Way back in the thrilling year that was 2006, I joined a few mates on a cane train hunting trip to Fiji. Recently some of these photos have been found and, given a lack of anything else that I can do with them, I shall inflict them upon viewers here.
Should you have an interest in photos away from the sugar tramways, or are just really bored, feel free to mosey on over to my SRF Travel Blog.

LAUTOKA 14

We were around half way through our Fiji invasion when we came across Lautoka Sugar Mill #21 (Clyde DHI-71 57-159 of 1957), minus side rods, outside Nadi Airport.
She was stuck, with a long rake of full cane trucks behind.
While I've no idea of the story behind what had occured, #21 soon racked off towards the mill in disgrace, leaving her work to be completed by mill loco #14 (Clyde HD-3R  68-655 of 1968).
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Unsure of the place name, but is very near to Nadi Airport. #14 had rescued the load of #21 and was on its way to the mill. #10 (Clyde HG-3R 65-437 of 1965) was sitting on the next truck, doing very little whatsoever).
It stopped here for a while, and an invitation to look on the loco was quickly accepted.

#14 about to pass under the trees at Natovo (according to my notes, but spelt wrong on photo).

#14 crossing the Vuda Point turnoff.
The mountain range in the background often referred to as 'The Sleeping Giant' due to the way it looks from some angles.

While awaiting #14 at Lautoka Sugar Mill, a disgraced Lautoka #21 arrived back at Lautoka Mill.
You will note the missing side-rods are sitting on the footplate.
Correction: Not MARGAM ex Milliquin Mill (thanks to Tom Badger and Mitch Zunker)

More 2006 rail action from Fiji 

coming soon.

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Fiji Transportation SIG

PUNT & HORSE LINES

Moreton Mill - Nambour

While this series is meant to mostly look at what is still to be seen of the former Moreton Mill (Nambour) tramway system, this riveting installment is more a look at what isn't to be seen.
Very little remains to be seen of the Punt line, ironically, most of that which does exist, is the old  line that closed in the 50s. It is thought that a bridge may still exist at the nd of the Finland Road line, but this has still to be investigated.
   The Horse line was of very light construction and, apart from a few random sleepers at River Depot, there is nothing to be found. I even have trouble locating where it ran, despite having spent so many years around there.

Punt Line

1 - Took a lot of searching, over a couple of visits, to finally work out where the original Punt Line crossed, over what is now, Cooks Road (unsure if it existed at the time).
Looking back towards the mill.

2 - Looking away from the mill.

3 - The next two shots were taken northwards from near David Low Way on the Finland Road line. The first shows the location in 2003, the final year of mill operation, with PETRIE heading back to the mill in the late afternoon.

3- Today, the area is taken up by the 'Maroochy River Golf Club', with the whole area regraded and totally unrecognisable as a former cane line.

Horse Line

4,5 Borsato 116
This line was one of the lightest and, being on mostly flat ground, really has little in the way of earthworks to begin with.
Thankfully, the well placed tree, seen here, has made identifying the location of this siding a lot easier over the years.
A farmer along this former line has preserved a cane bin wheel set as a garden feature on his property (2018).

6 - River Depot - Maroochy River
This important location, in the middle of the system, was the junction for many different lines, covering areas both south and north of the river.
It is also the location of the historically important lifting bridge, which is currently in very bad condition and subject to a push for it's restoration. This bridge will be covered later.
The Horse line left the mainline just south of the bridge, via a point facing away from the mill. Today,  a few rotten sleepers, and the curve in the canefield, gives a good indication as to where the line once ran.

Maroochy River Lift Bridge

Punt Line - Semi Retired Foamer

Nambour Historical Society

Operation Hurricane 

2001

A bit of a story goes with this shot.

The aim of 'Operation Hurricane' was to see how many cane locomotives we could photograph in a two week period. The aim was to get at least 300 locos either in service, preserved, or in a state of advanced dereliction in yards.

This did result in a couple of questionable practices during the Mossman to Moreton journey.

On September 15th we were around Mourilyan Mill and not having a very good time of getting the mill fleet.

Eventually we got to the mill itself. 

Suddenly one of us, probably me, decided to just drive in. It was a Sunday, which may be why little in the way of rail action was occuring, and the mill looked rather quiet.

The next few minutes, in an act that would likely have us arrested today, we drove through the centre of the mill and found the loco shed.

Quickly, we jumped out for a few minutes to grab some shots, but were discovered almost instantly.

An employee approached us quickly from the loco shed, demanding to know what we were doing and telling us photography is banned.

Turned out they were having issues with the local media up there and he thought we were there to grab shots for them.

Upon explaining our two week aim, his mood changed entirely and he welcomed us to take all the shots we wished too. Thanks to his help we were able to score much of the Mourilyan fleet in the one go.

Would I do it today?

Probably not........

Photo: Clyde 15 and 11, with a Comeng in the background.

The now closed and demolished Mourilyan Mill

5-9-2001 (Operation Hurricane)