Beaudesert line
The disused Beaudesert railway line with
the remains of Veresdale station in the background
Overview
StatusDisused
History
Opened15 May 1888 (1888-05-15)[1] (revenue service)
4 April 2003 (2003-04-04) (tourist service)
Closed20 May 1996 (1996-05-20) (revenue service)
August 2004 (tourist service) .
Technical
Line length43 km (27 mi)
Track gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map
Bethania (Left arrow Beenleigh line Right arrow)
 QR Services Depot
0.6 km
 1.0 km
Logan River Road
 3.0 km
Waterford
 6.0 km
Buccan
 11.0 km
Logan Village
Canungra Line
 22.0 km
Jimboomba
 23.0 km
Mount Lindesay Highway
 28.0 km
Cedar Grove
 32.0 km
Woodhill
 34.0 km
Veresdale
 37.0 km
Gleneagle
43.0 km
Beaudesert
(Down arrow Beaudesert Shire Tramway)

The Beaudesert railway line (also known as the Upper Logan railway line) is a disused branch railway in South East Queensland, Australia. The first section opened in 1885, the line was completed in 1888 and operated as a Queensland Government Railways (QGR) line until 1996 (Passenger service ceased in 1961). A heritage operation was undertaken for a short period in 2003. The Canungra railway line connected at Logan Village between 1915 and 1955, and the Beaudesert Shire Tramway connected with the terminal between 1903 and 1944. A study was undertaken in 2010 by the Queensland government concerning a potential Salisbury-to-Beaudesert rail corridor[2] as a long-term potential proposal.

Route

The 43 kilometre-long line commenced at Bethania railway station (27°41′18″S 153°09′31″E / 27.6884°S 153.1585°E / -27.6884; 153.1585 (Bethania railway station)) 35 kilometres (22 mi) south of Brisbane.[3] It branches off the Beenleigh Line at a triangular junction immediately south of Bethania station (27°41′24″S 153°09′36″E / 27.6901°S 153.1600°E / -27.6901; 153.1600 (branch off south of Bethania)) then progresses generally south-west to Jimboomba and then generally south to its terminus at Beaudesert, on the following route.

Point of interest Coordinates Notes
Logan River Road crossing 27°41′47″S 153°09′19″E / 27.6963°S 153.1554°E / -27.6963; 153.1554 (Logan River Road crossing) [4]
Waterford railway station 27°42′17″S 153°08′53″E / 27.7047°S 153.1481°E / -27.7047; 153.1481 (Waterford railway station) [4]
Buccan railway station 27°45′06″S 153°07′31″E / 27.7517°S 153.1253°E / -27.7517; 153.1253 (Buccan railway station) [5]
Logan Village railway station 27°46′07″S 153°06′29″E / 27.7686°S 153.1081°E / -27.7686; 153.1081 (Logan Village railway station) [6]
junction with the Canungra railway line 27°46′15″S 153°06′25″E / 27.7707°S 153.1069°E / -27.7707; 153.1069 (commencement of Canungra railway line) [7]
site for future station just north of Camp Cable Road 27°48′15″S 153°03′35″E / 27.8041°S 153.0597°E / -27.8041; 153.0597 (Future railway station north of Camp Cable Road) [7][8]
Jimboomba railway station 27°49′48″S 153°02′00″E / 27.8300°S 153.0333°E / -27.8300; 153.0333 (Jimboomba railway station) [9]
Cedar Grove railway station (listed as Cedar Pocket South railway station in 1888) 27°51′42″S 152°59′31″E / 27.8617°S 152.9919°E / -27.8617; 152.9919 (Cedar Grove railway station) [10][11]
Woodhill railway station 27°53′35″S 152°58′23″E / 27.8931°S 152.9731°E / -27.8931; 152.9731 (Woodhill railway station) [12][13]
Veresdale railway station 27°54′31″S 152°58′40″E / 27.9086°S 152.9778°E / -27.9086; 152.9778 (Veresdale railway station) [14][13]
Gleneagle railway station 27°56′07″S 152°58′52″E / 27.9353°S 152.9811°E / -27.9353; 152.9811 (Gleneagle railway station) [15]
Beaudesert railway station 27°59′07″S 152°59′42″E / 27.9853°S 152.9950°E / -27.9853; 152.9950 (Beaudesert railway station) [16]

History

In 1877, a line was proposed from Wacol to Logan Village, Beaudesert and Tamrookum. A trial survey was taken around 1881 with the route commencing from Goodna. This line proposed 1-in-30 (~3.3%) grades, the steepest on the QGR system at the time, as well as requiring a bridge over the Logan River.

The line as built commenced at Bethania on the Beenleigh railway line, south of the Logan River and had the advantage of being a shorter distance of new construction. The section from Bethania to Logan Village was opened on 21 September 1885, with the Logan Village to Beaudesert section opened on 16 May 1888.[17]

Initially trains were 'mixed' (i.e. consisting of both passenger carriages and goods wagons) until 1929, from when passenger services used rail motors.

