Q150 Train - Townsville to Mt Isa
02-05 June 2009

This leg of the Q150 Steam Train was the 4th sector of 6 running in 2009. Having arrived in Townsville on 29 May the run to Mt Isa, almost 1000km to the west, started on 02 June. The plan was:

02 June: Townsville to Charters Towers 03 June: Charters Towers to Hughenden 04 June: Hughenden to Cloncurry 05 June: Cloncurry to Mt Isa The following week the train headed back to the coast.

The grand street frontage to the Great Northern Railway's station at Townsville. 01 June 2009

Townsville used to have a large station located just on the edge of the city centre. I had travelled through back in 2002 on my way from Cairns to Rockhampton. Investigation on Google Earth before I left the UK suggested a new out of town station had been built and so it turned out. In the name of progress a new station, about 2km from the centre of town, has been built. It may be more operationally convenient and cut out a bridge across the river but it also seems to have allowed Queensland Railways to realise the value of a lot of prime land. The new station also has all the charm of ambience of an airport, which is a shame.

The new station at Townsville. 01 June 2009

02 June: Townsville to Charters Towers

The train was booked away at 10am. We arrived in good time but there was no sign of the train despite a lot of people being around. 10am came and went then the news came that today there would be no steam engine! Marvellous. We later found out that booked locomotive, BB18¼ 1089, had been blowing down on shed but had a bit of a problem - the blowdown valve jammed out. So the fire had to be thrown out to prevent damage to the inner firebox as the water level dropped. BB18¼ 1079 was also in Townsville but unfortunately was not in steam on standby so the first day, with the result being the climb through the Great Dividing Range was diesel hauled!

This view is typical of the scenery seen on the trip to Charters Towers. 02 June 2009

The railway crossed the Burdekin River on a substantial viaduct not long before arrival in Charters Towers. Alongside the viaduct was one from a previous alignment of the railway. A lot of money has been spent on the Mt Isa line to keep it open! 02 June 2009

The train finally got away behind diesel 1620 and reached Charters Towers a little short of 45 minutes late. We didn't stick around for the various speeches, rather we crossed the road and checked into our very conveniently located hotel, the Enterprise Hotel.

	Preserved QR 838hp diesel 1620, of 1967, after arrival at Charters Towers. 02 June 2009

Waiting to head west after the late arrival to the Q150 train was a lengthy freight train lead by locomotive 2309. 02 June 2009

Probably the biggest downside on the trip was the over the top and "everyone is an idiot" approach taken by too many QR staff. Each station has a yellow line as shown. One foot across it, regardless of the actual risk, would normally result in being barked at with the best being "don't fall off the platform". I wonder how we all coped in the world before such useful advice? It was amazing we were allowed to cross it to get on the train. 02 June 2009

A quick drink was had at the bar from where we headed into town to have a look around and admire the classic Australian country town architecture.

A typical side street in Charters Towers - wide and uncluttered. 02 June 2009

Charters Towers was founded on gold. Such was its success it even had its own Stock Exchange. 02 June 2009

Viewed from the rear the Stock Exchange looks to have had expansion plans which were never realised. 02 June 2009

Near to the Stock Exchange is the grand former Australian Bank of Commerce. 02 June 2009	Along the main street in Charters Towers is the Excelsior Library. This building has clearly been rebuilt with many modern features but attempts to retain a period feel with the restored frontage. 02 June 2009

After a good diner at the Enterprise it became obvious the steam locomotive was expected, which was a relief. 1089 rolled in at about 20:00, so we were all set for steam haulage the next day.

BB18¼ 1089 stands on the east bound line at Charters Towers shortly after arrival from Townsville. The Q150 train stands in the westbound (platform) line whilst diesel 1620 is sat in one of the siding roads. 02 June 2009

03 June: Charters Towers to Hughenden

An early start with departure set for 07:30 and arrival in Hughenden booked for 13:50.

BB18¼ 1089 at Charters Towers preparing to set off for Hughenden with the Q150 train. 03 June 2009

A rear ¾ view of BB18¼ 1089 at Charters Towers. 03 June 2009

The fireman on 1089 makes up the fire ready for departure time. 03 June 2009

The start away from Charters Towers entails a few km of relatively gentle climbing, which was achieved without fuss. The 250km run presented a few sections of similarly gentle climbing, none of which seemed to tax 1089. The line has been substantially upgraded over the years to cope with the volume of freight traffic flowing from the mines and smelters of Mt Isa. During the journey it was possible to see where the formation has been deviated from with the current line showing signs of easing out of curves and gradients whilst also running higher up on embankments and bridges.

