Somehwere, in Brisbane..

[Brisbane King]

Ok. ? Time to get off my bum and get moving, as this is going to give me the motivation to actually get to work and maybe even get somewhere near something! ? 

 

Firstly, I've been building up a collection of kits, for some time and doing the odd wagon here and there when I get the oppurtunity. ? Due to my location, the challenge is perfect because it largely fits in with my maximum allowable parameters anyway, which is good as I had a number of plans ticking over that didn't need much modification.? 

 

So, whats the go then? ? 

 

Queensland. ? Check. ? 

 

Narrow Gauge. ? Check. ? 

 

(What more could I ever want?? ? )

 

1995-ish. ? This gives me some scope to include both of the main QR liveries, the old blue and white and the newer Corporate (or Bronco) livery that was becoming the mainstay of all QR locos at the time. ? Also, by the mid ninties, most of the earlier QR locos were being stored, scrapped or sold (anyone in Tasmania or New Zealand will know..? ? ) and there was still the occasional loco hauled suburban service, though these were becoming increasingly rare. ? There was still a considerable amount of freight being moved about the place, not always either just bulk or containerised either. ? What really got me going was because PGC have released a new kit of the QLX, which was widely used across the state. ? Also, ? I dl'ed a copy of the 1992 rolling stock manual and there are a number of container wagons that are easily made from existing kits I have hanging around. ? (A large variety of wagons stem from a couple of basic designs (many of which are still in use), some of which only take a single 20' container each. ? 

 

At the moment, I only have one loco, the special gold livery 1281 (1281 was named to mark the centenary of the first railway in Queensland.) ? I have a 1720 kit currently outsourced for construction. ? 

 

 

At the moment, the design is for a small yard, in HO31/2 (or one of the multiple other designations for HO scale on 12mm track) which will take QLX, QSC (QLX with canvas sides), shorter container wagons, various bogied open wagons such as HSA or HJS or other steel wagons. ? 

 

I've been using google earth to get inspiration for a location, and a fictional small yard on the Doomben/Pinkenba Line, which by 1995 had been closed to all passenger traffic (although later reopened in 1998 as far as Doomben for passengers) had seen activity drop considerably since pretty much all traffic (bulk and containers) goes to Fisherman's Island on the other side of the Brisbane River and all airport traffic goes via the new airtrain alignment which deviates from Eagle Junction. ? 

 

I've also chosen to go for a more urban/suburban feel because thats what I know and have experienced. ? In my opinion there is a definate bias for QLD modellers, at least in my view to model the 'real QLD' which means rural or scenic areas. ? Fair enough, but thats not me. ? This is going to be a hopefully dirty, gritty, graffitti (although QR passenger stock and most locomotives are generally well looked after and maintained for graffitti, freight stock is often very heavily tagged and painted by young hoodlums) area. ? I don't see why I should shy away from the reality of the world, even if its in model form. ? Modern industry, and wasteland. ? Yummy!

 

So thats the crib sheet of it. ? I shall try and make it a module so that it could be part of a larger project when space (and time and money and all the other limits) ease up a bit..? ? 

[finelines]

Fernvale on the Brisbane Valley Line.

 

Roger

[grasshopper]

Have you considered the old South Brisbane Branch aka 'Gabba Branch , under what is now Southbank ?

 

Described in a recent series of ARHS Bulletin/Aust Railway History - also features on its own DVD .

 

Sadly it disappeared 10 years before your desired timeline - but would make a great 'what if' Brisbane didn't get the '88 World Expo.

 

Lots that was modelable - the junction across the triangle at Park Road, ? 'Gabba loco - with the elevated turntable (and trams passing) , the tunnel under Stanley Street opening out to the coal unloading facilities ? next to the Dry Dock, then onto a nest of siding and buildings, river in the foreground, embankment with Std gauge line in the background? 

 

 

[Ozexpatriate]

Have you considered the old South Brisbane Branch aka 'Gabba Branch , under what is now Southbank ?

 

Sadly it disappeared 10 years before your desired timeline - but would make a great 'what if' Brisbane didn't get the '88 World Expo.

 

Lots that was modelable - the junction across the triangle at Park Road, ? 'Gabba loco - with the elevated turntable (and trams passing) , the tunnel under Stanley Street opening out to the coal unloading facilities ? next to the Dry Dock, then onto a nest of siding and buildings, river in the foreground, embankment with Std gauge line in the background? 

Great suggestion! My fantasy layout has long been the inner Brisbane southside.

 

I thought the South Brisbane branch closed with the Gabba yards shortly after Gabba Loco was closed around 1969. My understanding was that the tunnel (I always thought it was Vulture Street, not Stanley St.) and all the Gabba infrastructure was destroyed with the South East Expressway and the Captain Cook Bridge in the 1970s. There's no remnants of it anymore but long before the Ferny Grove flyover at Mayne, the only change of grade rail crossing in Queensland was the Gabba branch where between Dutton Park and (what was, at the turn of the century) Albert station it passed under a trestle carrying the Cleveland branch.

 

Here's a quick link to the gabba line.

 

The whole area from South Brisbane to Dutton Park, particularly including the Gabba and the South Brisbane branch is rife with potential for modelling. Even Park Road by itself is an interesting option - traffic in three directions, multiple platforms, the standard gauge line etc. The fiveways in the 1950s would have a great appeal - the trams would be a great addition.

 

By the way, does anyone know what the gauge was for the Brisbane trams?

[grasshopper]

Great suggestion!? ? My fantasy layout has long been the inner Brisbane southside.

 

I thought the South Brisbane branch closed with the Gabba yards shortly after Gabba Loco was closed around 1969. My understanding was that the tunnel (I always thought it was Vulture Street, not Stanley St.) and all the Gabba infrastructure was destroyed with the South East Expressway and the Captain Cook Bridge in the 1970s.? ? There's no remnants of it anymore but long before the Ferny Grove flyover at Mayne, the only change of grade rail crossing in Queensland was the Gabba branch where between Dutton Park and (what was, at the turn of the century) Albert station it passed under a trestle carrying the Cleveland branch.

 

Here's a quick link to the gabba line.

 

The whole area from South Brisbane to Dutton Park, particularly including the Gabba and the South Brisbane branch is rife with potential for modelling. Even Park Road by itself is an interesting option - traffic in three directions, multiple platforms, the standard gauge line etc. The fiveways in the 1950s would have a great appeal - the trams would be a great addition.

 

By the way, does anyone know what the gauge was for the Brisbane trams?

 

 

 

 

Doh! - you are correct - this is what happens when you do things from memory - IIRC whilst the line was closed the buildings remained for some time ? - but still ....