lobbies for Rattler steam train funds

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[ozbob]

Gympie Times --> Valley Rattler back on track thanks to Qld budget funding

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[ozbob]

Fraser Coast Chronicle --> Shunt work has heritage rail on track for revival

A NEW contract for shunt services to Maryborough is helping the Mary Valley Heritage Railway become viable again.

MVHR manager Jim Walker was pleased with the deal to use a diesel locomotive to shunt for Downer EDI from Gympie at Maryborough.

He said the contract followed detailed negotiation with a large number of players, together with thorough preparation of equipment.

"The MVHR has been looking to identify alternate revenue opportunities following the suspension of passenger operations last year. This operation is a major plus for us," Mr Walker said.

"I thank all who were involved in the planning and implementation of this event."

MVHR president Tony Hallam said the railway would continue to source alternative revenue opportunities while working with the State Government in the execution of the recently announced funding. The funding is being used to help return heritage steam operations back to the Mary Valley.

"This is a great outcome for the MVHR and demonstrates that the MVHR is continuing to develop and grow as a viable business entity," Mr Hallam said.

"This initiative continues to lay the foundation for the reboot of the Valley Rattler."

He said volunteer track gangs had just replaced 54 sleepers in the Gympie yard and to the immediate south of Old Gympie Railway Station.

The co-ordinator of the volunteer track gang, Peter Alder, said it was a big effort.

"We have been having track gangs every two to three weeks and it is great to see the number of volunteers who turn up.

"It is hard yakka," he said.

For details and bookings of the Heritage Rail Motor tours, which occur on the second and fourth Sundays and during the MVHR Twilight Markets every third Saturday, please phone 5482 2750.

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[Stillwater]

On all accounts, The MV Rattler won't be running until 2015.  However, the prospects of a mine in the Mary Valley could be a game-changer: http://www.gympietimes.com.au/news/valley-line-a-plus-for-mining-plans-company-encour/2099193/

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[ozbob]

Gympie Times --> Rattler looks to a bright future

A SPECIAL committee meeting of the Mary Valley Heritage Rail organisation last night was an early step towards survival for the iconic organisation, which has been an important part of the Mary Valley economy.

That was until track failures led to the steam train being put off the rails.

A special $2 million State Government grant is expected to greatly improve the outlook for supporters of the Rattler, even if track repairs are unlikely, at least for now, to take the train much past Dagun.

MP David Gibson last night had the job of explaining to the Rattler committee the mutual obligations which will apply; particularly what the government expects in return for the money.

Mr Gibson said yesterday the government requirements mainly involved new systems of accountability and financial administration, as part of a package to revitalise the service, which once formed a vital tourist link between Gympie and Imbil.

Mr Gibson, who is also chairman of the Mary Valley Economic Advisory Group, said the money would be important support for the flow-on economic benefits of the steam train tourist service.

"The Valley Rattler has faced an uncertain future since operations on the Mary Valley Line were suspended in October 2012," he said earlier this year, when the subsidy was announced.

"In response, Mayor Ron Dyne and I established the Mary Valley Business Advisory Group.

"Its report has been the basis for securing this funding," he said.

"The Rattler is a local tourism icon. The funding will help get it back on the tracks

"But its long term viability will be reliant on revenue from both ticketing and external funding to meet operational expenses," he said.

Rattler official Jim Walker said yesterday that although last night's meeting was not open to the public, he expected its outcome would be made public.

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[ozbob]

ABC News --> Council becomes Mary Valley Rattler's sole shareholder

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[ozbob]

Gympie Times --> It's Imbil or bust for the Mary Valley Rattler

UPHILL BATTLE: Long-serving volunteer and former manager Ted Mitchell says it is imperative the revived Rattler go all the way to Imbil within 12 months of becoming operational again. Craig Warhurst

THE Mary Valley Rattler will "die" within 12 months if the line is repaired only to Amamoor or Dagun, long-time volunteer and former Mary Valley Heritage Rail manager Ted Mitchell says.

Mr Mitchell and other volunteers have expressed their concern at reports the $2 million State Government funding to resurrect the Rattler will not get the train all the way to Imbil.

While Amamoor is a beautiful township with a wonderful community, Mr Mitchell and other long-term volunteer Kev Power say it does not have the shops, attractions and facilities to draw and cater to the Rattler crowds.

At its very peak in 2008-09 as many as 200 people would be waiting to meet the train in Imbil on bushranger re-enactment days, Mr Mitchell said.

"This was not people who were travelling on the Rattler," he said.

"This was people visiting the Valley, camping at Borumba Dam or Maleny.

"They would come into Imbil to see the train come in. It was big, I tell you."

Back then, the Rattler carried up to 200 passengers on its Wednesday trips and 350 on Sundays.

