Moreton Mill's steam locomotives - then and now
Built in 1901 by Krauss in
Germany (B/N 4687), this engine had 9.25 inch x 12 inch cylinders, and 24 inch diameter wheels. It used
Stephenson's outside link motion valve gear, the connecting rod and eccentrics of which were mounted on the third drivers. It was
commissioned in July 1904 and named
Moreton. This little locomotve proved very successful on the flat lands around the Mill, but could not negotiate the
steep route up the Highworth Range which continued to be worked, together with some hilly sections of the Image Flat, Coe's Creek,
Perwillowen and Paynter's Creek lines, by a roster of forty horses.
To ascend the
Highworth Range, the Mill purchased a small Shay geared locomotive. It was one of the second smallest Shays that the Lima Locomotive
and Machine Company had in its catalogue, a type A, class 13-2 loco. The class number '13-2' simply means that the machine weighed
13 tons in working order and had two trucks or bogies. The class code was 'Abe' and its tractive effort was 6050 lbs. The loco was
ordered with a gear ratio of 2.467 to 1, giving a hauling capacity on the level of 643 tons. The engine supplied was builder's number
2091 of 1908 and was commissioned in August of that year, whereupon it was named
Dulong.
The Mill gradually increased its fleet of small locomotives over the
years, the engines being named after the various settlements served by the network. Nambour,
an 0-4-2T, was purchased from Hudswell Clarke in 1914. Its name was changed to
Maroochy sometime before 1922. In January 1924 an 0-6-0T locomotive
arrived from John Fowler's works in Leeds.
This was named Coolum. In July 1925 an identical 0-6-0T arrived
from Fowler's Works and was named
Eudlo. A small 0-4-0T built by
Dick Kerr was purchased second-hand from Racecourse Mill near Mackay in 1937 and named
Valdora.
In 1954 (or 1959 or 1960 - accounts differ) a used Fowler 0-4-2T loco was purchased from Babinda Mill
and named
Of all the conventional locos, Maroochy was the most powerful, but Clive Plater says that it was more prone to derailment than the others. Mike Loveday stated that at one time a trial was conducted to see if Maroochy, with its short fixed wheelbase, could make the climb up the Highworth Range. As it inched its way very carefully around the problematic horseshoe curve, the leading wheel flange occasionally tried to climb the rail. One source states that Maroochy actually derailed more than once at the curve during this experiment, but Mike claimed that it eventually reached Mapleton. The trial was not regarded as a success, so henceforth the horseshoe curve and the rest of the line to Mapleton was left solely in the hands of the two Shays, which handled the hills and curves with ease.
All of these locomotives performed sterling service at the Mill, until they were replaced by small diesel hydraulic locomotives in the 1960s. As each steam loco was retired, its name was transferred to the replacement diesel. By 1970 steam traction had disappeared in Nambour.
Railway historian John Browning has assembled a collection of photographs of the little steam locomotives in action. These now form a rare archive of scenes that will never be repeated. The following selection of 32 photographs is reproduced with permission.
Moreton with its tender on a Moreton Mill sidling, alongside Shay, 1965
Moreton with its tender on a Moreton Mill sidling, alongside Shay, 1965
Dulong on a standard gauge flatcar, leaving the Lima factory on its way to Australia, 1908.
Dulong on a special excursion train, 1935
Shay is a hybrid loco, made up of the Mapleton with parts from the scrapped Dulong in 1948. Comparison of the height of the steam dome and the position of the steam pipe exiting the dome with those features in the preceding pictures of Dulong indicate that Shay has the Mapleton's boiler, but the Dulong's chimney (or a copy).
Shay with a short works train in 1957.
Shay in lined-out livery just before retirement around 1960.
Shay in storage in 1961.
Maroochy was purchased new from Hudswell Clarke in 1914.
Maroochy was the most powerful of the Mill's conventional steam locomotives. It is seen here in 1960.
Coolum (built 1923) at the Moreton Mill in 1960.
