Mail train arriving at Chinchilla, 1908Passenger train on the Bridge across Charley's Creek, Chinchilla during the 1921-22 floodsMuckadilla station, between Roma and Mitchell, ~1920
The Western railway line is a narrow gauge (1,067mm or 3ft6in) railway, connecting the south-east and south-west regions of Queensland, Australia. It commences at Toowoomba, at the end of the Main Line railway from Brisbane, and extends west 810km to Cunnamulla, passing through the major towns of Dalby, Roma and Charleville, although services on the 184km section from Westgate to Cunnamulla have been suspended since 2011. The Queensland Government was the first railway operator in the world to adopt narrow gauge for a main line,[1] and this remains the system-wide gauge.
The initial section of the Western line was built from Toowoomba to Dalby, opening 16 April 1868 (the first section of the Southern line, from Gowrie Junction, about 12km west of Toowoomba, to Warwick, was opened in 1871, and bypassed in 1915). The line traverses relatively flat, easy country, gradually descending from 590m asl to 343m asl at Dalby.[citation needed]
From Dalby, the line was extended to Roma from 1877, opening on 16 September 1880, then to Charleville from 1883, opening 1 March 1888. The line was then extended in a southerly direction, following the Warrego River to Cunnamulla, opening on 10 October 1898. The country is undulating but mostly level, with Roma being 302m asl, Charleville 300m asl, and Cunnamulla 192m asl.[citation needed]
No significant earthworks were required for the construction of the line west of Dalby, and the rate of construction for all further sections was largely dictated by the annual funding allocations made by the Queensland government of the day.[citation needed]
The line was built to provide reliable transportation to facilitate the development and settlement of the southern Queensland interior by European settlers. It fulfilled that role until the adjacent road network was gradually upgraded to all-weather status from the 1960s-1990s, during which time the line gradually lost most traffic. Despite that, there remains a twice weekly passenger service as far as Charleville, and seasonal cattle trains from Quilpie. Following the 2010–11 Queensland floods, freight services were suspended between Westgate and Cunnamulla, and have not resumed. In September 2014, a truck carrying ammonium nitrate exploded near Wyandra, damaging the nearby railway bridge, which has not been repaired, effectively closing the line between Westgate and Cunnamulla.[2]
In recent years,[when?] new coal mines near Chinchilla and Dalby have transported increasing tonnages (1-2M tonnes/month) for export from the Port of Brisbane at Fisherman Islands, which is now the main source of freight on the line. Grain is the other major, though seasonal freight.[citation needed]
Standard of construction
The current speed and load limits on various sections reflects the level of traffic on them. From Toowoomba to Roma the rail is 41kg/m (83lb/yd), 25-50% of the sleepers are steel, and the speed limit is 80km/h (50mph), 70km/h (43mph) west of Miles and for coal trains east of there, with an axle load of 15.75t (15.50 long tons; 17.36 short tons).[citation needed]
West of Roma to Westgate the line speed remains 70km/h (43mph) though the rail is 30kg/m (60.5lb/yd). From there to Cunnamulla and Quilpie the line remains largely as originally constructed, with light rail (21kg/m or 42.3lb/yd), all timbersleepers, 10-tonne (9.8-long-ton; 11-short-ton)axle load, minimal earthworks and a line speed of 60km/h (37mph).[citation needed]
Branch lines
A series of branch lines were built to connect to the Western line, and these are listed from east to west below.[citation needed]
Although not part of the Western line complex, it is worth noting that the opening of an 18km direct line from Toowoomba to Wyreema on the Southern line in 1915 bypassed the Gowrie Junction – Wyreema section, though that section remained open to serve local traffic until 1961.
Dalby – Jandowae, 48km, opened August 1914, this line services a significant grain growing district and was upgraded to 15 tonne axle load in the 1990s, but subsequently closed on 25 June 2013.[3]
Dalby – Bell, 38km, opened April 1906, out of service since 1994.
