Mr E.M. (Mike) Loveday was a keen enthusiast of the 2-feet gauge railways that serviced the Moreton Central Sugar Mill and the areas of Burnside, Kureelpa and Mapleton. Over several decades he accumulated a collection of photographs of these tramways including those he took himself and those he collected or copied from other sources. At his death many of these came into the hands of Mr Trevor Robinson of Palmwoods, a local historian who, like Mike, wished to preserve the memory of the Moreton Mill and its cane transport rail networks, as well as the other local tramways that serviced the localities of Mapleton and Buderim.

Mr Robinson has kindly offered his collection of images including the Loveday collection to be made available to interested persons on this website. Some now appear before the public for the first time, and naturally copyright will remain with Mr Robinson. On behalf of readers, the writer thanks Mr Robinson wholeheartedly for his generosity.

The images below are mostly of steam locomotives, and are presented approximately in order of acquisition by the Moreton Central Sugar Mill.

Moreton's boiler backhead and cab controls, 1965

Moreton's boiler backhead and cab controls, 1965

Cab and controls of Moreton

Detail of right-hand cylinder and link motion of Moreton

Moreton taking empty cane trucks down Howard Street, Nambour, past the Diggers' Hall

Hudswell Clarke & Co. Ltd, Leeds, England, Builder's No. 1078 of 1914, 0-4-2T Maroochy
hauling cane to the Mill along Howard Street, Nambour in 1940.

Maroochy in the Moreton Mill yard

John Fowler & Co. Ltd, Leeds, England, Builder's No. 16036 of 1923, 0-6-0T Coolum - builder's photograph

Fowler, Builder's No. 16036 of 1923, 0-6-0T Coolum soon after its arrival at the Moreton Central Sugar Mill

Coolum in charge of a crowded commuter tram to Coolum Beach

Coolum with a passenger tram

Coolum taking stick cane to the Mill along Howard Street - at this stage, the cladding of its steam dome has been removed.

Coolum coming down Mill Street past the Royal George Hotel - Mill smokestacks in background

Coolum outside the Bank of New South Wales, corner of Currie and Howard Streets, Nambour - Mill smokestacks behind cab.
As the cane trucks are loaded, perhaps Coolum was pushing its train in reverse, or assisting another locomotive by banking its train in the rear.

Coolum passes the Diggers' Hall on the Queen Street corner as it takes empties down Howard Street. The tram tracks at that time ran down the northern side of the street, rather than in the centre. The awning of Bayard's building (see next image) is visible at the left margin. Today's Queen Street runs to the right just beyond the Diggers' Hall.

Coolum passes Bayards at the corner of Currie Street and Howard Streets - the Royal George Hotel is in the background

Coolum undergoing boiler repairs

Coolum towards the end, with more powerful headlights front and rear

Coolum in steam for the last time, Moreton Central Sugar Mill, August 14, 1968

Coolum out of service

John Fowler & Co. Ltd, Leeds, England,  Builder's No. 16207 of 1925, 0-6-0T Eudlo
and crew pose for the photographer soon after the locomotive's commissioning

Eudlo shunting loaded stick-cane trucks - the cladding of its steam dome has also been removed

Dick Kerr & Co. Ltd, Kilmarnock, Scotland, Builder's No. possibly 191 of 1893, 0-4-0WT, Valdora in the Moreton Mill yard.

Valdora in the Moreton Mill yard - this locomotive has the unusual 'Morton's Patent Valve Gear'

Valdora in the Moreton Mill yard

Valdora in the Moreton Mill yard - detail

Valdora in the Moreton Mill yard - cab details

The locomotive Shay, Lima Locomotive Corporation, Ohio U.S.A., previously Mapleton BN 2800 of 1914
with some parts of Dulong BN 2091 of 1908, Moreton Central Sugar Mill, 1956; photograph by C. C. Singleton

The locomotive Shay, Moreton Central Sugar Mill, 1956; photograph by C. C. Singleton

The locomotive Shay, Moreton Central Sugar Mill, 1956; photograph by C. C. Singleton

The locomotive Shay, Moreton Central Sugar Mill

The locomotive Shay, Moreton Central Sugar Mill

The locomotive Shay, Moreton Central Sugar Mill, engine and front bogie details

The locomotive Shay, Moreton Central Sugar Mill, engine and drive shaft details

The locomotive Shay, Moreton Central Sugar Mill, cab controls

The locomotive Shay, Moreton Central Sugar Mill, cab controls

The locomotive Shay, Moreton Central Sugar Mill, rear bogie, gears and drive shaft details

The locomotive Shay, Moreton Central Sugar Mill, cab controls

The locomotive Shay, Moreton Central Sugar Mill, front bogie details (fireman's side)

The 'lifting bridge' over the Maroochy River

Navvies' passenger carriage, Moreton Central Mill

Moreton Central Sugar Mill

Tramway trolleys

Internal-combustion rail tractor with coupling rods

A 2.5 tonne Motor Rail Simplex internal-combustion rail tractor without coupling rods. Click  here  to see a similar vehicle on the Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway in Kent, UK.

Cane tram approaching Moreton Central Mill, crossing the Currie Street - Howard Street intersection (without traffic lights)

View looking north from the top of the Moreton Central Sugar Mill's tallest smokestack