Coolum and Eudlo were identical John Fowler locomotives. Eudlo was built in 1924.
Eudlo (delivered to Nambour in 1925) outside the Moreton Mill with trucks of mill press residue.
Eudlo standing light engine at the Mill in 1960.
Eudlo about to cross the bridge over the Maroochy River at Bli Bli, 1961.
Valdora was purchased secondhand from Racecourse Mill, Mackay, in 1937.
Valdora and Eudlo sit nose to nose at the Mill, 1965.
Valdora and Eudlo at the Mill in 1965. This collection of photographs indicates that, in the years 1960-65, Valdora, Moreton and Shay all faced uphill (west) when climbing Howard Street to the Mill. The other five steam locomotives climbed Howard Street bunker first. Although there was a balloon loop encircling the Mill, it could not be negotiated by a locomotive, so they could not use it to turn around. Horses were employed to drag the loaded cane trucks around the loop to the handling equipment which tipped the stick cane from the trucks, one truck at a time, into the carrier. In 1965 a winch was installed between the rails to drag the rakes of trucks to the carrier, and the three horses then employed were sold off. Later, mechanical cane harvesters replaced human cane cutters, and cane was delivered to the Mill in short lengths (billets). The cane trucks were replaced by four-wheeled bins (still unbraked), and in 1975 a rotary tippler was installed in the balloon loop which inverted individual bins into the cane carrier for crushing.
Petrie (built 1933) with a rake of cane trucks loaded with stick cane.
Bli Bli and Moreton pushing cane trucks into the Mill for unloading, 1961.
Bli Bli was purchased secondhand in 1960, is seen here in 1965.
At the Moreton Central Sugar Mill, from left to right: Maroochy, Petrie, Bli Bli, Coolum and Valdora.
Moreton, Coolum and Bli Bli (front row) with Shay at rear, 1965. In the background is the Mill with the two chimney stacks it had at the time.
Coolum and Bli Bli at the Mill in 1965.
A bogie carriage used by the Mill to transport navvies and their equipment, 1965. This was always said to be an ex-Mapleton car, and was possibly a conversion of a Mapleton Tramway guard's van. It does seem rather long.
Moreton takes a few empty cane trucks under the QR rail bridge, and across Arundell Avenue, heading for Burnside, 1961.
Coolum brings a load of stick cane up Howard Street, past the Sydney Street and Anne Street intersections.
Eudlo approaches the Currie Street intersection after climbing Howard Street from the marshalling yards.
Coolum crosses Currie Street as it approaches the Mill with a load of cane, Royal George Hotel at right, 1960. Long-time residents recall that sticks of cane on the trucks often brushed against the veranda post of the hotel as they went by, as the line was closer to the hotel than it is today.
Eudlo passes the Royal George Hotel as it enters Mill Street, approaching the end of its journey. Note bags of coal on loco.
The intersection of Currie and Howard Street in 1965. During the crushing season (July to December), up to 70 train movements per day crossed this busy intersection, which was the main road from Brisbane north, the Bruce Highway, until the Nambour bypass was constructed in recent years.
Portion of cane railway in Mill Street, Nambour, at the Mill entrance with old Mapleton Tramway line at right, 1965.
Click here to access more photographs from Mr Browning's collection, covering locomotives from other Queensland sugar mills.
Where are the locomotives now ?
All of these engines are still in existence, although none is in working order. An exception of sorts is the Moreton, which still hauls trains on a daily basis, though not in steam (see below).
Bli
Bli (John Fowler & Co. Ltd, Leeds, England, BN 14418 of 1915),
0-4-2T, purchased from Babinda Mill in 1960, decommissioned in October 1967. Plinthed at Muller Park, Bli Bli, Queensland
since 1968. Poor condition, chimney missing.
