List of tramways in Queensland

Last updated

List of tramways in Queensland provides three separate lists, each in alphabetical order of the key identifier. They are:

Contents

This list article does not include the Brisbane tramway network, the Brisbane Tramway Museum, the Gold Coast light rail, or the Rockhampton steam tram network.

The information listed is derived from the references and from the wikilinked articles (including those in “See also”)

Non sugar cane tramways

Except where shown otherwise these tramways had a gauge of 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). They were regarded as tramways because of their lighter construction, and because they did not compete with government railways. The Mapleton Tramway, a former sugar cane tramway, is included in this list because it has its own article, and is heritage listed.

Tramway lengths are shown in miles to conform to other Australian railway articles. Where the source shows the distance in kilometres some small difference may occur due to rounding.

Tramway name [1] Owner / operatorFrom localityTo localityFrom yearTo yearLengthGaugeNotes
Aramac Aramac Shire Aramac Barcaldine 1913197541 mi (66 km)3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)Now a heritage listed station and museum at Aramac.
Ballara Hampton mineDevoncourt (former train station) Ballara (former mining town)1915192621.8 mi (35 km)3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)Served the “Wee Macgregor” mine, in the locality of Kuridala.
This line joined a 1.85 mi (3 km) tramway, with 2 ft (610 mm) gauge.
Barakula Queensland Railway Department Chinchilla Barakula State Forest 191119703 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)The tramway transported railway sleepers made from logs taken from the state forest at Barakula and milled at the Barakula sawmill (approx 26°25′40″S150°30′16″E / 26.4279°S 150.5044°E / -26.4279; 150.5044 (Barakula sawmill (former)) ). The route of the Barakula tramway was based on an earlier plan to construct a railway line from Chinchilla to Taroom that was subsequently abandoned in favour of a railway line from Miles to Taroom. [2] [3] [4] [5]
Beaudesert Shire Beaudesert Shire Beaudesert Lamington and
Rathdowney
1903194439.36 mi (63.34 km)3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)With a branch line from Tabooba to Rathdowney.
Belmont Belmont Shire Norman Park Belmont 191219264.3 mi (6.9 km)3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)Passenger tramway.
Big Pineapple The Big PineappleLoop around the property1971N/A0.6 mi (1.0 km)2 ft (610 mm)Tourist tramway.
Buderim Maroochy Shire Palmwoods railway station Buderim 191419357.2 mi (11.6 km)2 ft (610 mm)Built to carry farm produce from Buderim.
Now heritage listed remnants at Buderim.
Cooloola Brisbane Saw Mills Broutha Scrub, Cooloola Poverty Point, Cooloola187418848.5 mi (13.7 km)2 ft (610 mm) (assumed)Built to carry timber to Tin Can Bay.
Now heritage listed remnants [6] in Great Sandy National Park.
Innisfail Johnstone Shire Mourilyan Harbour Mourilyan 188319976.8 mi (11 km)2 ft (610 mm)Built to carry materials from Mourilyan Harbour to build the Mourilyan sugar mill.
Later expanded into a sugar cane tramway network to service the Mourilyan mill.
Laheys Laheys Sawmill Canungra Upper Coomera 1900193316.5 mi (26.6 km)3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)Now a heritage listed tunnel at Canungra.
Mapleton Moreton Central Sugar Mill Nambour Mapleton 1897200326.1 mi (42.0 km)3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)Expanded to a network of lines converging on Nambour.
Now a heritage listed tramway segment in Nambour, and
Tramway Lift Bridge over Maroochy River..
Mill Point McGhie, Luya and Co.Near Kin Kin CreekMill Point sawmill, Como 1870s1890s4 mi (6.4 km)3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)Timber haulage near Lake Cootharaba, originally using timber rails.
Heritage listed remnants at Como.
Stannary Hills Stannary Hills Mines and Tramway CompanyBoonmoo [7] Stannary Hills19021941Unknown2 ft (610 mm)Built for tin mining.
Now heritage listed remnants at Irvinebank, and a rail trail to Boonmoo. [8]
Refer to Chillagoe Railway & Mining Co. for a map showing Boonmoo, Stannary Hills, Irvinebank and Rocky Bluff, and the tramways between them.
Stannary Hills [9] Irvinebank 190719367.5 mi (12.1 km)(est)
Stannary Hills Rocky Bluff (a former mining town in the locality of Watsonville)190219266.8 mi (10.9 km)

Sugar cane tramways

With the exception of the Oaklands and Pioneer mill tramways, with a gauge of 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm), and the Morayfield line (3 ft (914 mm)), these tramways have a gauge of 2 ft (610 mm). None of these tramways have their own article, but some of the mills have articles in which the associated tramway network is mentioned. Most of the locality articles contain some information about the associated sugar mill/s.

