Beaudesert Shire Tramway

The Beaudesert Shire Tramway was a narrow gauge tramway which operated from Beaudesert to Lamington and Rathdowney in the Scenic Rim Region, Queensland, Australia, It was one of 15 light railways built and operated by Divisional Boards and Shire Councils in Queensland.[1] The line carried passengers and cargo. It operated from 1903 to 1944. It was initially profitable and seen as a great success for the local shire council. The tramway is credited with opening up the agricultural lands of the upper Logan River.[2]

Beaudesert Shire Tramway
Beaudesert Shire Tramway mixed train at Rathdowney station in 1912.
Overview
Type	Industrial tramway
Status	Closed
Locale	Beaudesert Shire
Operation
Opened	10 October 1903 (1903-10-10)
Closed	30 September 1944 (1944-09-30)
Owner	Beaudesert Shire
Operator(s)	Beaudesert Shire
Technical
Track length	39.36 mi (63.34 km)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map Beaudesert line 0 mi 0 km Beaudesert 5 mi 8 km Josephville 10 mi 16 km Laravale 12 mi 19 km Tabooba Junction 17 mi 27 km Christmas Creek 20 mi 32 km Hillview 22 mi 35 km Lamington Logan River 17 mi 27 km Innisplain 21 mi 34 km Dulbolla Interstate line Logan River 22 mi 35 km Rathdowney

History

The Tabragalba Divisional Board, predecessor of the Beaudesert Shire, proposed the construction of the Tramway in 1899.[3] Approval was granted on 23 October 1901 and the Beaudesert Tramway Committee was formed on 3 March 1902.

The Tramway opened from Beaudesert to Innisplain and Lilybank (later renamed Christmas Creek) on 10 October 1903 with Sir Herbert Chermside, Governor of Queensland, officiating at the opening ceremony at Tabooba Junction.[4] In August 1907, it was decided to extend the line to Rathdowney from Innisplain. At the same shire meeting an extension from Christmas Creek was also agreed upon.[5] In 1910, a loan for the extensions was granted.[6]

The Christmas Creek to Lamington extension opened in October 1910 and the Innreplain to Rathdowney extension in March 1911.[1] The total cost of construction was £92,770.[7] In 1918, residents of Urbenville in northern New South Wales unsuccessfully agitated for an extension from Rathdowney to the west of Mount Lindesay.[8]

Services ran between Beaudesert and Rathdowney three times per week.[9] The main traffic was timber, dairy produce and livestock[7] which were trans-shipped to the Queensland Railways Beaudesert line. Early traffic was promising. For example, in the 1905-1906 financial year the Tramway carried 6,712 passengers, 75,375 imperial gallons (90,522 US gal; 342,660 L) of cream, 2,854 pigs, 743 long tons (755 t; 832 short tons) of general merchandise, 260 long tons (264 t; 291 short tons) of other agricultural produce and 9,669 long tons (9,824 t; 10,829 short tons) of timber.[10] During the 1920s the movement of timber was gradually decreasing.[11] The tramway was used to transport postal mail to Rathdowney.[12]

Extension of the New South Wales North Coast railway line from Kyogle to Brisbane commenced in 1926 and generated additional traffic on the tramway carrying construction materials. This led to considerable delays with services unable to run to the timetable.[13] Rathdowney and nearby towns were served by the 4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in (1,435 mm) standard gauge interstate line from 1930. Traffic volume on the line experienced significant decreases starting from this time.[14] Following the "encroachment" of the standard gauge line and increasing competition from road transport, the Shire approached the Government of Queensland to take over the Tramway but the Minister for Railways declined.[15]

With declining traffic, the Tramway ceased operations on 30 Sep 1944. The rails and rolling stock were sold,[16] and the Beaudesert Tramway Committee was abolished on 31 December 1945.[17]