Coolum
(Fowler, BN 16036 of
1923), 0-6-0T, ordered from the builder in 1923 but not delivered until January 1924, decommissioned in 1968, parts removed in
1972 to keep its twin Eudlo operational in case of emergencies. Sold to
the late Edgar Plater for $220. Cosmetic restoration, now privately owned by
Edgar's son Clive Plater, Robinson
Road, Eudlo, Queensland. Good condition, though not steamable.
Eudlo
(Fowler BN 16207 of 1924), 0-6-0T,
purchased new in July 1925, set aside in 1968 but kept operational, finally
decommissioned in 1973 as the Mill's last remaining steam locomotive, then put
on display at the Mill. Cosmetically restored for the Mill's centenary in 1997,
when it was placed on a low loader and took part in a parade through Nambour.
After the Mill's closure, it was donated to the Nambour Historical Museum, Mitchell Street, Nambour, Queensland, adjacent to the Moreton Mill site,
where it is now on display.
Petrie
(Fowler, BN 19930 of 1933), 0-4-2T,
purchased from Babinda Mill either in 1954 or 1959 - sources
differ. Set aside in December 1962,
but reported running in 1963. Finally decommissioned in October 1967. Privately owned at Geelong, Victoria.
Maroochy
(Hudswell Clarke & Co. Ltd, Leeds, England, BN 1078 of 1914), 0-4-2T,
purchased new in 1914 and named
Nambour
for the first < eight years. Set aside in December 1962 (as 'a disaster waiting to
happen'), but reported running during
the 1963 crush. Was privately
owned in very poor condition at Murrumba Downs, Brisbane, Queensland, and offered for
sale at auction, December 2006.
Valdora
(Dick Kerr & Co. Ltd, Kilmarnock, Scotland, BN?? of 1893),
0-4-0WT, purchased second-hand from
Racecourse Mill near Mackay in 1937. Decommissioned in September 1964. Currently
plinthed at the Sunshine Coast Railway Modellers Society's
outdoor live-steam track, Florence Street, Nambour, Queensland.
Krauss
(Locomotivfabrik Krauss & Co. Munich, Germany, BN 6854 of 1914), 0-6-2T, ex-Buderim Tramway. Stored at
Maroochydore in preparation for
cosmetic restoration and display near Buderim Swimming Pool, Queensland. (This is the largest Krauss to operate in
Australia).
Shay (Lima Locomotive Corporation, Ohio U.S.A., previously Mapleton BN 2800 of 1914 with some parts of Dulong BN 2091 of 1908 attached in 1948). Decommissioned in March 1960. Fair condition. Owned by Maroochy Shire Council, and presently located at the Railway Workshops Museum at Ipswich, Queensland, for structural examination and assessment. It is expected that, when sufficient funds have been raised by the Shay Rail Preservation Society, a group of enthusiasts based at Mapleton, it will be cosmetically restored and then placed on display on the corner of Delicia and Obi Obi Roads, Mapleton. The two unwanted bogies were acquired by the Illawarra Light Rail Museum Society and are presently under a new fabricated Shay frame at their facility at Albion Park, New South Wales (see below).
Moreton (Locomotivfabrik Krauss & Co. Munich, Germany) BN 4687 of 1901, 0-6-0T+T. Purchased in 1904, fitted with a tender in the early 1920s, decommissioned in July, 1967. Now at Yandina Ginger Factory, Queensland. Operates daily with hydraulic drive, not in steam (see below).
Click here for photographs of Bli Bli, Eudlo and Valdora taken in February 2007.
Click
here for
photographs of Eudlo taken on 17th May 2008, on the occasion of its
official unveiling after cosmetic restoration at the Nambour Historical Museum.
The
'Moreton' is still at work
The small locomotive Moreton was the first steam engine used by the Moreton Central Sugar Mill and worked for 64 years until being decommissioned in 1969. It now may be found at the Yandina Ginger Factory, a local theme park. It hauls tourists and local visitors around a short length of track circling the park.
