| Midlander | |
|---|---|
 Depiction of the Midlander locomotive headboard | |
| Stock type | Loco Hauled Passenger Train |
| Entered service | 1954 |
| Retired | 1993 |
| Predecessor | Mail Train |
| Successor | Spirit of the Outback |
| Operators | QR Traveltrain |
| Lines served | Central Western Railway Line |
| Specifications | |
| Track gauge | 1067mm |
The Midlander was a passenger train that operated in Queensland, Australia between 1954 and 1993. It travelled on the Central west line between Rockhampton and Winton.
The Midlander was introduced in 1954, replacing a Mail train service with its wooden carriages, and providing a more comfortable and cleaner service.
Completing its initial run from Brisbane to Rockhampton, The Midlander arrived in Rockhampton at 4pm on 4 May 1954. [1] The Midlander then commenced its maiden journey, departing from the Rockhampton railway station for Winton at 5:25pm. [2] About 100 people watched from the platform as the train made its departure. [2] Most of the available accommodation on the train was booked out for the first journey. Among the passengers on the train's first run to Winton were Minister for Transport Jack Duggan, Minister for Education George Devries and Member for Mackenzie Paddy Whyte. [2]
Midlander Route Guide | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The train arrived in Longreach at 1:15pm the following day, before arriving in Winton several hours later. [3] Large crowds gathered at both Longreach and Winton to welcome the train where brief ceremonies took place. [4]
Through many years of its service, a diesel electric locomotive would pull the train to Emerald, before switching to two steam locomotives which would then pull the train through the Drummond Range. [5] One of the steam locomotives would be taken off at Jericho, with the train continuing to Winton with just one steam locomotive. [5]
Within a decade of its maiden journey, The Midlander's most infamous incident, the Medway Creek rail disaster occurred near Bogantungan during its return journey to Rockhampton on 26 February 1960 where seven people were killed when the flood-damaged bridge above Medway Creek collapsed, forcing the train to plunge into the water below. [6] [7] [8]
In the late 1980s, tourism to western Queensland began to grow following attractions such as the Stockman's Hall of Fame opening at Longreach. To cater for this market, and recognizing the fact that travellers dislike changing trains, The Midlander was combined with the Brisbane - Rockhampton Capricornian Train renamed the Spirit of the Outback in November 1993 and the new service commenced at Brisbane and terminated at Longreach. [9] A bus service now provides the connection to Winton.
The Midlander was made up of a mix of M series along with L series steel rolling stock. As at 1990, the service featured the following facilities and accommodation:
Winton is an outback town and locality in the Shire of Winton in Central West Queensland, Australia. It is 177 kilometres (110 mi) northwest of Longreach. The main industries of the area are sheep and cattle raising. The town was named in 1876 by postmaster Robert Allen, after his place of birth, Winton, Dorset. Winton was the first home of the airline Qantas. In the 2021 census, the locality of Winton had a population of 856 people.
Bogantungan is a rural town in the locality of Willows in the Central Highlands Region, Queensland, Australia.
Queensland Rail (QR) is a railway operator in Queensland, Australia. Owned by the Queensland Government, it operates local and long-distance passenger services, as well as owning and maintaining rolling stock and approximately 6,600 kilometres (4,101 mi) of track and related infrastructure.
Rail transport in Australia is a component of the Australian transport system. It is to a large extent state-based, as each state largely has its own operations, with the interstate network being developed ever since Australia's federation in 1901. As of 2022, the Australian rail network consists of a total of 32,929 kilometres (20,461 mi) of track built to three major track gauges: 18,007 kilometres (11,189 mi) of standard gauge, 2,685 kilometres (1,668 mi) of broad gauge, and 11,914 kilometres (7,403 mi) of narrow gauge lines. Additionally, about 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) of 610 mm / 2 ft gauge lines support the sugar-cane industry. 3,488 kilometres (2,167 mi), around 11 percent of the Australian heavy railways network route-kilometres are electrified.
Landsborough Highway is a highway in western Queensland, Australia, running in the northwest–southeast direction from Morven to Cloncurry. The Landsborough Highway runs through vast tracts of land that was once occupied by William Landsborough, an Australian explorer of the 19th century. It is also the central part of the tourist route known as the Matilda Way after the popular Australian song Waltzing Matilda, which extends from Bourke in central northern New South Wales to Karumba on the Gulf of Carpentaria.
The Spirit of the Outback is a long-distance passenger rail service in Queensland, Australia, operated by Queensland Rail's Traveltrain division.
The North Coast railway line (NCL) is a 1,681-kilometre (1,045 mi) 1067 mm gauge railway line in Queensland, Australia. It commences at Roma Street station, Brisbane, and largely parallels the Queensland coast to Cairns in Far North Queensland. The line is electrified between Brisbane and Rockhampton. Along the way, the 1680 km railway passes through the numerous towns and cities of eastern Queensland including Nambour, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay and Townsville. The line though the centre of Rockhampton runs down the middle of Denison Street.
The Sunlander was a long distance passenger rail service operated by Queensland Rail on the North Coast line between Brisbane and Cairns in Queensland between June 1953 and December 2014. It has been replaced by the Spirit of Queensland.
The rail network in Queensland, Australia, was the first in the world to adopt 1,067 mm narrow gauge for a main line, and, in 2013, was claimed to the second largest narrow gauge network in the world, consists of:
The Queensland Railways BB18¼ class locomotive was a class of 4-6-2 steam locomotives operated by the Queensland Railways.
The Queensland Railways Beyer-Garratt class locomotive was a class of 4-8-2+2-8-4 steam locomotives operated by the Queensland Railways.
This is a list of significant railway accidents in Queensland, Australia.
Rockhampton railway station is located on the North Coast line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the city of Rockhampton.
The Hughenden-Winton railway line was a railway line in Queensland, Australia, branching from the Mt Isa line at Hughenden and connecting to the Central West line at Winton.
The Blackall and Yaraka Branch Railways are railway lines in Central West Queensland, Australia. The former branch connected the small town of Jericho on the Central Western railway line with Blackall and the latter branch connected Blackall to the even smaller town of Yaraka. Blackall was named after Sir Samuel Wensley Blackall who from 1868 to 1871 was the second Governor of Queensland.
The Central Western railway line is a railway line in Queensland, Australia. It was opened in a series of sections between 1867 and 1928. It commences at Rockhampton and extends west 863 kilometres (536 mi) to Winton.
The Capricornian was a passenger train that operated in Queensland, Australia between 1970 and 1993. It travelled on the North Coast line between Brisbane and Rockhampton.
A Travelling Post Office (TPO) is a postal receiving, sorting and delivery service situated on a train, usually in a specially designated carriage that is part of a passenger train. In Queensland, Australia, the service was provided from 1877 to 1932.
The 1600 class was a class of diesel locomotives built by English Electric, Rocklea for Queensland Railways between 1962 and 1964.
The Spirit of Capricorn was a long distance passenger rail service in Queensland, Australia, Operated by Queensland Rail Traveltrain between 1988 and 24 May 2003. It operated between Rockhampton, Queensland and the Capital of the state, Brisbane at its station Roma Street.
