The Tablelands railway line is a railway line in North
Queensland,
Australia. It was opened in a series of sections between 1887 and 1916. It commences at
Cairns and at its maximum extent, reached
Ravenshoe at the southern end of the
Atherton Tableland. The rail system served by this line was unusual for Queensland in that the majority of lines that connected to it were built by private companies and later purchased by the
Queensland Government.
History
Following the discovery of tin at
Herberton in 1879, the ports of
Cairns and
Port Douglas were established, competing for the role of dominant settlement in the area. The summer tropical rainfall in the region made roads virtually impassable in the wet season, leading to calls for improved land transportation in the region. The region to the west of this section of the Queensland coast was relatively rugged, being mountainous rainforest.
Three potential routes were investigated to reach
Herberton, via Port Douglas, Cairns and Geraldton (now
Innisfail). The shortest route was from Innisfail, but it was the steepest and through very rugged country. The Port Douglas route was the easiest but longest. Cairns had the best port, and the unstable geology of the
Barron Gorge was not known at the time.
The area west of Mareeba was known to be mineralised, and mining pioneer
John Moffat received government approval to build a copper mine at
Chillagoe, smelter at Barron Falls and railway to connect the mine to the
QR line, to be the same gauge and standard as the QR line. The
Chillagoe Railway & Mining Co. was created for the project, but the public outcry over the site of the smelter forced its relocation to Chillagoe, the railway then becoming vital to ship coal and coke for the smelter from the wharf at Cairns.
The collapse of the world copper price at the end of
World War I led to the Queensland Government purchasing all the privately owned
1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) lines in 1919.
In 1936 demand from tourists wanting to travel through the Barron River gorge section resulted in the introduction of what is today known as the
Kuranda Scenic Railway service.
A daily railmotor ran from Cairns to Ravenshoe and return.[8]
A twice weekly mixed train (marketed as "The Last Great Train Ride") ran from Cairns to Forsayth until 1995, when it was replaced by the
Savannahlander tourist service.
Suburban services
Frequent daily passenger services were provided between Cairns and Redlynch from 1927 to 1969.
Rail ambulance
One of the last
rail ambulances in Queensland was based at Mareeba until 1990.
Gallery
Works train in the Barron Gorge section ~1911
RM 34 at Mareeba, 1942
Trains crossing at Lappa on the Mungana line, September 1989
Stannary Hill tramway, Eureka Creek valley, 1902
Irvinebank Tramway station ~1909
Steam tram crossing Irvinebank bridge over Gibbs Creek ~1911. Locomotive is called Baby and is on a picnic tour to Stannary Hills. (Description supplied with photograph).
The Tablelands railway line is a railway line in North
Queensland,
Australia. It was opened in a series of sections between 1887 and 1916. It commences at
Cairns and at its maximum extent, reached
Ravenshoe at the southern end of the
Atherton Tableland. The rail system served by this line was unusual for Queensland in that the majority of lines that connected to it were built by private companies and later purchased by the
Queensland Government.
History
Following the discovery of tin at
Herberton in 1879, the ports of
Cairns and
Port Douglas were established, competing for the role of dominant settlement in the area. The summer tropical rainfall in the region made roads virtually impassable in the wet season, leading to calls for improved land transportation in the region. The region to the west of this section of the Queensland coast was relatively rugged, being mountainous rainforest.
Three potential routes were investigated to reach
Herberton, via Port Douglas, Cairns and Geraldton (now
Innisfail). The shortest route was from Innisfail, but it was the steepest and through very rugged country. The Port Douglas route was the easiest but longest. Cairns had the best port, and the unstable geology of the
Barron Gorge was not known at the time.
The area west of Mareeba was known to be mineralised, and mining pioneer
John Moffat received government approval to build a copper mine at
Chillagoe, smelter at Barron Falls and railway to connect the mine to the
QR line, to be the same gauge and standard as the QR line. The
Chillagoe Railway & Mining Co. was created for the project, but the public outcry over the site of the smelter forced its relocation to Chillagoe, the railway then becoming vital to ship coal and coke for the smelter from the wharf at Cairns.
The collapse of the world copper price at the end of
World War I led to the Queensland Government purchasing all the privately owned
1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) lines in 1919.
In 1936 demand from tourists wanting to travel through the Barron River gorge section resulted in the introduction of what is today known as the
Kuranda Scenic Railway service.
A daily railmotor ran from Cairns to Ravenshoe and return.[8]
A twice weekly mixed train (marketed as "The Last Great Train Ride") ran from Cairns to Forsayth until 1995, when it was replaced by the
Savannahlander tourist service.
Suburban services
Frequent daily passenger services were provided between Cairns and Redlynch from 1927 to 1969.
Rail ambulance
One of the last
rail ambulances in Queensland was based at Mareeba until 1990.
Gallery
Works train in the Barron Gorge section ~1911
RM 34 at Mareeba, 1942
Trains crossing at Lappa on the Mungana line, September 1989
Stannary Hill tramway, Eureka Creek valley, 1902
Irvinebank Tramway station ~1909
Steam tram crossing Irvinebank bridge over Gibbs Creek ~1911. Locomotive is called Baby and is on a picnic tour to Stannary Hills. (Description supplied with photograph).