Mary Valley Railway
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The Mary Valley Heritage Railway conducted steam train trips and tours from Gympie through the Mary Valley in the Gympie Region, Queensland, Australia. It was one of the region's biggest tourist attractions and was managed by a not-for-profit organisation consisting a few paid workers and many volunteers. It has been described as Australia's third biggest heritage railway. It was shut down for safety reasons in 2012; in 2016 the Gympie Regional Council is providing $4M to make it operational again as it is a major tourist attraction for the area.
Some of the line crossings have a five km/h speed limit with the top speed limited to 25 km/h. In 2011, concerns were raised about the safety of the line. Government inspectors found no significant safety issues.
In 2010, the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation conducted a review of the operations of the railway. It found the railway was operating at a significant economic loss and was dependent on grant income.
During major floods when roads in the area are closed the railway is used as a shuttle service.
Unfortunately after two very serious derailments during August and September 2012, the limitations and state of the railway company's finances became known. It was shut down indefinitely by Transport & Main Road, as it was declared unsafe to convey passengers. Following flood damage in 2013, the railway disbanded. In June 2016, the Gympie Regional Council allocated $250,000 for operational start-up costs and $3.8 million for capital funds to restart the Rattler.
"Ride The Rattler" scenic tours were operated by The Mary Valley Heritage Railway (MVHR) every Saturday, Sunday and Wednesday from the historic Gympie Railway Station. This historic 40 km journey commences at Gympie, and after crossing the Mary River, negotiates an abundance of curves, gradients and bridges to pass through the small country villages of Dagun, Amamoor and Kandanga to Imbil.
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