Big sky, big country. Somewhere between Charters Towers and Hughenden. 03 June 2009

Along the way a couple of westbound freight trains were crossed but it was an otherwise uneventful journey. That is not to say it was a boring journey, far from it. It was very nice to sit back in the leather seats or stand on the end balconies watching country Australia pass by.

QR diesel 2850 heads a typically lengthy eastbound freight train past the Q150 train in one of the loops between Charters Towers and Hughenden. 03 June 2009

It was during the day that I became aware we were being followed - running at some times very close up behind the rear of the train was a road/rail vehicle of fire patrol duty. Quite how this worked in terms of section occupancy/safe working I didn't find out. Despite it being winter the countryside was still dry so fires have to be swiftly extinguished if they are not to get out of control, so the presence of the fire patrol was essential. Talking to the driver later in the trip he expressed surprise that fires are also a problem in the UK being that it is such a wet country! After quoting a few recent examples, such as Castle 5043 causing a number of significant fires in Yorkshire, soon convinced him!

The fire patrol truck close behind the Q150 train not far out from Hughenden. 03 June 2009

A bypass line has been built at Hughenden which also acts as a small yard. In total there are 4 roads. A couple of trains were sat there as we arrived. The original route can just be made out curving to the right across the photo whilst, in the background, a freight train sets of westbound. It seemed that through trains very generally taking the original route via the station rather than via the bypass. 03 June 2009

As 1089 had a water tanker behind the tender there was no need to stop for water at any point. A couple of stops to check the loco over were but that was it. The trip was straight through to Hughenden. We arrived just over 10 minutes early and were greeted by a platform full of school children, no doubt getting their first sighting of a steam locomotive.

The welcoming committee at Hughenden. Thankfully they were all behind the yellow line! 03 June 2009

Again we did not hang around for the speeches preferring to head off in search of out hotel. We weren't as lucky as the previous night as we had to bit of distance to cover to find the Royal Hotel but thankfully it was only about a 10 minute walk away. Despite being the Australian winter the sun was pretty strong and the temperature was in the high twenties so the walk was far enough!

Through passengers benefited from a well thought out luggage system - all luggage was loaded into the rear car each day so that it didn't clutter up the rest of the train. 03 June 2009

The Royal, rated by the locals as one of the better places in Hughenden to eat, was, to my eyes, a very typical Australian country hotel/pub. No frills at all but at the same time perfectly adequate.

Very Australia! A dog tied up in the back of a ute. Hughenden. 03 June 2009

Hughenden is renowned for being in fossil country and specifically fossils of dinosaurs. Wandering around the town there were a number of dinosaur related displays and also an interesting museum containing local finds and also one for further afield.

Around town were a number of dinosaur pieces of art such as this pterodactyl. 03 June 2009

Inside the dinosaur museum was this skeleton of Muttaburrasaurus. 03 June 2009

The town itself, like many a country town, doesn't seem especially vibrant but equally it is didn't look down on its luck despite its isolation. According to Wikipedia the population is in the region of 1500 people.

A colourful street view in Hughenden. 03 June 2009

The centre of Hughenden which includes covered car parking to help keep cars cool. 03 June 2009

The now closed Grand Hotel in Hughenden - an excellent example of the architectural style along with a rendering of a Muttaburrasaurus. 03 June 2009

Another feature of outback Australia is road trains like this one - one tractor unit and three trailers. 03 June 2009

That evening we eat at the Royal which was extremely busy. The train staff - loco crews, carriage attendants and organisers -and practically all the passengers who had travelled through seemed to be there along with a lot of locals. It was the first game in the Rugby League 'State of Origin' set of three between Queensland and New South Wales. Having eaten and little interest in sport I didn't stay to watch the game but, perhaps thankfully, Queensland did win!

04 June: Hughenden to Cloncurry

An earlier start and a later finish! This leg covered the most ground, largely due to the fact there is nowhere especially large on the nearly 400km journey. But it wasn't to be miles and miles of nothing as the outback proved to be remarkably varied. It also proved to be the best day on the train. The distance traveled and time taken must have put most people off as our coach was practically empty which was great! It was also good that a couple of stops were incorporated allowing us to get off and have a leg stretch and get a look at the loco. Again no water stops were required. On this day a second water tanker was included in the formation.

06:31 at Hughenden as the sun is starting to come up. The Aussies thought it was cold but, in reality, it was a very pleasant morning in Hughenden! 04 June 2009

A cab view of 1089 with the driver's brake valves prominent. 04 June 2009

Leaving Hughenden at 7am, as the sun was coming up, a line peeled off to the south. This was the now closed branch to Winton which we were told would soon be lifted.