Dalby - Glenmorgan, 165km, opened in sections between 1911 and 1931, Section from Meandarra to Glenmorgan remains booked out of use and rail traffic remains suspended beyond Meandarra as of 26 June 2013
Miles - Wandoan 70km, opened December 1914. This line was approved to be built to Taroom, a further 60km, but that never occurred. The Wandoan-Taroom area has significant undeveloped coal deposits, and construction of a line from Wandoan through Taroom to connect with the Moura coal line system has been proposed to provide access to the coal export terminal at Gladstone. The Wandoan Line is currently booked out of use and rail traffic on the line remains suspended
Roma – Injune, opened between 1916 and 30 June 1920, 101km, closed 31 December 1966
Westgate – Quilpie, 201km. In 1910 the Queensland government adopted a significant plan to build a railway on the Queensland section of the alignment proposed from Bourke in western NSW, to Darwin in the NT, known as the 'Great Western Railway'. To connect to that alignment, construction began in 1911 from Westgate (21km south of Charleville) in a westerly direction. The First World War hampered construction, which ceased in April 1917, making Quilpie the effective terminus. Despite suggestions after the war that construction be recommended, the GWR project was never re-activated. Quilpie (population 560) became the loading point for significant numbers of cattle from western areas. The line is still known as the Great Western line by QR.[citation needed]
Services
Passenger services
Initially all trains were 'mixed', carrying both goods and passengers. It was an efficient method for areas with low population, and whilst not quick by today's standards, it was still a vast improvement on the horse-drawn coaches and wagons. When the line opened to Mitchell in 1885, the accelerated daily mixed with travelling post office left Brisbane at 5.30am, reached Roma at 9.10pm and arrived at Mitchell at 11.50pm.[citation needed]
The first *travelling post office (TPO) was introduced in 1877, initially occupying the second class compartments of two composite carriages on the Brisbane-Dalby train. Four wheel vans were built specially for the service later that year. The Post Office supplied the staff to collect, sort and deliver mail on the TPO vans. The TPO was extended to Roma upon the opening of that extension, and extended as far as Charleville upon further line extensions being opened. The TPOs were removed as a cost saving measure in 1932.[citation needed]
The January 1888 timetable labelled the train the 'Western Mail', and when the line opened to Charleville later that year the train was extended once per week, reaching the new terminus at 6.30am Sunday. It departed for Brisbane at 10pm Sundays, taking 24 hours for the return journey. Compared to a weeks' journey by stage coach, this was high speed travel for the day.[citation needed]
By the time the Cunnamulla extension opened, the Western Mail was running twice a week to Charleville, with one service per week continuing on to the terminus. Second class sleepers were introduced at this time.[citation needed]
Foot-warmers were introduced to the first class compartments on passenger services in 1911, and provided each winter until 1958.[citation needed]
'Suburban' services were provide from Toowoomba - Wyreema via Willowburn between 1918 and 1926.[citation needed]
A dining car was introduced in 1931, attached to the train from Mitchell to Cunnamulla and return. When the air-conditioned Westlander was introduced in 1954, replacing the earlier Western Mail Train, the dining car was attached at Roma. In 1967 a generator was fitted to an insulated van to provide power for an air-conditioned sitting car and mechanical refrigeration for the van to provide this comfort on the Quilpie service.[citation needed]
Freight services
Four coal mines currently rail coal (through Aurizon) to the Port of Brisbane. Cameby Downs mine is ~25km east of Miles, meaning a 350km journey to the coal terminal. Kogan Creek and Wilkie Creek mines are about 270km from the Port, and New Acland mine is about 200km from coal terminal.[citation needed]
Charleville is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Charleville had a population of 2,551 people.
The Brisbane Transit Centre, at 151–171 Roma Street, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, was a long-distance bus station. It was closed and demolished in 2020 along with its three office towers. It was commonly regarded as the ugliest building in Brisbane.
The Warrego Highway is located in southern Queensland, Australia. It connects coastal centres to the south western areas of the state, and is approximately 715 km in length. It takes its name from the Warrego River, which is the endpoint of the highway. The entire highway is part of the National Highway system linking Darwin and Brisbane: formerly National Highway 54, Queensland began to convert to the alphanumeric system much of Australia had adopted in the early-2000s and this road is now designated as National Highway A2.
Chinchilla is a rural town and locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, the locality of Chinchilla had a population of 7,068 people.
The Westlander is an Australian passenger train operated by Queensland Rail on the Main and Western lines between Brisbane and the outback town of Charleville.
Greyhound Australia is an Australian coach operator that ran services in all mainland states and territories until reduction of services in the 2000s.
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:
Taroom is a town in the Shire of Banana and locality split between the Shire of Banana and the Western Downs Region in Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Taroom had a population of 885 people.
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.
The Wandoan Branch is a 70 km railway line in the Darling Downs region Queensland, Australia. It links the towns of Miles and Wandoan. It was approved to extend to Taroom, but construction halted during World War I and never recommenced. The line is now closed.
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.
Miles railway station is located on the Western line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the town of Miles. The station has one platform, opening in 1878. it is situated 408 kilometres from the Westlander's western terminus, Charleville and 334 kilometres from the Westlander's eastern terminus, Roma Street.
Roma railway station is located on the Western line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the town of Roma. The station has one platform, opening in 1880.
Charleville railway station is a heritage-listed railway station on the Western line at King Street, Charleville, Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1888 to 1957. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 12 July 2005.
The Great Western Railway was a railway development proposal involving a total of five new lines in western Queensland, Australia. Construction started in 1911 on sections of four of the lines, and three were opened in part before the project was effectively abandoned in 1920.
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.
Barakula is a rural locality in the Western Downs Region, Queensland, Australia. In the 2021 census, Barakula had "no people or a very low population".
Westgate is an unoccupied town in the locality of Bakers Bend in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia.
References
↑ Kerr, J. 'Triumph of Narrow Gauge', Boolarong Publications 1990
↑ "DOWNS RAILWAYS". Darling Downs Gazette. Vol.LIV, no.9853. Queensland, Australia. 16 September 1911. p.5. Retrieved 9 November 2021– via National Library of Australia.
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