Marburg railway line

Last updated

Marburg railway line near Perry's Knob, circa 1915 StateLibQld 1 258703 Country scene at Marburg, ca. 1915.jpg
Marburg railway line near Perry's Knob, circa 1915

The Marburg Branch Railway is a branch line of the Main Line railway (from Brisbane to Toowoomba) in Queensland, Australia. It branches near Rosewood, which is about 20 kilometres west of Ipswich.

Contents

Previously known as Rosewood Gate, a railway gatekeeper was appointed to Rosewood in 1866. A waiting room and stationmaster's house were built in 1875 and a station office built in 1880 was replaced with the current building in 1918. Agricultural land to the north of Rosewood was not directly serviced by the Brisbane Valley railway line and, in December 1909, parliament approved the construction of a branch line to run about 15 kilometres to Marburg.

The Marburg locality was originally known as First Plain, then as Frederick after the name of an early settler, and lastly as Marburg after a Prussian town of the same name. During World War I the town was known as Townshend but the Marburg name was reinstated in 1920. The line opened on 18 December 1911 after passing through North Rosewood, Perry's Knob, Cabanda ( 27°36′42″S152°34′44″E / 27.6117°S 152.5790°E / -27.6117; 152.5790 (Cabanda railway station) ), Kunkala ( 27°36′32″S152°33′42″E / 27.6090°S 152.5618°E / -27.6090; 152.5618 (Kunkala railway station) ), Tallegalla and Birru. A daily service to Ipswich departed Marburg each morning and returned in the evening. It was a two-hour journey by rail and over time the faster road trip prevailed. Coal mines in the region kept the line viable until they progressively closed.

The branch closed in stages – from Marburg to Birru in 1964, to Kunkala in 1970, Cabanda in 1973 and to Perry's Knob in 1979. The Australian Railway Historical Society now uses a section of the line to operate steam locomotive rides. [1] It has a display at Kunkala station.

See also

Related Research Articles

Ipswich and Rosewood railway line

The Ipswich and Rosewood line refers to the section of the Main Line to Toowoomba that has a regular suburban rail service, extending southwest from the Brisbane central business district. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network.

Cleveland railway line

The Cleveland railway line is a suburban railway line extending 37.3 kilometres (23.2 mi) east-southeast from Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Queensland Rail City network.

Corinda railway station

Corinda railway station is located on the Main line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the Brisbane suburb of Corinda.

Darra, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Darra is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Darra had a population of 4,343 people.

Taringa, Queensland Suburb of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

Taringa is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Taringa had a population of 8,376 people.

Roadvale, Queensland Town in Queensland, Australia

Roadvale is a rural locality in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Roadvale had a population of 286 people.

Marburg, Queensland Town in Queensland, Australia

Marburg is a rural town in the City of Ipswich and a locality split between the City of Ipswich and the Somerset Region, both in Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Marburg had a population of 873 people.

Rosewood, Queensland Town in Queensland, Australia

Rosewood is a small town and locality in the Bremer Valley, Queensland, Australia. It is within the local government area of City of Ipswich.

Grandchester, Queensland Town in Queensland, Australia

Grandchester is a rural town and locality in the City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Grandchester had a population of 444 people.

Bundamba, Queensland Suburb of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

Bundamba is a large suburb of City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. At the 2016 Australian Census the suburb recorded a population of 6,514.

East Ipswich, Queensland Suburb of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

East Ipswich is a residential inner-city suburb of Ipswich in the City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, East Ipswich had a population of 2,410 people.

Dinmore, Queensland Suburb of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

Dinmore is a suburb of the City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Dinmore had a population of 875 people. According to the 2016 Australian Census the Dinmore unemployment rate was 16.7%, in comparison to the Australian unemployment rate of 6.9%.

Riverview, Queensland Suburb of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

Riverview is a suburb of Ipswich in the City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Riverview had a population of 3,073 people.

Gailes is a suburb in the City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia.

Thagoona, Queensland Suburb of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

Thagoona is a locality in the City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia.

Ashwell, Queensland Suburb of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

Ashwell is a rural locality in the City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Ashwell had a population of 85 people.

Dugandan railway line

The Dugandan railway line was a branch railway in the Scenic Rim region of South East Queensland, Australia. It was also known as the Fassifern railway line. It operated from 1882 to 1964.

Rail network in South East Queensland

Queensland Rail operates ten suburban lines and three interurban lines. Centring in the Brisbane City, it extends as far as Gympie in the north, Varsity Lakes in the south, Rosewood in the west, and Cleveland in the east to Moreton Bay.

Construction of Queensland railways

Queensland's railway construction commenced in 1864, with the turning of the first sod of the Main Line by Lady Diamantina Bowen, the wife of Queensland's first governor Sir George Bowen at Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. A narrow gauge of 3 ft 6 in was selected due to cost savings in providing a rail link to Toowoomba. Despite being built with bridges wide enough for standard gauge, and the fact that most other lines did not require heavy earthworks, the gauge remained the Queensland system norm.

Main Line railway, Queensland

The Main Line is a railway line in South East Queensland, Australia. It was opened in a series of sections between 1865 and 1867. It commences at Roma St Station in Brisbane and extends west 161 km to Toowoomba. It is the first narrow gauge main line constructed in the world. The section of the line from the end of Murphys Creek railway station to the Ruthven Street overbridge, Harlaxton is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register. The Murphys Creek Railway Complex, the Lockyer Creek Railway Bridge (Lockyer), the Lockyer Creek Railway Bridge and Swansons Rail Bridge are also heritage listed.

References

  1. "Rail journey lines up a tour mecca". The Queensland Times . 18 April 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.