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The Westlander
''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. Background In the 1888 timetable the train from Brisbane to Roma was officially called the ''Western Mail'', with some runs extended through to Morven. With the opening of the line from Morven to Charleville on 1 March 1888 the train was again extended. Victorian Railways introduced air-conditioned trains in 1935, and Queensland Rail decided to follow suit in the late 1940s. Steel carriages were designed to travel to all parts of the system, meaning a maximum axle load of 9 tons, which was a challenge for the dining cars. New features included showers in the sleeping cars, roomettes in first class and head end power cars, especially necessary where trains may be delayed by floods or other events, as was often the case. History The ''Westlander'' was introduced in August 1954, replacing the ''Western Mail'' and it ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Queensland Rail
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 approximately 6,600 kilometres of track and related infrastructure. QR was also responsible for all Queensland freight services, and from 2002 operated interstate services under the Australian Railroad Group, Interail and QR National brands. These were all spun out into a separate entity in July 2010, and later privatised as Aurizon. History Beginnings Queensland Railways was the first operator in the world to adopt narrow gauge (in this case ) for a main line, and this remains the systemwide gauge within Queensland today. The colony of Queensland separated from New South Wales in 1859, and the new government was keen to facilitate development and immigration. Improved transport to the fertile Darling Downs region situated west of Toowoomba was seen as a priority. As adequate ri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mitchell Railway Station
Mitchell railway station is located on the Western line in the Maranoa Region, Queensland, Australia. It serves the town of Mitchell. The station has one platform, opening in 1885. The station has a number of heritage-listed buildings, including the passenger station in Oxford Street, the goods shed in Alice Street (used by Aurizon and Watco Australia), and the station master's house in Sheffield Street. The buildings were added to Queensland Heritage Register on 8 September 2005. Services Mitchell is served by Queensland Rail Travel's twice weekly '' Westlander'' service travelling between Brisbane and Charleville the Westbound service (3S86) stops at Mitchell at 8:05am on Wednesdays and Fridays the Eastbound service (3987) stopping at Mitchell at 9:45pm on Wednesdays and Fridays. History Mitchell railway station was opened on 17 January 1885 as part of the Western railway line built to service western Queensland. Buildings of heritage significance on the site incl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Railway Digest
''Railway Digest'' is a monthly magazine, published in Sydney, covering contemporary railways of Australia. Overview The magazine's publisher is the Australian Railway Historical Society (ARHS), NSW Division. The first issue was published in March 1963 under the name ''New South Wales Digest'' and regular publication commenced with the May 1963 edition. It was renamed in January 1983. In January 1985 it changed paper size from SRA5 to A4. Originally an enthusiast magazine mainly focusing on reporting day-to-day workings of the New South Wales Government Railways and it successors, it was produced by volunteers using a hand-operated duplicator at the home of one of its members. In May 1993, a paid editor was appointed and the magazine's focus gradually shifted to reporting news from across Australia. It has evolved into a professional full-colour production directed at the wider community and commercially distributed to newsagents throughout Australia."Adapt or disappear - ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quilpie, Queensland
Quilpie ( ) is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Quilpie, Queensland, Australia. In the , Quilpie had a population of 595 people. The town is the administrative centre of the Quilpie Shire local government area. The town of Toompine is also within the locality. The economy of the area is based on the grazing and mining industries. The area has one of the largest deposits of boulder opal in the world, and also has extensive deposits of gas and oil. Geography Quilpie is in Channel Country on the banks of the Bulloo River. It is on the Diamantina Developmental Road, west of Charleville, and west of the state capital, Brisbane. Quilpie is the administrative centre of the Quilpie Shire. The town of Toompine () is within the locality of Quilpie Other townships in the shire include Adavale and Eromanga. Quilpie has quite a few trees but sometimes drought takes over and the landscape can become dry and desolate. History Quilpie is believed to lie on the border of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cunnamulla, Queensland
Cunnamulla () is a town and a locality in the Shire of Paroo, Queensland, Australia. It is south of Charleville, and approximately west of the state capital, Brisbane. In the , Cunnamulla had a population of 1,140 people. Geography Cunnamulla lies on the Warrego River in South West Queensland within the Murray-Darling drainage basin. It flows from the north (Coongoola) through the town, which is in the centre of the locality, and exits to the south ( Tuen). The Mitchell Highway passes through the locality from north (Coongoola) to south (Tuen), while the Balonne Highway enters the location from the east ( Linden). The two highways intersect in the town, which is located in the centre of the locality. The Bulloo Developmental Road starts in Cunnamulla and exits the locality to the west ( Eulo). Cunnamulla is the administrative centre for the Paroo Shire, which also includes the townships of Wyandra, Yowah and Eulo, and covers an area of . Major industries of the area ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rocklea, Queensland
Rocklea is a suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Rocklea had a population of 1,595 people. Geography Rocklea is located 9 kilometres south of the city. The west of the suburb is bordered by the Oxley Creek. The suburb's name is derived from the Rocky Waterholes in the area. It is also at one end of the Ipswich Motorway; Ipswich Road continues north from the Ipswich Motorway, through Moorooka and into the Brisbane central business district. The Beenleigh railway line passes through the suburb which is serviced by Rocklea railway station. Rocklea is a mostly industrial suburb, being the home to many large firms from a range industries. History The locality was originally called Rocky Waterholes Creek. It was renamed Rocklea after a town in Dorset, England, with the opening of the Beenleigh railway line in 1884 as it was felt the original name was too long. The suburb was once the centre of the Shire of Yeerongpilly, which was established in 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Commonwealth Engineering