Mill name [1] 'Mill localityMill open yearMill close yearNotes
Babinda Babinda 19152011Dates from ref. [10]
Bingera South Kolan 1885 [11] N/A
Bloomfield Bloomfield 18851890Tramway was 10 mi (16 km) long, built from portable track. Mill closed 1890.
Cattle Creek Finch Hatton 19061990Tramway absorbed by Marian mill.
Fairymead Fairymead 18842004/5Tramway absorbed by Bingera mill.
Farleigh Farleigh 1883N/ATramway built 1956 to 1961. [12]
Gin Gin Wallaville 18961974Tramway absorbed by Bingera mill.
Goondi Goondi 18831987Tramway absorbed by Babinda and Mourilyan mills.
Habana Habana 18831901Heritage listed remains at Habana.
Hambleton Edmonton 18951992Tramway, built in 1897, absorbed by Mulgrave mill.
Inkerman Home Hill 1914N/A
Invicta Giru 1918N/A
Isis Cordalba 1896N/A
Kalamia Brandon N/A
Macknade Macknade 1874N/A
Marian Marian 1885 / 1895 [13] N/A
Millaquin Bundaberg North 1882 [14] N/A
Morayfield Morayfield 18671889A 3 mi (4.8 km), 3 ft (914 mm) gauge line. Tram initially horse-drawn; later by an 8-ton locomotive.
Heritage listed ruins, including tramway rails.
Moreton Nambour 18972003Mill demolished in 2006 and most lines removed.
See Mapleton tramway in the above table for further details.
Mossman Mossman 1894N/A
Mourilyan [15] Mourilyan 18842006Mill destroyed by Cyclone Larry.
Mulgrave Gordonvale 1896N/ASee also Cairns-Mulgrave Tramway, a 31 mi (50 km), 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge line incorporated into Queensland Rail In 1911.
North Eton North Eton 18881989Tramway absorbed by Pleystowe and Racecourse mills.
Pioneer Brandon N/A
Plane Creek Sarina 1896N/A
Pleystowe Pleystowe 18722009Dates from ref. [16]
Proserpine Proserpine 1897N/A
Qunaba Qunaba pre-19001985Tramway absorbed by Millaquin and Fairymead mills.
Racecourse Racecourse 1889 [17] N/A
Richmond Richmond 18811895Heritage listed remnants at Richmond.
Rocky Point Steiglitz 19241951 Rocky Point Sugar Mill is still operational. The Fowler locomotive is on display at the Beenleigh Historical Village. [18] [19] [20]
South Johnstone South Johnstone 1916 [21] N/A
Tully Tully 1925N/A
Victoria Victoria Plantation 1883 [22] N/A

Shared sugar cane tramways

The following mills, through common ownership arrangements, share their tramway networks: [1]

Other early tramways

This list shows early enterprises that had some form of tramway, of which little is known.

Enterprise nameEnterprise localityOpen yearClose yearNotes
Anglo Saxon Mine Groganville 18891897Tramway from gold mine to battery.
Heritage listed remnants at Groganville.
Argyle Homestead Geham 18974.8 mi (7.7 km) tramway from sawmill to railway at Hampton.
Heritage listed farm remnants (not tramway) at the homestead.
Beam Creek Sawmill Hazeldean 1920s1920s300 metre tramway for very steep descent from mountain top to bottom. [23]
Bunya Mountains National Park Bunya Mountains 19231928670 metre tramway for 250 metre descent from mountain top to bottom at Wengenville, used with winches, winders and flying foxes. [24]
The logs were transferred to a horse drawn tram for movement to a log dump. [23]
A “not to scale” model can be seen at the natural history museum at the Dandabah camping area. [25]
Central Sugar Mill Yengarie 18661890Tramway from wharf to mill.
Heritage listed remnants at Yengarie.
See also Yengarie Sugar Refinery Ruins.
Cressbrook Creek Sawmill Cressbrook Creek 19221930s700 metre tramway for very steep descent from mountain top to bottom. [26]
The logs were transferred to a horse drawn tram for movement to the sawmill. [23]
Cumberland Company Cumberland 18911897800 metre tramway from gold mine to Battery.
Brick chimney of Battery is only remains.
Evelyn Scrub War Memorial Evelyn 191019216.2 mi (10 km) tramway from timber mill to railway line.
Heritage listed items (not tramway) at the War Memorial.
Hampton Timber Tramway Palmtree 190119366 mi (9.7 km) tramway from timber mill at Palmtree to railway line at Hampton.
Believed to be Stage 1 of Munro Tramway (see below)
Killarney railway line Tannymorel 19081964Tramway from Mount Colliery coal mine to railway line at Tannymorel.
Lytton Quarantine Station Lytton 19131980sTramway from wharf to Reception House.
Heritage listed remnants at Lytton.
Mount Crosby Pumping Station Mount Crosby 19131932Tramway from Tivoli for construction, and then to bring coal to power the pumps.
Heritage listed site (no remnants of tramway)
Munro Tramway Hampton 1890s1936Tramway from sawmills at Perseverance and Ravensbourne to railway at Hampton. [27]

[28]

Nerang Hardwood Company Neranwood 19231928Tramway from sawmill to railway at Mudgeeraba.
Pinelands Sawmill [29] Hillview 190419125 mi (8 km) tramway from timber source to sawmill.
Visible evidence is a rock cutting up to three metres deep and ten metres long.
Scrubby Creek Sawmill [30] Royston 1920s1920sRoyston is 8.7 mi (14.0 km) east of Kilcoy. (see map) [31] Short tramway and chute from timber source to sawmill.
Visible evidence is cuttings, embankments and sleepers.
St Helena Island Moreton Bay 1885Passenger tramway - first in Queensland.
Heritage listed site (remnants of tramway ?)
St Lawrence Meatworks and Wharf [32] St Lawrence 1860s1911Tramway between meatworks, other buildings (and wharf?)
Heritage listed remnants at St Lawrence.
Sundown Tin and Copper Mine Stanthorpe 19041923250 metre tramway from copper mine to furnace.
Heritage listed remnants (no tramway) at Stanthorpe.
Totley Township Ravenswood 1890Endless chain tramway between silver mine and treatment plant.
Heritage listed remnants at Ravenswood.

See also

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