Route

See map: Beaudesert Tramway 1935

• Main line
  • Beaudesert
  • Josephville
  • Laravale
  • Tabooba
• East branch
  • Christmas Creek (formerly Lilybank)
  • Hillview
  • Lamington
• West branch
  • Innisplain
  • Dulbolla (Running Creek)
  • Rathdowney

Locomotives

Image	Class	Number/Name	Wheel arrangement	Builder	Builders number	Built	Notes
	B12	35	2-6-0	Ipswich Railway Workshops	3	1878	Purchased from Queensland Railways in 1902. Used for construction of the line.
		Foden	4-2-0				Rail tractor based on a Foden steam lorry
	B13	52	4-6-0	Dubs	1907	1884	Purchased from Queensland Railways in 1921.
	B13	185	4-6-0	Dubs	1751	1883	Purchased from Queensland Railways in 1939.

Rolling stock

The Tramway owned locomotives, passenger carriages capable of carrying 70 people and goods vans, with timber wagons and other rolling stock hired from Queensland Railways.[7]

Remains

Much of the Tramway reservation is now on private property, although substantial portions are visible from public roads such as the Mount Lindesay Highway. The Tramway station at Rathdowney still exists. Tramway Road at Christmas Creek is built on the former tramway reservation.

Gallery

• 
  Beaudesert Tramway Station in 1927
• 
  B13 class 185 at Beaudesert in 1944
• 
  Foden rail tractor at Tabooba in 1944
• 
  Upper Logan Terminal Station on the Beaudesert Tramway, 1903
• 
  Workmen on a ballast train, 1903

See also

• Rail transport in South East Queensland
• List of tramways in Queensland

References

1. Keith McDonald and Ray Ellis (1980). Beaudesert Shire Tramway. Light Railway Research Society of Australia. ISBN 0909340110.
2. "Beaudesert Shire Tramway". The Brisbane Courier (16, 698). Queensland, Australia. 19 July 1911. p. 5. Retrieved 28 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
3. Tabragalba Divisional Board Minutes, 7 Nov 1899; QSA:SRS4983/1/5
4. "Beaudesert-Lara Tramway: Official Opening". The Brisbane Courier. 12 October 1903. p. 4.
5. "Beaudesert Tramway Extensions". The Brisbane Courier. LXIV (15, 479). Queensland, Australia. 22 August 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 28 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "The Upper Logan". The Brisbane Courier (16, 945). Queensland, Australia. 4 May 1912. p. 12. Retrieved 28 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "The Beaudesert Tramway". The Brisbane Courier. 14 January 1924. p. 15.
8. "Suggested Beaudesert Tramway Extension". Daily Examiner. 6 (884). New South Wales, Australia. 18 June 1918. p. 4. Retrieved 28 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
9. "For the Man on the Land". The Brisbane Courier (22, 296). Queensland, Australia. 13 July 1929. p. 11. Retrieved 28 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
10. "Beaudesert Tramway: Report for 1906". The Brisbane Courier. 12 September 1906. p. 5.
11. "Beaudesert Tramway". The Brisbane Courier (21, 545). Queensland, Australia. 14 February 1927. p. 11. Retrieved 28 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
12. "Beaudesert Tramway". The Beaudesert Times. XVIII (983). Queensland, Australia. 18 March 1927. p. 2. Retrieved 28 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
13. "Beaudesert Tramway". The Daily Telegraph (16, 784). Queensland, Australia. 17 September 1926. p. 4 (City Edition). Retrieved 28 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
14. "Beaudesert Tramway". The Beaudesert Times. XXII (1156). Queensland, Australia. 18 July 1930. p. 5. Retrieved 28 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
15. "Beaudesert Tramway Hit Hard By Kyogle Line: Deputation to Minister". The Brisbane Courier. 31 July 1931. p. 4.
16. "Beaudesert Sells Its Tramway". The Courier-Mail. 1 November 1944. p. 4.
17. Queensland State Archives Agency ID10855, Beaudesert Tramway Committee

External links

Media related to Beaudesert Shire Tramway at Wikimedia Commons