QGR 1889 SCL {Original Gold-Coast Railway}

[Petan]

Michael, over on another thread recently you wrote; Manly was equipped with a 60ft Cowan Sheldon Patterned Turntable

I replied; Manly's turntable was a 58 foot air operated turntable, which is a different length to the 60 foot data you wrote. Brian Webber also says 58 foot in that book you quoted P.59. Track plans with turntable lengths listed ARHS Bulletin July 1964 P.123.

Did your research of a QR document state Manly had a 60ft Cowan Sheldon Patterned Turntable? If so, can you email me a copy of that QR document or scan an A4 sized section that refers to that fact, please? The reason I ask is more in relation to your statement that some offical diagrams that you have come across do not reflect the area of the Ernest Junction tunnel. Official clerks have made mistakes on documents before so I am investigating your problem about that tunnel document as well as Manly matters.

Or is the QR document problem just the fact that they are in "engineers code" and difficult for non engineers such as you and I to decipher? I myself earlier had to ask an engineer to explain some parts of similar QR documents?

A good example of a clerk making a mistake is Moreton Bay near Brisbane. Cook named it Morton Bay after James, the 14th Earl of Morton. Note the lack of the letter "e". The clerk who copied the map back in England is apparently the one who introduced the extra letter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moreton_Bay

So Michael, was the Manly turntable data you quoted off an official QR document and if so, can you give the name of that document? Of course, there probably is no 58 foot air operated turntable in trainz so another compromise has to be made anyway.

Cheers
Peter C

 

[Petan]

Michael, over on another thread recently you wrote; Manly was equipped with a 60ft Cowan Sheldon Patterned Turntable

I replied; Manly's turntable was a 58 foot air operated turntable, which is a different length to the 60 foot data you wrote. Brian Webber also says 58 foot in that book you quoted P.59. Track plans with turntable lengths listed ARHS Bulletin July 1964 P.123.

Did your research of a QR document state Manly had a 60ft Cowan Sheldon Patterned Turntable? If so, can you email me a copy of that QR document or scan an A4 sized section that refers to that fact, please? The reason I ask is more in relation to your statement that some offical diagrams that you have come across do not reflect the area of the Ernest Junction tunnel. Official clerks have made mistakes on documents before so I am investigating your problem about that tunnel document as well as Manly matters.

Or is the QR document problem just the fact that they are in "engineers code" and difficult for non engineers such as you and I to decipher? I myself earlier had to ask an engineer to explain some parts of similar QR documents?

A good example of a clerk making a mistake is Moreton Bay near Brisbane. Cook named it Morton Bay after James, the 14th Earl of Morton. Note the lack of the letter "e". The clerk who copied the map back in England is apparently the one who introduced the extra letter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moreton_Bay

So Michael, was the Manly turntable data you quoted off an official QR document and if so, can you give the name of that document? Of course, there probably is no 58 foot air operated turntable in trainz so another compromise has to be made anyway. Cheers Peter C

That Manly turntable diagram I mentioned above, ARHS Bulletin July 1964 P.123, was placed on the web via Railpage last year. Plus some background from Railpage people with first hand personal memories as they was attached there briefly in the mid 60's. http://www.railpage.com.au/f-p1616025.htm#1616025

 

[misterchugg]

hi Peter, Micheal

following this thread closely
the 1800 class i can use as well on the Boonah line
after i finally find enough time to finish it.
still looking for items to suit
and of course time to work on it

both seem to be in short supply at this time

if you both need a hand with something i can do,
please ask

cheers
ron

 

[trainz89]

Nerang River Bridge - General Layout

Just recently found in the Queensland Heritage Railways [ my groups] archives, this came from my personal collection that was originally given to me by my uncle for my 13th birthday in a old wooden box stamped QR marked; South Coast Railway. This is a general arrangement of the Nerang River Bridge with the various woodern approach piers show. I have photograghed it, and uploaded it to my page: What an amazing find!!!

Kindest Regards
Michael Gitsham
Commissioner For Railways
Queensland Heritage Railways

 

[Petan]

Michael, can you please [well pretty please] do we fellow Railway Archaeology people a favour and display this and all similar **ACTUAL** QR plans and documents for the South Coast line over at the Railpage thread; http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11348803.htm

Priceless historical stuff like this deserves a very wide audience. If not, can I link them, please?

 

[trainz89]

Hello Everyone,

Just [well nearly] completed building Southport yard to the exact yard diagrams drawn by J.W Knowles to the year of 1959 when the Fork Line was provided. I would have to track down an offical QR diagram of the yards that show signals, but I am happy to see an exact layout of the yards. I know it well from building it previously in trainz. But on the map the line was point to the yards being on the wrong position; it showed that the yards were on the allignment of Railway Street which is incorrect.

The yards were bordered by Nind, and Railway streets [ which was had an odd intersection at Z shaped angle]. Scarbourgh St was cut in two by the railway line and it was originally proposed making a Level Crossing but it was never followed through in the form of construction but in compensation a wooden footbridge was provided by the railways for residents to access the cut halves of the street. Thats why nowdays you see on a road map, Scarborough St Nth & Scarbrough Street Sth.

Anyway some screenhots.

Overview of the Yards

Dock Platform

Goods Yard

Looking From the Brisbane End to the Goods Yard - Down Platform

The Turntable & Tank

From The End Of The Fork which bordered Railway Street.

Kindest Regards
Michael Gitsham
QHR Commissioner For Railways

 

[Petan]

Just [well nearly] completed building Southport yard to the exact yard diagrams drawn by J.W Knowles to the year of 1959 when the Fork Line was provided.

