Tablelands railway line

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Cairns Railway Station ~1890 StateLibQld 1 102855 Cairns Railway Station, ca. 1890.jpg
Cairns Railway Station ~1890
Works train in the Barron Gorge section StateLibQld 1 150427 Aftermath of a landslide on the Cairns Railway, Cairns Range, 1911.jpg
Works train in the Barron Gorge section
Stoney Creek bridge StateLibQld 2 120040 Stony Creek Falls and bridge, Cairns District.jpg
Stoney Creek bridge
Biboohra bridge ~1895 StateLibQld 1 69219 Locomotive on the Biboohra Railway Bridge, Queensland, ca. 1895.jpg
Biboohra bridge ~1895
Stoney Creek trestle bridge in the Barron gorge, September 1989 Dia 0379.jpg
Stoney Creek trestle bridge in the Barron gorge, September 1989
QR loco 1760 hauls a special train on the Mareeba-Almaden section of the Mungana line, September 1989 Dia 0377.jpg
QR loco 1760 hauls a special train on the Mareeba-Almaden section of the Mungana line, September 1989
Arrival of the train at Atherton station, 1928 StateLibQld 2 44871 Arrival of the train to Atherton Railway Station, Queensland, 1928.jpg
Arrival of the train at Atherton station, 1928
View from a loco cab on the Mungana line, September 1989 Dia 0378.jpg
View from a loco cab on the Mungana line, September 1989
Train at Yungaburra, 1929 StateLibQld 1 290987 Locomotive at Yungaburra Station, Queensland.jpg
Train at Yungaburra, 1929
1760 and special train crossing a low level bridge on the Forsayth line, September 1989. Note the short, steep approaches to the bridge, as steep as 1 in 15, known as 'momentum' grades. The bridge is designed so floodwaters pass over it and minimise the risk of damage. Dia 0380.jpg
1760 and special train crossing a low level bridge on the Forsayth line, September 1989. Note the short, steep approaches to the bridge, as steep as 1 in 15, known as 'momentum' grades. The bridge is designed so floodwaters pass over it and minimise the risk of damage.

The Tablelands railway line is a railway line in North Queensland, Australia. It was opened in a series of sections between 1887 and 1916. It commences at Cairns and at its maximum extent, reached Ravenshoe at the southern end of the Atherton Tableland. The rail system served by this line was unusual for Queensland in that the majority of lines that connected to it were built by private companies and later purchased by the Queensland Government.

Contents

History

Following the discovery of tin at Herberton in 1879, the ports of Cairns and Port Douglas were established, competing for the role of dominant settlement in the area. The summer tropical rainfall in the region made roads virtually impassable in the wet season, leading to calls for improved land transportation in the region. The region to the west of this section of the Queensland coast was relatively rugged, being mountainous rainforest.

Three potential routes were investigated to reach Herberton, via Port Douglas, Cairns and Geraldton (now Innisfail). The shortest route was from Innisfail, but it was the steepest and through very rugged country. The Port Douglas route was the easiest but longest. Cairns had the best port, and the unstable geology of the Barron Gorge was not known at the time.

After extensive debate, the Queensland Government selected Cairns ( 16°55′30″S145°46′15″E / 16.9251°S 145.7707°E / -16.9251; 145.7707 (Cairns railway station) ) as the starting point of the line, and the first section opened to Redlynch ( 16°53′13″S145°41′48″E / 16.8870°S 145.6967°E / -16.8870; 145.6967 (Redlynch railway station) ), at the base of the range, 11.6 km (7.21 mi) from Cairns on 8 October 1887. [1] [2]

Climbing the Kuranda Range

The next section climbed the Barron River Gorge reaching 317 m asl using 1 in 50 grades and 4 chain (~88m) radius curves (the tightest used on the system) involving 15 tunnels and several major bridges. The Redlynch section was built with 21 kg/m (42 lb/yd) rails, but in recognition of the high wear the sharp curves would cause, the Gorge section was laid with 30 kg/m (60 lb/yd) rails. [3] This section opened to Myola ( 16°48′06″S145°36′41″E / 16.8017°S 145.6113°E / -16.8017; 145.6113 (Myola railway station) ) in 1891, and the line reached Mareeba ( 16°59′34″S145°25′16″E / 16.9928°S 145.4212°E / -16.9928; 145.4212 (Mareeba railway station) ) in 1893. [2] The Barron Gorge section had cost nearly three times the original estimate, and the government, reluctant to commit to any further public expenditure on extending the Tablelands rail network, sought alternative options. [4]