The Mt Isa end of the Hughenden deviation with a train parked up presumably waiting to head west at some point. 04 June 2009

Not too far out of Hughenden as the sunrise turned everything a mild shade of red. 04 June 2009

The first stop of the day was made at the small town of Richmond and the second, longer stop, was made at the slightly larger town of Julia Creek. Here we passed another west bound train but this one had a live cargo. It was a cattle train, quite an unusual site these days. A locomotive on shunting duty was also in town. Shortly before the special was due to set off for Cloncurry this diesel also set off in the Cloncurry direction. We were to find out it had headed 2km up the line to the livestock loading point at Gunjoola.

The dining car was a good place to spend a few hours watching the outback go by. 04 June 2009

The view from the dining car with the Flinders Highway running alongside the railway. 04 June 2009

The only two Kangaroos I saw in the wild all trip - one red and one grey head away from the train. 04 June 2009

The first of the two stops on this leg was at the small town of Richmond. As at many places along the way the local school had turned out to greet the train. 04 June 2009

In the heat of the day at a loop somewhere between Richmond and Julia Creek. 04 June 2009

1089's worksplate. 04 June 2009

The plate says it all! 04 June 2009

Julia Creek as seen from the railway yard. 04 June 2009

The stop at Julia Creek coincided with the hottest part of the day. In the warm sun the loco crew serviced and check the loco over. In one leg of the turning triangle loco 2309, seen a few days before at Charters Towers, waits to head a few km up the line towards Mt Isa. 04 June 2009

A side view of 1089 showing a number of the loco's features including SCOA-P wheelsets. 04 June 2009

Many of the bearings on 1089 are grease lubricated. A compressed air powered grease gun is used to top up the grease levels. Sensibly the loco's brake system is utilised to provide the compressed air required. 04 June 2009

Beyond Hughenden two water wagons where in use behind 1089. 04 June 2009

Timing keeping slipped a little bit, almost inevitable being that it was the longest day anyway! Booked arrival on Cloncurry was 17:30. In the end we rolled in just as the sun was going down around 45 minutes late.

All along the route to Mt Isa there were signs of the route's upgrading, reconstruction and rerouting. Here the line had moved a little to the south leaving the bridge peer foundations of the old alignment redundant. 04 June 2009

In the middle of nowhere we passed the remains of what looked like a fairly ancient car. 04 June 2009

The closer we got to Cloncurry the stereotypical miles and miles of outback nothingness gave way to more varied views. This is near Pymurra loop. 04 June 2009

Red soils, white ants - termite mounds were quite a common site towards the end of the day. 04 June 2009

Heading into the sun at Oonoomurra - the balloon loop here can be seen in front of 1089. 04 June 2009

As the daylight faded we passed a second car in the middle of nowhere, but this one was obviously much newer. 04 June 2009

The welcome at Cloncurry station was certainly the loudest of the trip! A school band were playing as the train arrived. I don't remember the tune played first but the second I do as it seemed a very strange choice indeed - it was Joe Dolce's 'Shaddap You Face'!

A slight problem had come to light during the day - Cloncurry had a new out of town railway station! So the cunning booking of the Gidgee Motel, which appeared to be just down the road from the station, turned out of be a bit more of a challenge to find. As it was also going dark we were pleased to find out that the town had laid on a minibus and trailer to transfer passengers and staff to their various hotels and motels around town. This was much appreciated by all, as was the return service the next morning.

10 minutes or so out from Cloncurry and the light was fading fast - but it did make for some nice photographs. 04 June 2009

The Gidgee turned out to be the best of the accommodation on the trip and also served good food. After diner we had a quick wander around town and found the old station. We also found the Q150 train which had been parked in the old station yard where it was watched over by security guards for the night. It was good to see the loco crew were using a chimney cap. I should mention that unlike in many other parts of the world 1089 was not accompanied by a volunteer support crew. The loco remains the property of Queensland Railways so it is QR staff who look after it. Whilst out on the road QR drivers, all from the Citytrain system in Brisbane, not only crew the locomotive but they also undertake all the servicing. There was also a travelling fitter aboard to help deal with any problems.

Cloncurry has a significant claim to fame - it registered the highest recorded temperature for any Australian town. On 16 January 1889 a temperature of 53.3°C was measured! I am glad I was there in the winter, it was quite warm enough even if the Australians thought it was cold.

