Hi. We had a member of our local model railway club who visited Australia several years ago. He rode a train to a place called Quilpie, I think, but I don't know where the line went from on th coast, so don't know where to look on the map. I think it was in the east (a large area ) He was allowed to ride on the front porch of the locomotive for part of the journey, so I guess it was not a main line railway! I seem to remember him saying it was narrow gauge. Can anyone pinpoint this line, and give some details, please? Is it still there, and does it use modern power and stock. Thanks. ------------------ Alan www.ac-models.com http://Andersley.homestead.com http://galleryusarail_tehcaj.homestead.com http://eurogallery.homestead.com
Quilpie, an opal mining town, is a fair way inland in a WNW direction from Brisbane, Queensland - over 400 miles. It is about 80-100 miles west of Charleville. The map I found at http://uk.multimap.com/world/ found it. Shows rail lines, etc, but is only 500x300 in size. The line is 3'6" and if it is in operation, I can't say, but Quilpie is the terminus of that branch. ------------------ Gary A. Rose http://www.pnc.com.au/~audiosat/ - The Unofficial TC&W page N to the Nth degree!
Thanks Gary, I use multimap all the time to find out where any new customers live, mainly in the States, but it never crossed my mind to use it to find Quilpie I had an email giving me information on the line, and a great Australian web site. I have asked the sender if he will post it here. It may be of interest to other Aussie fans. ------------------ Alan www.ac-models.com http://Andersley.homestead.com http://galleryusarail_tehcaj.homestead.com http://eurogallery.homestead.com
The e-mail referred to above was sent to me by Trevor Gibbs. He said: "Quilpie is west of Brisbane about 700 kms or so. Queensland crews are about the friendliest around and cab rides were easy to get. He would most likely have ridden a 1700 or 1720 class diesel as these were the branch line unit. You can folow links through http://www.railpage.org.au and checking the locomotive links." He asked me to post it as he could not get it to work from his computer. The website is a great place for information on Australian rails and especially locomotives, with photographs and full details and statistics. - Well worth a look!! Thanks, Trevor. Keep trying with your posts Alan
G'day Alan, I have uploaded a photo of Quilpie station in my Train Board photo album which was shot in 2003. Steve.
Thanks Steve. I was surprised to see this topic revived! Quilpie looks like a remote sort of place - at least by your photo.
Cab rides may be harder to get these days as QR management have become a bit paranoid and are taking the big stick approach to safety breaches including unauthorised persons in the cab, a driver in Brisbane recently had to show cause why he should keep his job after being caught giving his grandson a short ride, so if a crew doesn't invite you into the cab they're not being unfriendly, they just like their job and want to keep it. The Quilpie branch and the 'mainline' beyond Charleville to Cunnamulla are two of several unprofitable lines that remain open only because the government give QR a subsidy to operate them. If a line doesn't have coal or some other bulk traffic QR don't want to know about it. I'm not sure without checking up if the line still sees a twice weekly freight or if trains only run as required. There was a twice a week passenger service until a few years ago. The Westlander from Brisbane split in Charleville, with a single air conditioned coach and power car along with a few boxcars and reefers of freight going to Quilpie, the train was known to the crews as the Flying Flea.
In the old days, as in the 1920's , heading out west was an adventure. The train would stop now and then to pick wild flowers, draw off some hot water from the boiler for a billy tea. Some grades slowed the lok so much that you could get out and streach your legs. The old lady telling the story was quite up set that gunshots from blokes taking potshots at roo's disturbed the kids afternoon nap.The passengers helped out with loading/unloading and the ladys bought lots of food to share around. It was quite a trip( a few days ) to head out by train towards Charliville. Some how I don't think you would get the same reception alighting at Roma Street with a roo on one shoulder and a 303 over the other one these days.
I dug out and scanned some photos I took on a trip to Quilpie in, I think, 1987. Charleville station Westlander departing for Cunnamulla. Flying Flea waiting to follow to the Quilpie branch junction at Westgate. I said in a previous post the train had a single coach, but the photos jogged my memory that they also took a composite 1st/economy class sleeper. The dining car went to Cunnamulla though, so you had to find your own lunch. The purpose built power car for the train with a compartment for refrigerated freight had been replaced by this time with a generator in a container on the flatcar. Cooladdi Cooladdi
The crew have just turned the train on the wye, or angle as we say here, at Quilpie ready for the return trip and will back the train into the station platform. I took more photos at Quilpie but they are hiding from me at the moment.
