Beaudesert Shire Tramway

Beaudesert Shire Tramway
Beaudesert Shire Tramway mixed train at Rathdowney station in 1912.
Overview
Type	Industrial tramway
Status	Closed
Locale	Beaudesert Shire
Operation
Opened	10 October 1903 (1903-10-10)
Closed	30 September 1944 (1944-09-30)
Owner	Beaudesert Shire
Operator(s)	Beaudesert Shire
Technical
Track length	39.36 mi (63.34 km)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map Beaudesert line 0 mi 0 km Beaudesert 5 mi 8 km Josephville 10 mi 16 km Laravale 12 mi 19 km Tabooba Junction 17 mi 27 km Christmas Creek 20 mi 32 km Hillview 22 mi 35 km Lamington Logan River 17 mi 27 km Innisplain 21 mi 34 km Dulbolla Interstate line Logan River 22 mi 35 km Rathdowney This diagram:

The Beaudesert Shire Tramway was a narrow gauge tramway which operated from Beaudesert to Lamington and Rathdowney in Queensland. It was one of 15 light railways built and operated by Divisional Boards and Shire Councils in Queensland. The line carried passengers and cargo. It operated from 1903 to 1944. It was initially profitable and seen as a great success for the local shire council. The tramway is credited with opening up the agricultural lands of the upper Logan River.

The Tabragalba Divisional Board, predecessor of the Beaudesert Shire, proposed the construction of the Tramway in 1899. Approval was granted on 23 October 1901 and the Beaudesert Tramway Committee was formed on 3 March 1902.

The Tramway opened from Beaudesert to Innisplain and Lilybank on 10 October 1903 with Sir Herbert Chermside, Governor of Queensland, officiating at the opening ceremony at Tabooba Junction. In August 1907, it was decided to extend the line to Rathdowney from Innisplain. At the same shire meeting an extension from Christmas Creek was also agreed upon. In 1910, a loan for the extensions was granted.

The line was extended to Lamington in October 1910. A branch line from Tabooba to Rathdowney was opened in March 1911. The total cost of construction was £92,770. In 1918, residents of Urbenville in northern New South Wales unsuccessfully agitated for an extension from Rathdowney to the west of Mount Lindesay.

Services ran between Beaudesert and Rathdowney three times per week. The main traffic was timber, dairy produce and livestock which were transshipped to the Queensland Railways Beaudesert line. Early traffic was promising. For example, in the 1905-1906 financial year the Tramway carried 6,712 passengers, 75,375 imperial gallons (90,522 US gal; 342,660 L) of cream, 2,854 pigs, 743 long tons (755 t; 832 short tons) of general merchandise, 260 long tons (264 t; 291 short tons) of other agricultural produce and 9,669 long tons (9,824 t; 10,829 short tons) of timber. During the 1920s the movement of timber was gradually decreasing. The tramway was used to transport postal mail to Rathdowney.