Private railways

The area west of Mareeba was known to be mineralised, and mining pioneer John Moffat received government approval to build a copper mine at Chillagoe, smelter at Barron Falls and railway to connect the mine to the QR line, to be the same gauge and standard as the QR line. The Chillagoe Railway & Mining Co. was created for the project, but the public outcry over the site of the smelter forced its relocation to Chillagoe, the railway then becoming vital to ship coal and coke for the smelter from the wharf at Cairns.

The 164 km (101.90 mi) line opened to Mungana ( 17°06′14″S144°23′26″E / 17.1038°S 144.3905°E / -17.1038; 144.3905 (Mungana railway station) ), 16 km beyond Chillagoe in 1901, built with 1 in 50 (2%) grades, 30 kg/m (60.48 lb/yd) rail and 5-chain (330.0 ft; 100.6 m) curves, with its own locomotives but hiring rolling stock from QR. A travelling post office was provided between Cairns and Almaden ( 17°20′18″S144°40′41″E / 17.3384°S 144.6780°E / -17.3384; 144.6780 (Almaden railway station) ) from 1911 to 1918. [2]

Another smelter was built at Mount Garnet and a 50 km line from Lappa Junction ( 17°21′33″S144°53′10″E / 17.3591°S 144.8861°E / -17.3591; 144.8861 (Lappa railway station) ) was opened in 1902 with 1 in 40 (2.5%) grades and 4-chain (264 ft; 80 m) radius curves. [2] The Queensland Government purchased the line in 1915, and contracted the Chillagoe Railway to run the line. Traffic was significantly boosted from 1938 when a tin mine was opened.

A 610 mm (2 ft) gauge tramway was opened from Boonmoo ( 17°14′44″S145°04′24″E / 17.2456°S 145.0734°E / -17.2456; 145.0734 (Boonmoo railway station) ) to Rocky Bluffs in 1902 to serve a further mining field, and a branch built from Stannary Hills to Irvinebank in 1907, closing in 1937. [2]

Another copper smelter was built at Mount Molloy ( 16°40′29″S145°20′05″E / 16.6748°S 145.3346°E / -16.6748; 145.3346 (Mount Molloy railway station) ), and a 32 km (19.88 mi) line with 1 in 40 grades opened in 1908 from Biboohra ( 16°55′11″S145°25′12″E / 16.9196°S 145.4201°E / -16.9196; 145.4201 (Biboohra railway station) ) to serve it and a sawmill. This line was purchased by the Queensland Government in 1917 so it could be extended to a potential agricultural area, but construction was delayed for 5 years and an 11 km extension to Rumula ( 16°35′45″S145°20′25″E / 16.5957°S 145.3403°E / -16.5957; 145.3403 (Rumula railway station) ) finally opened in 1926. [2]

The Etheridge railway was a 229-kilometre (142.29-mile) line from Almaden to Forsayth ( 18°35′13″S143°36′10″E / 18.5869°S 143.6028°E / -18.5869; 143.6028 (Forsayth railway station) ). [2] It opened between 1909–1910 to provide additional ore for the Chillagoe smelter. It was built with 21 kg/m (42.3 lb/yd) rails, 1 in 40 grades, 4-chain (264 ft; 80 m) radius curves and low level bridges.

The discovery of coal at Mount Mulligan ( 16°51′23″S144°52′15″E / 16.8563°S 144.8707°E / -16.8563; 144.8707 (Mount Mulligan railway station) ) was a significant development for the mining fields, [2] which were finding the cost of shipping coal and coke from the Cairns wharf a major impediment. A 48 km line was opened from Dimbulah ( 17°08′59″S145°06′40″E / 17.1496°S 145.1112°E / -17.1496; 145.1112 (Dimbuah railway station) ) in 1915 using 1 in 30 (3.3%) grades in the uphill direction (1 in 40 for the grade against loaded trains). [2]

The collapse of the world copper price at the end of World War I led to the Queensland Government purchasing all the privately owned 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) lines in 1919.