Commonwealth Engineering (often shortened to Com-Eng, later Comeng was an Australian engineering company that designed and built railway locomotives, rolling stock and trams. History Smith and Waddington, the predecessor to Commonwealth Engineering, was founded in 1921, in the Sydney suburb of Camperdown, as a body builder for custom motor cars. It went bankrupt in the Depression, and was reformed as Waddingtons Body Works and the main factory was moved to Granville, after a fire in the main workshop. The Government of Australia took control of the company during World War II as the company was in serious financial difficulties but had many government orders in its books. The government purchased a controlling stake in the company in 1946 and changed the name to Commonwealth Engineering. In 1949 a factory was established in Rocklea, Queensland. This was followed in 1952 a plant in Bassendean, Western Australia and in 1954 by another in Dandenong, Victoria. In June 1957, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Head End Power
In rail transport, head-end power (HEP), also known as electric train supply (ETS), is the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive (or a generator car) at the front or 'head' of a train, provides the electricity used for heating, lighting, electrical and other 'hotel' needs. The maritime equivalent is hotel electric power. A successful attempt by the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway in October 1881 to light the passenger cars on the London to Brighton route heralded the beginning of using electricity to light trains in the world. History Oil lamps were introduced in 1842 to light trains. Economics drove the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway to replace oil with coal gas lighting in 1870, but a gas cylinder explosion on the train led them to abandon the experiment. Oil-gas lighting was introduced in late 1870. Electrical lighting was introduced in October 1881 by using twelve Swan carbon filament incandescent lamps ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Queensland Railways Steel Carriage Stock
Two types of steel bodied air-conditioned carriage stock have been used on long distance Queensland Rail services. M series In January 1950, Queensland Railways awarded a contract for 99 steel bodied carriages to Commonwealth Engineering, Rocklea. These were purchased to operate the ''Lander'' series of trains, '' The Inlander'', '' The Midlander'', ''The Sunlander'' and '' The Westlander'' entering service between 1953 and 1955. The original order of 99 cars was for: *8 x MPC class power generation vans *8 x MMV class mail vans *14 x MBC class luggage vans *6 x MDC class dining cars *10 x MAL class first class sitting cars (36 seats) *14 x MBL class second class sitting cars (52 seats) *3 x MCL class composite sitting cars (18 first-class, 24 second-class seats) *15 x MAS class first class sleeping cars (14 berths) *15 x MBS class second class sleeping cars (24 berths) *6 x MCS class composite sleeping cars (8 first-class, 9 second-class berths) In 2007 as well as 2010, Quee ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Victorian Railways
The Victorian Railways (VR), trading from 1974 as VicRail, was the state-owned operator of most rail transport in the Australian state of Victoria (Australia), Victoria from 1859 to 1983. The first railways in Victoria were private companies, but when these companies failed or defaulted, the Victorian Railways was established to take over their operations. Most of the lines operated by the Victorian Railways were of . However, the railways also operated up to five Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways, narrow gauge lines between 1898 and 1962, and a line between Albury railway station, Albury and Melbourne from 1961. History Formation A Department of Railways (1858–71), Department of Railways was created in 1856 with the first appointment of staff. British engineer, George Christian Darbyshire was made first Engineer-in-Chief in 1857, and steered all railway construction work until his replacement by Thomas Higginbotham in 1860. In late 1876, New York consulting engi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Morven, Queensland
Morven is a rural town and locality in the Shire of Murweh, Queensland, Australia. In the , the locality of Morven had a population of 199 people. Geography The town is located on the Warrego Highway of South West Queensland, east of Charleville, 92 kilometres (53 mi) south of Augathella, 89 kilometres (55 mi) west of Mitchell, 177 kilometres (110 mi) west of Roma, 306 kilometres (198 mi) west of Miles, 575 kilometres (357 mi) west of Toowoomba and west of Brisbane. Morven Aerodrome has a unsealed runway of red loam, . It is operated by Murweh Shire Council. History Originally, the area on which Morven now sits was a popular spot for bullock teams on the road between Mitchell and Charleville. In 1859, a small area was taken from the property Victoria Downs and set aside for public use and designated on maps and documents as 'Victoria Downs Reserve'. It was on the Cobb & Co mail route from Brisbane to Charleville. Later it became informally known as 'Sadlier's Waterhole' aft ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charleville Railway Station, Queensland
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 station has one platform, opening on 1 March 1888 when the line was extended from Morven as the terminus of the line. In 1898, the line was extended west to Cunnamulla. Services Charleville is the terminus for Queensland Rail Travel's twice weekly '' Westlander'' service from Brisbane. Queensland Rail Travel Trainlink Coach Services (operated by Eckel's Bus Service) operate from Charleville to Cunnamulla and Quilpie. The station is also utilized by Greyhound Australia as a scheduled stop for its intercity coach services Gx493 ( Brisbane - Mount Isa) Gx494 ( Mount Isa - Brisbane) Gx495 ( Brisbane - Charleville) Gx496 ( Charleville - Brisbane) History Charleville railway station was established by the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