"It was good. It was a brilliant thing. We were very proud of it, I can tell you," he said.

Mr Mitchell welcomed any moves to get the Rattler back on track, but said he believed that even if the train initially went only as far as Amamoor, it was imperative that within 12 months it went all the way to Imbil. If it didn't it would fail, he said. Under the new MVHR structure, Gympie Regional Council is guarantor for the operation and the holding company that appointed the board to run the Rattler trust. An announcement is yet to be made on the contractor for repair work on the Valley branch line.

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[dancingmongoose]

Finally: The Rattler's rolling once again -> http://www.gympietimes.com.au/news/rattler-gets-rolling/2345779/

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[Stillwater]

^ The picture looks a bit like a photo of the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.  At this stage, state funding will get the track rehabilitation to Amamoor only ... and there is bugger-all there.  Gympie / Mary Valley communities have got to get together and raise a bit of money to supplement what is on offer from the Queensland Government.  If not, alternative strategies will need to be devised, among them, possibly, having The Rattler venturing out onto the main line occasionally on a Sunday, Gympie-Nambour, past the railway towns with their country pubs and colourful markets.  The Rattler experience should not be the same ole, same ole, but varied a little.

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[ozbob]

Twitter

Jeff Addison @Jeffrey_Addison

Rattled on right heritage track. #SunshineCoast @the_daily p2

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[ozbob]

From the Sunshine Coast Daily 12th September 2014  page 5

Make tracks to help Rattler

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[mufreight]

It has been quite a while since there has been an update on progress with the Rattler, have they reached the point where steam operations have or are likely to recommence what has been the progress with their track rehabilitation program. 

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[ozbob]

Twitter

Jeff Addison ‏@Jeffrey_Addison 7h

Report Ch 9 News that the #MaryValley Rattler has stopped with #Labor not committing to $2m funding promised by prev. #LNP Govt @Robert_Dow

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[Fares_Fair]

Will the iconic Gympie Rattler survive this time?
http://www.gympietimes.com.au/news/will-the-rattler-survive-this-time-labor-tight-lip/2593144/

THE LAST STOP? Volunteers were locked out of their workshops at the old Gympie train station yesterday as the Rattler Railway Company shut the whole thing down in an attempt to get some answers on the fate of the tourist icon.

The volunteers were told early yesterday morning they had until 4pm to remove themselves and their personal items before the locks would go on.

A press release issued by the Rattler Railway Company Inc said the Rattler board "in conjunction with" the council, was reducing activity at the Old Gympie Station until the Labor State Government decides its fate.

The LNP allocated $2 million to restore at least some of the Rattler's ageing tracks two years ago, and then another $600,000 to upgrade its rolling stock.

Only a tiny portion of that money has ever been seen.

Now, with a new government in charge of the purse strings, the vast bulk of it may never be seen.

Post election attempts to get some indication of the fate of that $2.6 million have met with silence.

"The start-up and future operations of the Valley Rattler were dependent on the $2.6 million allocated from the previous State Government," RRC director Garry Davison said yesterday.

"Following the Queensland state election on January 31, 2015, the RRC has made numerous attempts to obtain advice from the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning on when the funding will be released," he said.

RRC have not yet had a response, however, we will continue to pursue the funding to support the business plan submitted to the department in October 2014.

"We appreciate the efforts of Tony Perrett MP and Mayor Mick Curran who have both made representations to the Queensland Government in respect of the funding."

Mr Davison told The Gympie Times the RRC was not prepared to continue to tread water while expenses continued to build.

"We have just got to the stage where we are not going to do that any longer," he said.

"We know where we want to go, but the stuff we are doing might not be worth doing.

"We are just putting things on hold until we get an answer from the government.

"Once that happens we will put everything in full swing. By drawing a line in the sand it might get us a quicker answer."

The RRC met with volunteers later in the day yesterday.

The RRC board consists of Mr Davison, acting chairman Ian McNichol, secretary Gaylene Smith and Tony Hallam. The council's role is via its representation on the holding company, which owns the assets to be used by the RRC.

Cr Curran, council CEO Bernard Smith and Gympie MP Tony Perrett comprise the board of the holding company.

The Mary Valley Rattler facebook page status yesterday was "may be permanently closed".

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[Stillwater]

The Valley Rattler revival plan objective is as follows, dependant on State Government funding:

Steam train operations will not be restored all the way to Imbil, but will stop at Amamoor, about half way.  (There is a turntable at Amamoor).  Between Amamoor and Imbil, The Rattler Company proposes to run its ‘Silver Bullet’ rail motor.  It is lighter than a steam loco.  Imbil Railway Station will become upgraded to a museum and the track beyond Imbil, to Brooloo will become a cycling and walking ‘rail trail’.

http://www.gympietimes.com.au/news/golf-talks-still-in-the-rough/2620503/

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