The section of the Etheridge railway line west of Mount Surprise ( 18°08′48″S144°19′04″E / 18.1468°S 144.3179°E / -18.1468; 144.3179 (Mount Surprise railway station) ) was badly damaged by cyclonic rainfall in 1927, [2] and from that time until 1939 the only service was provided by a railmotor which could haul two small goods wagons. The first diesel locomotive used by the Queensland Railways was introduced that year to enable the return of locomotive hauled trains to Forsayth.

To the southern Atherton Tableland

Although it received an offer for a private line to be built south of Mareeba, the government considered that to be prime agricultural land, and constructed the line itself, opening the line from Mareeba to Atherton ( 17°15′48″S145°28′33″E / 17.2634°S 145.4759°E / -17.2634; 145.4759 (Atherton railway station) ) on 10 August 1903. [5] By the time the railway reached Herberton ( 17°23′08″S145°23′06″E / 17.3855°S 145.3849°E / -17.3855; 145.3849 (Herberton railway station) ) on 20 October 1910 the tin mining boom was long over, and the line was being built to facilitate development. [5] The line opened on Tumoulin on 31 July 1911 with Tumoulin railway station ( 17°33′51″S145°27′09″E / 17.5641°S 145.4526°E / -17.5641; 145.4526 (Tumoulin railway station) ) being Queensland's highest railway station at 965 metres (3,166 ft) above sea level. [2] [5] [6] The line opened to the timber milling town of Ravenshoe ( 17°36′33″S145°28′58″E / 17.6093°S 145.4827°E / -17.6093; 145.4827 (Ravenshoe railway station) ) on 11 December 1916. [2] [5] The line used grades as steep as 1 in 33 (3%) and a tunnel at the summit to cross the Herberton Range.

Millaa Millaa branch line

The Queensland Government also built the Millaa Millaa branch line from Tolga, opening to Yungaburra ( 17°16′15″S145°35′01″E / 17.2707°S 145.5836°E / -17.2707; 145.5836 (Yungaburra railway station) ) on 15 March 1910, to Kureen ( 17°20′04″S145°35′46″E / 17.3345°S 145.5962°E / -17.3345; 145.5962 (Kureen railway station) ) on 18 October 1910, to Malanda on 20 December 1910, to Jaggan on 22 October 1915, to Tarzali on 15 December 1916, and finally to Millaa Millaa on 19 December 1921. [2] [5] The route involveds grades of 1 in 44 (2.27%) and 5 chain [100 m (109.36 yd)] radius curves. The line facilitated the transport of significant volumes of logs for sawmilling in its early years, but once all-weather roads were provided, traffic declined, although the grain silos at Kairi provide significant if seasonal loadings. An 18 km (11.18 mi) branch line from Peeramon (situated between Yungaburra and Malanda) south east to Boonjee was proposed in 1920 but never constructed.

Closures

Passenger services

In 1936 demand from tourists wanting to travel through the Barron River gorge section resulted in the introduction of what is today known as the Kuranda Scenic Railway service.

A daily railmotor ran from Cairns to Ravenshoe and return. [8]

A twice weekly mixed train (marketed as "The Last Great Train Ride") ran from Cairns to Forsayth until 1995, when it was replaced by the Savannahlander tourist service.

Suburban services

Frequent daily passenger services were provided between Cairns and Redlynch from 1927 to 1969.

Rail ambulance

One of the last rail ambulances in Queensland was based at Mareeba until 1990.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atherton Tableland</span> Fertile plateau in northern Queensland, Australia

The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau, which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It has very deep, rich basaltic soils and the main industry is agriculture. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River, which was dammed to form the irrigation reservoir named Lake Tinaroo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chillagoe, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Chillagoe is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census the locality of Chillagoe had a population of 251 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atherton, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Atherton is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Atherton had a population of 7,331 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuranda, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Kuranda is a rural town and locality on the Atherton Tableland in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Kuranda had a population of 3,008 people. It is 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Cairns, via the Kuranda Range road. It is surrounded by tropical rainforest and adjacent to the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage listed Barron Gorge National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herberton, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Herberton is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Herberton had a population of 855 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Garnet, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Mount Garnet is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Mount Garnet had a population of 430 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savannahlander</span> Australian passenger train service