Use of the passenger services declined with the increasing ownership of cars following World War II, leading to the termination of the passenger services in 1961. However the Beaudesert abattoir and the dairy farmers continued to use the freight services on the line until freight services terminated on 20 May 1996.[18]

The line was unused until Beaudesert railway enthusiasts obtained an Australian Government grant to establish Beaudesert Rail to operate the line as a heritage tourism service.[18]

Beaudesert Rail

In 2001, a grant provided by the federal government was given to a local group of Beaudesert people who traded as Beaudesert Rail (BR). The group set about acquiring rolling stock and locomotives. The line was upgraded to C17 use. When QGR services still operated on the Beaudesert Branch, only PB15's, B13's, B15's and 60t diesels were used. In order for Beaudesert Rail to commence steam services on the line, they needed to upgrade their track to carry the weight of their C17. The first Beaudesert rail service was held on 18 December 2002 with a run from Beaudesert to Logan Village and return. On 8 March 2003, Beaudesert Rail commenced steam-hauled services. Beaudesert Rail's steam locomotive was an ex-QR C17 #967. Built by Walkers Limited in Maryborough, 967 was in service for 19 years before being placed in a park at Caloundra. In 1985, the Ghan railway bought 967 as a gate train. In 2000, 967 was purchased and road-hauled to Beaudesert. Beaudesert rail then commenced services to Bethania on 4 April 2003. The last service to Bethania took place on 28 June 2003. On that date, Beaudesert Rail's ex-Emu Bay diesel 1105 derailed about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Bethania, between the Dairy Creek Road and Easterly Street level crossings. Beaudesert rail experienced financial problems and the group disbanded in 2005. In 2006, the Zig Zag Railway acquired the former Beaudesert Rail carriages for use on their Blue Mountains system.[19]

Remains

Whilst the track has not been substantially removed, many level crossings have been removed and paved over. The corridor is overgrown and many sections are utilised for livestock grazing. At Logan Village, only the platform remains and is covered with growth, the station area is rarely mown and fences have collapsed. At the Waterford - Tamborine road crossing the signals and signage have recently been removed after intersection upgrades. At Jimboomba, all that remains is the track. An attempt to remove the section of line here was made, but not completed. At Beaudesert the station building, water tower stand and the floor of the goods shed remains. Immediately south of the station building, the line has been covered with dirt and is now a car park. However, the station building has been repainted and a new station nameboard installed.

Proposed Salisbury to Beaudesert line

In 2010 a Queensland Government study proposed a new passenger rail line to Beaudesert utilising (and potentially duplicating and electrifying) the dual gauge line from Salisbury to Kagaru, then a new alignment to Veresdale, where the final ~9 km original alignment to Beaudesert would be utilised.[20][21][22]

In November 2019 the Queensland Government and Australian Government agreed to fund a $10 million business case to investigate construction of two electrified narrow-gauge passenger tracks from Salisbury to Beaudesert and two dual-gauge freight tracks between Acacia Ridge and Kagaru, a corridor which is being proposed for the Inland Rail project.[20][23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Beaudesert Railway. Opening Ceremonies". The Brisbane Courier. Qld. 16 May 1888. p. 5. Retrieved 15 December 2011.
  2. ↑ (23 February 2015) Salisbury-to-Beaudesert Rail Corridor Study Archived 6 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Department of Transport and Main Roads. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  3. ↑ "Bethania – railway station in the City of Logan (entry 2414)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Waterford – railway station in the City of Logan (entry 36750)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  5. ↑ "Buccan – railway station in the City of Logan (entry 36750)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  6. ↑ "Logan Village – railway station in the City of Logan (entry 19911)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Queensland Globe". State of Queensland. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  8. ↑ "Item ID291105, Drawings - railway". Queensland State Archives. Retrieved 19 May 2020. – available online
  9. ↑ "Jimboomba – railway station in the City of Logan (entry 17202)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  10. ↑ "Cedar Grove – railway station in the City of Logan (entry 6750)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  11. ↑ "Moreton 40 Chain map AG2 series sheet 8 south" (Map). Queensland Government. 1888. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Woodhill – railway station in the City of Logan (entry 37974)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  13. 1 2 "Woodhill" (Map). Queensland Government. 1977. Archived from the original on 4 July 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  14. ↑ "Veresdale – railway station in the City of Logan (entry 35976)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  15. ↑ "Gleneagle – railway station in the Scenic Rim Region (entry 13961)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  16. ↑ "Beaudesert – railway station in the Scenic Rim Region (entry 1997)". Queensland Place Names. Queensland Government. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  17. ↑ Kerr, John (1990). Triumph of narrow gauge : a history of Queensland Railways. Boolarong Publications. p. 224. ISBN 978-0-86439-102-5.
  18. 1 2 Schaefer, Tim (6 April 2016). "End of the line for Beaudesert railway tracks". Beaudesert Times. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  19. ↑ "Zig Zag Railway acquires former Beaudesert Rail carriages". Rail Page. Archived from the original on 28 August 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  20. 1 2 "Salisbury to Beaudesert Rail Corridor Study". Department of Transport and Main Roads. Queensland Government. 13 January 2020. Archived from the original on 18 May 2020. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  21. ↑ Proposed rail corridor alignment Salisbury to Beaudesert Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  22. ↑ "Salisbury to Beaudesert Rail Corridor Study". Department of Transport and Main Roads. Queensland Government. 13 January 2020. Archived from the original on 28 July 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  23. ↑ "Queensland Inland Rail Agreement and Additional Rail Funding Good for the Nation". Australasian Railways Association. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
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