So far all I can locate from John W Knowles on Southport is this text but no diagrams here http://freespace.virgin.net/johnk.pb15/southport.html

Michael, can you please list a reference to the Southport yard diagrams drawn by John Knowles so we also can locate the same book or magazine and arrange our own copies? I have searched for similar at the John Oxley/State Library and ARHS documents and located this ARHS bulletin by another author; Apr 2004 (Vol 55 No. 798) PB15s, Cement Bins and Picnic Trains: Southport Station in the Later Years (Milne, Rod)

As yet I have not seen you put the Nerang River bridge diagram on Railpage, so please reply on this forum if you object to others linking that historical gem onto Railpage. I am surprised someone else has not already provided the link to Railpage.

 

[trainz89]

By Order Of The Commissioner Of Railways

Peter,

I am logged in as my account on Railpage, and just direct me where do I put my collection. I will have to scan them instead of photograghing some of them, as the light made them become faded or distorted due to the flash.

I have aswell the 1894 Farfield Deviation Plans from Boggo Junction to South Coast Junction. For the Duplication.

Kindest Regards

Michael Gitsham
Queensland Heritage Railways
Commissioner For Railways

 

[Petan]

Peter, I am logged in as my account on Railpage, and just direct me where do I put my collection. I will have to scan them instead of photograghing some of them, as the light made them become faded or distorted due to the flash.I have aswell the 1894 Farfield Deviation Plans from Boggo Junction to South Coast Junction. For the Duplication.

Kindest Regards

Michael Gitsham
Queensland Heritage Railways
Commissioner For Railways

Yippee...

Go here for the Southport and Tweed Heads SCL material http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11348803.htm

The Fairfield material could be a new thread in the Queensland section http://www.railpage.com.au/f-f4.htm

Scanning will take time but we live in hope!! Where did you find the John Knowles Southport diagrams, please?

Thanks
Peter C

 

[trainz89]

Peter,

I emailed him personally, for a school assignment that I did a while back and I told him I had a keen interest in Southport. So he sent my all these material, incuding the southport yard diagrams & photos from 1924 to 1959. The history was taken out of Rod Milles; PB15's, Cement Bins, and Picnic Trains which recalled Southport in its Twilight years of the late 1950's to closure.

I will scann them along with photos of real life and in trainz and upload them when I complete the full yard, as a basis of where things actually were.

P.S I hope your enjoying the screenshots.

Regards
Michael Gitsham

 

[Petan]

Peter,

I emailed him personally, for a school assignment that I did a while back and I told him I had a keen interest in Southport. So he sent my all these material, incuding the southport yard diagrams & photos from 1924 to 1959. The history was taken out of Rod Milles; PB15's, Cement Bins, and Picnic Trains which recalled Southport in its Twilight years of the late 1950's to closure.

I will scann them along with photos of real life and in trainz and upload them when I complete the full yard, as a basis of where things actually were.

P.S I hope your enjoying the screenshots.

Regards
Michael Gitsham

No wonder I could not find them! As you probably noticed from John Knowles' website http://freespace.virgin.net/johnk.pb15/index.htm John sometimes disagrees with the material in Rod Milne's articles but the discussion that follows often reveals more material for us researchers. I also notice you did that quick name edit so I likewise will delete any reference in my above posts and nobody will know what I am talking about as we all make typo errors.

Cheers
Peter C

 

[Petan]

A Southport local has put up video of the Ernest Junction tunnel

http://cjeastwd.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/old-railway-tunnel.html

 

[trainz89]

Well, it has been a long time since the last post. Cricketstar has been nagging me to finish off QR City Train, the things we do for people

I have been slowly tinkering away at fixing the Beenleigh Station and building my 1800 class Railmotor.

Cheers

 

[Petan]

Added the 1969 and 1974 Sydney Cairns timetables to the downloadable list.

 

[Petan]

Added extra docs to the docs download list at http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11367088.htm

 

[Petan]

Well, it has been a long time since the last post. Cricketstar has been nagging me to finish off QR City Train

You can now run some more early diesel long distance passenger trains through Brisbane using the supplied historic timetables, both QR and standard gauge, especially the 22 July 1962 QR public timetable the other chap supplied on Railpage. Enjoy ! http://www.railpage.com.au/f-t11370149.htm

 

[trainz89]

@Petan,

I have textured around Beenleigh, and added the details to the Rum Distillery siding, I am yet to rebuild beenleigh station in the correct position, as I have been using the very excellent South Coast Railway Book by Water Street Productions as my guide.

I have been texturing and slowly trackworking around Ernest Junction. I hope I shall get some screenshots up soon on my home thread.

Regards
Michael Gitsham

 

[misterchugg]

sounds good micheal
cheers
ron

 

[Petan]

@Petan,

I have textured around Beenleigh, and added the details to the Rum Distillery siding, I am yet to rebuild beenleigh station in the correct position, as I have been using the very excellent South Coast Railway Book by Water Street Productions as my guide.
Regards
Michael Gitsham

If you mean the following then a really good resource. My suggestion is to follow it closely, especially the pictures along the old highway around Yatala and Albert River bridge on P.18 as they show the distance between the 1963 highway and the line.
http://railshop.com.au/prod78.htm

 

[Petan]

The following 1954 Working Timetable material is now available for download

South Coast Tweed “Up” Southbound Working Timetable 1954
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwQm4tOHhqUjBNY2s/edit

South Coast Tweed “Down” Northbound Working Timetable 1954
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwVkVaU1dkMTRvWjQ/edit

South Coast Tweed Working Timetable Instructions 1954 Also includes some QR state wide Livestock data
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwc2dBZXVkUVZ0dlE/edit

Co- ordinated Southport Murwillumbah Rail and Road 1954
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwcXc3MGNYSjNBSjA/edit

Cheers
Peter