This old 0-6-0T built by Krauss of Germany has been cosmetically restored and, though its builder's plates are missing, the year of construction '1901' is painted on its smokebox door. The name 'Moreton' emblazons both side tanks. Some boiler cladding and the dome casing are missing. Its boiler and cylinders do not work, yet it still hauls its train.
While under Mill ownership the locomotive was fitted with a small four-wheeled tender for carrying extra fuel. That tender is now in private hands, but a similar tender has been built to carry a diesel-driven hydraulic pump and fuel tank. Fluid under pressure is pumped across to the locomotive through flexible hoses. A small hydraulic transmission is housed under the floor of the engine's cab, the drive being taken to one axle of the loco by means of twin roller chains. These can be observed passing through the firebox if the firehole door is opened.
The coupling rods of the engine connect all six wheels to the driven axle, to drive the locomotive along. A small air compressor and reservoir provide air to operate the whistle. The original outside Stephenson's valve gear still exists in more-or-less working condition, the Johnson bar being left permanently in the full forward gear notch. Whereas the external running gear appears to be well lubricated and in good order, the condition of the valves, steam chests, pistons and cylinders is not known.
This form of operation was chosen as it did as little damage as possible to the locomotive. There is at present a tentative plan to run the engine under steam power in the future. This could be done by fitting an oil-fired steam generator in the tender, and piping the steam across to the locomotive cylinders. This would obviate the expense of fitting a new firebox and boiler, yet the loco would still make the sounds of a steam engine. To enhance the effect, a grate could be restored to the firebox, and a small amount of coal burned there, purely to provide a little smoke and the smell of an operating steam locomotive. Maybe in the future Moreton can be fully restored to its original working condition.
Click here for photographs of the Moreton at work, taken in February 2007.
The Hampton Shays
The two Shay locomotives at Munro's Hampton timber mill line near Toowoomba wore out and were written off, and all salvageable parts were removed. Explosives were used to break the cylinders off the boilers. The hulks deteriorated badly over the years, but parts of both locomotives eventually found their way to the Illawarra Light Rail Museum Society's track at Albion Park, south of Wollongong, NSW. Here, it was hoped to use the components of the two Shays (Lima Class A No. 906 of 1904 and Class A No. 2097 of 1907) to construct a single locomotive, which would hopefully one day be returned to steam.
Unfortunately, neither of the boilers could be utilised, and both engine units were unusable. In fact, very little of the Hampton Shays was found to be of any practical use in this project. Luckily, the ILRMS have a suitable Davenport boiler which they intend to fit to a restored frame, but a new engine unit will have to be completely fabricated from scratch. The crankshaft has recently been completed. The resulting Shay locomotive will therefore not be authentic, but hopefully will at least be operational. This will be a very long-term project.
As the Hampton Shays were built to a gauge of 2 feet 6 inches, the ILRMS has acquired the two spare bogies left over from when the Dulong was cannibalised to repair the Mapleton in 1948 prior to the former being scrapped. These are now placed under the frame of the new Shay, to enable it to run on the Society's 2 feet gauge track, so the two unused bogies from the Mapleton Tramway locos will be running on rails once more.
The following information has been found on the website of "Australian Steam - Preserved Steam Locomotives Down Under", and the reader may obtain additional information at the bottom of this page on that site.
It would appear that the remaining parts of the Hampton Shays consist of two boilers with no fittings (front, rear, possibly the second boiler), the bunker, a frame and at least two bogies. Having no use for the parts it held, the ILRMS apparently has sold them to the owner of Sketches Mountain Resort at Ravensbourne, Queensland, near where Munro's timber tramway used to be located. It seems that the resort may be planning a static display of a Shay locomotive in a replica engine shed. The components departed the ILRMS at Albion Park on 14 February 2006. It is further reported that the new owner has examined Shay at the Ipswich Railway Workshops, and is having castings made of various fittings.
Home Page of the Illawarra Light Railway Museum Society
(Click on 'Locomotives Steam' and then on 'Shay')