05 June: Cloncurry to Mt Isa

The Gidgee Inn Motel - Bar & Grill, Cloncurry. Highly recommended. 05 June 2009

The final day on the train, for us. After the long day to get to Cloncurry this final leg started at a very civilised time and finished early. Booked time away from Cloncurry was 09:15 and arrival at Mt Isa was scheduled for 14:45. Unlike the very empty train the day before this day the train was packed with locals including many who had travelled down from Mt Isa to ride the train home.

1089 at the head of the Q150 train at the new station serving Cloncurry. 05 June 2009

The two photos above show the SCOA-P type wheel centres used on the BB18¼ class. The wheel centre type was first used on the Victorian Railways R Class 4-6-4s. 05 June 2009

This is the fire patrol truck which followed the Q150 train around. 05 June 2009

A little way out of Cloncurry the line crosses the Cloncurry River which was largely a dry riverbed. 05 June 2009

Typical scenery between Cloncurry and Duchess. 05 June 2009

1089 leads the Q150 train into a long right hand curve . 05 June 2009

The fire patrol driver had told me to keep an eye out for all sorts of wildlife on this section of the run. Whilst the snakes and Wallaroos eluded me we did come across a number of feral camels, one of which had got on the wrong side of the fence. The camel, with the fence on one side and train on the other, did a good job of keeping pace with the locomotive for some time before finally dropping back.

The first pair of feral camels sighted from the train. 05 June 2009

The wrong side of the railway fence and clearly frightened by the train this lone camel kept pace with the loco for some time. 05 June 2009

Having given up trying to keep pace with the train the camel was eventually overtaken. 05 June 2009

The vast grasslands of the outback support a decent head of cattle including this lot. 05 June 2009

The small waiting shelter at Duchess station. 05 June 2009

One station stop was made during the trip at the now very small settlement of Duchess which, amazingly, sports a small station. Duchess was once an important mining town. The Q150 train guide states the population to be just 3!

This view beyond Duchess is somewhat reminiscent of Africa. 05 June 2009

The Q150 train waited in the loop at Rifle Creek for the Mt Isa to Townsville 'Inlander' to pass. This is the only passenger service normally run over the route. 05 June 2009

The 'Inlander' heads west out of the loop at Rifle Creek. 05 June 2009

Beyond Rifle Creek the train was pursued by spectators and, of course, the fire patrol truck. 05 June 2009

The train made good progress on its final 200km leg. Running close to right time the train was held in the loop at Rifle Creek to allow the coast bound 'Inlander' to head past. After this as quick dash over the remaining 26km brought the train to the mining town of Mt Isa and the real reason for the railway. Mt Isa is the end of the line.

For some time nearing the end of the journey the various chimneys of Mt Isa had been visible over the hills. On the final approach to Mt Isa, at Mica Creek, we passed the first bit of industrial infrastructure - Mica Creek power station. 05 June 2009

Mount Isa - at the QR station. 05 June 2009

Mount Isa Mines building alongside the railway. 05 June 2009

1089 at the end of the journey with the industrial background of Mt Isa's mining industry as 'scenery'. 05 June 2009

As normal there was a welcoming committee which we didn't hang around for. Premier of Queensland, Anna Bligh, was due to speak which must have been great given that she had just announced her plans to ruin and close most of Queensland Railways by privatising it. So we headed off under a very warm sun to find our hotel. After about 15 minutes we found it. From there we headed into town to get something cold to drink before heading back to the railway. 1089 was hauling a local shuttle out to Rifle Creek and back for locals. So, finally, we had a chance to get a photo of the loco and train on the move.

On our walk from the station to our motel we based the base of the Royal Flying Doctors service. 05 June 2009

In the evening 1089 ran a train out to Rifle Creek and back for the locals. Here is leaves Mt Isa station. 05 June 2009

1089 on the short section of 1 in 66 climbing away from the river crossing seen under the last couple of vehicles. 05 June 2009

And heading away towards Rifle Creek across one of many ungated level crossing. 05 June 2009

And that was almost it for railways on this trip! From Mt Isa Keith headed home to Melbourne whilst Peter and I headed back to Townsville the following day on the Greyhound bus. We were dreading the 12 hours on a bus but it turned out to be much better than expected, helped by the fact it was virtually empty and because I don't get bored of watching the Outback pass by.

Just after 6am and the Greyhound bus for Townsville is getting ready to leave. 06 June 2009

On the way to Townsville a number of stops were made at Roadhouses for food and a leg stretch. This is 'Lights on the Hill' just before Hughenden. 06 June 2009

Close Window