STEAM IN QUEENSLAND

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Originally Posted by Rurover

DiscoMan,

Did you ever see the steam hauled Cairns to Kuranda train that ran in 2004 I think?
Here are a few pics for you to enjoy.

Last time I was in Cairns ()September last year) the loco and rolling stock were still housed in a shed opposite the airport.

The loco originally came from New Zealand and I think it ran for about 18 months on that Cairns to Kuranda line. Sadly the economics of the service did not add up, largely because it was hard for it to compete with the well established, government backed diesel hauled service for the tourist dollar.

Would be great if it could be reinstated and really "sold" to the inbound tourists as a better alternative the diesel service. Would need a lot of marketing with local and overseas tourist operators who are used to just booking passengers with the current operator.

Alan

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IIRC the oil fired steam loco originally came from South Africa. Cairns Kuranda Steam Railway also owned an ex-QR rail-motor that they were re-powering with a RR diesel, if memory serves me correctly. My information dates back ten years, to when I used to deliver their fuel.

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Originally Posted by Ausfree

I guess I should be clearer Ian, for example the book says the South Maitland Railways is still running steam loco's, this was true in 1984. The line closed in 1984, after the book was published.:p There are other examples.

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Sorry Jim, I was being flippant. :angel:

Hey Rurover thank you very much awesome pictures what class is that loco? What i can't work out is the carriages she is using they aren't the usual cairns to kuranda carriages they are far to modern, to me they look like the old sun lander ones minus the markings.


Last time i saw a cairns to kuranda steam run in 1991 it was a double header the little A10 and PB15 i might be wrong but i think the little A10 is Australia's oldest working steam engine.

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Originally Posted by V8Ian

:rulez::ttiwwp:
Sounds like you need to visit the Railway Workshops in Ipswich Disco Man.

The Workshops Rail Museum

Model Railway - The Workshops Rail Museum

Mark (Isuzu too) may be able to steer you in the direction of your desires (regarding model trains ;)).

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Sorry about the no pictures i know that's a big no-no but there is not much to see anymore it's all stripped ready for the new build sorry guys.I have been to workshops at Ipswich a couple of times and for a rail nut it was a bloody good day out.The only mistake i made was it was school holidays and there was a Thomas the tank engine day on for the kids the little bastards were everywhere.

The model railway of the suburban line was quite good.

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Originally Posted by disco man

What i can't work out is the carriages she is using they aren't the usual cairns to kuranda carriages they are far to modern, to me they look like the old sun lander ones minus the markings.

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Those cars are an ex-suburban (Brisbane) stainless set, superseded with the introduction of electric sets. These suburban sets have air assisted sliding doors each end and reverseable seats.

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Originally Posted by V8Ian

Those cars are an ex-suburban (Brisbane) stainless set, superseded with the introduction of electric sets.

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Thanks Ian i should have known that, back in the 80s when we were living in Brisbane and i caught the train to school every now and then a diesel with these sets would sometimes show up instead of a electric train,and sometimes the odd rail motor.

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Originally Posted by disco man

Hey Rurover thank you very much awesome pictures what class is that loco? .

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DiscoMan,

Ian was correct. This loco originates form South Africa (a 24 Class I gather) and came to Cairns via NZ.
Here's a link that gives a bit more detail.. Preserved Steam Locomotives Down Under - 3620

Not sure about the history of the carriages, but you could well be right about their origin.

Alan

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Originally Posted by V8Ian

Those cars are an ex-suburban (Brisbane) stainless set, superseded with the introduction of electric sets. These suburban sets have air assisted sliding doors each end and reverseable seats.

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Forgot to ask in my last post but have they stopped using the classic sets on the cairns to kuranda train?

The stainless sets just don't look right behind a steam loco.

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Originally Posted by V8Ian

The Gulflander being a prime example.

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The only reason this line continued operation is that it was one of the first lines laid anywhere with iron sleepers (because of the white ants), so that it needed minimum maintenance. When I first saw it in 1964 the weekly train kept the white ant nests between the tracks down to axle height. Note that it was not a tourist railway then - it was a critical link in the wet season, as the road alongside was definitely not all weather.

The exploration party I worked on camped at Haydon Lagoon for several months.

John

I have a story "sort of" related to Steam in Queensland.
As I've said, I use to live in Toowoomba in the sixties, actually I lived in Drayton, I remember well the BB 18 1/4, & also the maroon coloured Railmotors that used to pass through Drayton Station, which is now a Railway Museum.
Anyway, I've always had an interest in firearms, & in those days ( I would've been around 14 ) there was a company in Brisbane called "Direct Disposals", they sold army surplus, including .303 rifles, and they advertised same in the newspaper. You could buy a "good" .303 for six guineas, or an "as new" one for seven guineas. I decided to buy the later. So I sent off a money order.
A week or so later, I got a phone call from the Drayton Railway Station that there was a parcel there for me to pick up.
So I rode down to the station on my two wheeler "semi racer", to pick up this "very long, narrow" parcel, & I rode home with it across my handlebars!
When I got home, I opened the box & was dismayed to find the rifle all covered in a black "grease". But when I cleaned all this stuff off, I found that the rifle looked like it'd never been fired. The stock was unmarked, & where the bolt slid there was no sign of use. I was very happy.
Couldn't imagine doing the same thing today?!
Pickles.