Moreton Mill, Mapleton Tramway, Buderim Tramway
Howdy folks!
One major drawback of years of neglecting to catalogue over 300,000 photos is that I'm now playing catch-up. While I've managed to organize thousands of images on this blog across various themes, there are still countless others sitting around waiting for their moment.
To tackle this backlog, I'm embarking on a mission to sort through and categorize a substantial number of these photos in the coming months. Expect to see posts dedicated to locomotives, carriages, infrastructure, trams, and buses, catering to those with even a passing interest in these subjects.
In this series, I will be putting a collection of shots taken over more than a decade of slumming around Queensland's Sunshine Coast photographing and researching the Moreton Mill cane railway system.
The mill tramway, as well as the local Mapleton and Buderim Tramways, have been quite the obsession, one that still sees me heading there many years after closure.
Prepare for the approaching tsunami of photographs from the 80s till today.
If you have an interest in aviation and other guff, check out my
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Interested in the narrow gauge sugarcane railways of Negros and Panay (Philippines),
along with the industry they served?
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a.jpg)
Above and below.
JIMPY with a navvy train on the Coolum line.
Robinson (173).
Photo: Brad Peadon
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BLI BLI parallels River Store Road on the approach to River Depot with a rake of empties.
Photo: Brad Peadon
BLI BLI at River Depot.
Photo: Brad Peadon
The smaller lift bridge over Petrie Creek on Clark's Line.
By this time, the line had been cut back to the west side of David Low Way and the structure would soon be obliterated.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Safeworking on the west side of the David Low Bridge at Bli Bli.
Photo: Brad Peadon
BLI BLI departs the Howard Street yard with a rake of fulls destined for the mill.
Photo: Brad Peadon
JAMAICA & DUNETHIN in the small locoshed at the mill.
They saw far less use in the last year or two.
Photo: Brad Peadon
PETRIE shunting around the mill late one night in the final year of operation.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Moreton Mill in the second last season.
Photo: Brad Peadon
COOLUM shunting the exchange sidings in Howard Street yard. Wearing her 'Lorry The Loco' face.
Sorry Clive if you see this ;-)
Photo: Brad Peadon
MORETON passes the Howard Street yard with another lot of cane from out in the fields.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Maroochy River Lift Bridge, the bigger of the two lift bridges.
Photo: Brad Peadon
MORETON crossing the Maroochy River bridge with empties bound for Holloway (177).
Photo: Brad Peadon
SANDY preserved at the entrance to Moreton Mill.
Today she has been beautifully restored by the Nambour Historical Museum and on display.
Photo: Brad Peadon
By the time of our 2004 visit they had removed the large Howard Street yard, with only the mainline remaining for use during the removal of the system.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Rafting Grounds (41) was the southernmost part of the Moreton Mill system. This line saw very little use in the final years.
Photo: Brad Peadon
River Depot.
Lynn Zelmer's excellent article on this structure, including measurements I thankfully took before it was wiped out, can be found HERE.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Junction of the Punt line (to the left) just north of Bli Bli cutting (seen in distance).
This area has since been built over with houses.
Those signs existed at both ends of the cutting and I am lead to believe they were both saved.
Photo: Brad Peadon
BLI BLI coming out of the Bli Bli cutting in the same spot as the last image.
Photo: Brad Peadon
This time it is MORETON at the junction with the Punt Line.
Photo: Brad Peadon
BLI BLI at River Depot and about to pass over the Maroochy River to pick up more loaded bins.
Photo: Brad Peadon
MORETON crew stop for a feed in the early evening.
River Depot.
Photo: Brad Peadon
MORETON crossing the Maroochy River. Mt Coolum can be just seen in the distance behind.
Photo: Brad Peadon
MORETON at River Depot.
Photo: Brad Peadon
BLI BLI with loaded bins from the north side of the Maroochy River.
Photo: Brad Peadon
A mini BLI BLI at the Nambour 'Model Train Park'.
Photo: Brad Peadon
BLI BLI crossing the Maroochy River yet again.
Mt Coolum visible in the background.
Photo: Brad Peadon
Above and below.
Maps of the Moreton Mill system.
Photo: Brad Peadon
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All who joined me on my 2ft adventures.
Special thanks to my dear friend Andrew Palser.
Nambour & District Historical Museum
Check our new Linktree site above for piles of dreary transport entertainment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------I was going to publish a paper about how best to get two cups of tea out of one bag but Tetleys put a restraining order against me.
Interested in the narrow gauge sugarcane railways of Negros and Panay (Philippines), along with the industry they served?