The Savannahlander is an Australian passenger train service that operates in Far North Queensland. It travels on the Tablelands railway line and the Etheridge railway line from the coastal city of Cairns to Forsayth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Mareeba</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Mareeba is a local government area at the base of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland, inland from Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Mareeba, covered an area of 53,491 square kilometres (20,653.0 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1879 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several councils in the Atherton Tableland area to become the Tablelands Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shire of Eacham</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Shire of Eacham was a local government area of Queensland. It was located on the Atherton Tableland, a plateau forming part of the Great Dividing Range west of the city of Cairns. The shire, administered from the town of Malanda, covered an area of 1,126.4 square kilometres (434.9 sq mi), and existed as a local government entity from 1910 until 2008, when it amalgamated with several other councils in the Tableland area to become the Tablelands Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tablelands Region</span> Local government area in Queensland, Australia

The Tablelands Region is a local government area in Far North Queensland, Australia inland from the city of Cairns. Established in 2008, it was preceded by four previous local government areas which dated back more than a century. On 1 January 2014, one of those local government areas, the Shire of Mareeba, was re-established independent of the Tablelands Region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chillagoe Railway & Mining Co.</span> Australian railway and mining company

The Chillagoe Railway and Mining Company was an Australian business established in 1897 initially under the name Chillagoe Proprietary. Its initial purpose was to build a railway to the town of Chillagoe, Queensland to support the development of mining. In 1898, the company was recapitalised as the Chillagoe Railway and Mining Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lappa, Queensland</span> Place in Queensland, Australia

Lappa is a former railway town on the western side of the Atherton Tablelands near Petford in the Shire of Mareeba in Far North Queensland, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cairns-to-Kuranda railway line</span> Railway line in Queensland, Australia

The Cairns-to-Kuranda Railway is a heritage-listed railway line from the Cairns Region to the Shire of Mareeba, both in Queensland, Australia. It commences at Redlynch, a suburb of Cairns and travels up the Great Dividing Range to Kuranda within the Shire of Mareeba on the Atherton Tableland. It was built from 1913 to 1915 by Queensland Railways. Components of it include Stoney Creek Bridge, the Rail Bridge over Christmas Creek, Kuranda railway station, and Surprise Creek Rail Bridge. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 August 1992. The railway is used to operate a tourist rail service, the Kuranda Scenic Railway. It forms part of the Tablelands railway line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stannary Hills Tramways</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Stannary Hills Tramways are a heritage-listed pair of tramways at Irvinebank, Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1901 to 1907. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 25 February 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Station Master's Residence, Einasleigh</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Station Master's Residence is a heritage-listed detached house at Railway Reserve, Einasleigh, Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. It was built c. 1909. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Etheridge railway line</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

The Etheridge railway line is a heritage-listed railway line between Mount Surprise and Forsayth, both in the Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. It includes Mount Surprise railway station, Einasleigh railway station, Wirra Wirra railway station and Forsayth railway station. Etheridge railway line was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 16 February 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Almaden, Queensland</span> Town in Queensland, Australia

Almaden is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, the locality of Almaden had a population of 71 people.

Station Master's Residence is a heritage-listed detached house at Fourth Street, Forsayth, Shire of Etheridge, Queensland, Australia. It was built c. 1910. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petford</span> Suburb of Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia

Petford is a rural locality in the Shire of Mareeba, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Petford had a population of 22 people.

Tumoulin is a rural town and locality in the Tablelands Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2016 census, Tumoulin had a population of 109 people.

References

  1. ↑ Kerr 1990, p. 224
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Railway stations and sidings - Queensland". Queensland Open Data. Queensland Government. 27 August 2020. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  3. ↑ Ellis, R.F. 'Rails to the Tableland' ARHS 1976
  4. ↑ Kerr 1990
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Kerr 1990, p. 225
  6. ↑ "Ravenshoe Steam Railway". Ravenshoe Steam Railway. Archived from the original on 5 October 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  7. ↑ "Northern Queensland Line Diagrams" (PDF). Queensland Rail. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 April 2014. Retrieved 24 April 2014.
  8. ↑ "2000 CLASS RAILMOTORS" (PDF). Queensland Museum. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2015.

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