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Preserved Steam in Queensland
Queensland adopted the 3ft 6ins gauge at a time when it was barely out of the experimental stage. Debate about
the best gauge, and about the suitability of narrow gauge for main lines, was still raging. Whether a narrow gauge
line could ascend the Dividing Range west of Brisbane and still haul useful loads was also an open question. But,
short of capital, the Queensland Government saw it as a practical way to increase railway mileage cheaply. The
first line opened in 1865. By 1867 it has been extended across the Little Liverpool Range and up the Main Range
to Toowoomba. But the full system was not complete until the 1920s. A "small engine" policy was dictated
by light rails and a 9 ton maximum axle load. In recent times, modernisation has brought diesel and electric traction,
but some steam engines remain for excursion service. Queensland Railways (QR) has a large roster of preserved steam
locomotives, of which two or three have been available for service in every year since the 1970s. There are also
several preservation operations operating steam trains. This DVD shows excursions and preserved lines in the period
1991-2004. It includes QR's AC16 ("Macarthur") 221A, the 4-8-2+2-8-4 Beyer-Garratt, BB18¼ Pacifics,
C17 4-8-0s, DD17 4-6-4T and a PB15 4-6-0. Also featured is the historic A10 0-4-2, built by Nielson in Glasgow
in 1865, and the second-oldest loco still in public traffic in the world. Two Fowler cane tram locos perform at
Nambour and Bundaberg. Rockhampton's restored steam tram, built by Purrey of Bordeaux in 1909 and in service until
1939, is seen in steam.
Source material for this production is 93% digital; 8 mins from Super-8 movie film has also been included. All
59 mins of the previous VHS release are included uncut, plus another 64 minutes of previously unseen material. |
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THUMBNAILS
The following thumbnails lead to stills taken directly
from the video. Just click on the thumbnail to see the full picture. The stills have been slightly compressed for
faster loading, with possible minor loss of definition in some cases.
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