Kim Thurlow's Album of Queensland Steam
Cunnamulla in south-west Queensland.
Photo taken in late 1958 by Ivor Thurlow on a b&w
transparency. About 600 rail miles west of Brisbane, Cunnamulla
terminal was reached via the "Main Line" to Toowoomba,
then the "Western Line" through Roma and Charleville.
The train in the image is the "Westlander", a spiffy
set of air-conditioned cars that was introduced in the early 50's.
Cunnamulla was a small town of perhaps 2000 souls, relying on
the sheep industry, and some orange orchards, and sat on the edge
of sand dune and opal country to the west. The station was quite
substantial.
The train left Brisbane about 6pm, arrived in Toowoomba
about 11, and breakfast could be had the next morning in the diner
car as the train neared Roma. Charleville was reached about 3
in the afternoon, and on getting out of the train, the temperature
difference would hit you like the opening of an oven door. Cunnamulla
was reached at nightfall, almost 24 hours to the minute from Brisbane.
For an interesting picture of
another outback terminus, just take a look at the image of a class
PB15 at Quilpie station.
And here she is next morning, behind #143, a class PB15 4-6-0,
ready for Brisbane. 143 will take the train to Charleville, and
then double headed PB15's, or tandem PB15 and C17, will take over.
Or perhaps one of the new fangled diesels such as a 1400 class.
The line between Charleville and Roma was also laid with light
rail which only allowed for PB15's and C17's (B18 1/4's did not
work west of Roma). Usually the mail was double headed between
Charleville and Roma, normally by a PB15 and C17.
The "Western Mail" or as it was later called
in the days of steel coaches, "The Westlander", made
a regular stop at Wyandra in both directions as well as numerous
mail and safeworking stops along the way between Charleville and
Cunnamulla. A crew was based at Cunnamulla who sometimes changed
with a general goods train at Wyandra but they also worked through
to Charleville. Other stops were somewhat probable, even if to
answer the crew's call of nature.
The water tank behind the locomotive tender allowed
the engine the luxury of no water stops on the run to Charleville.
I would suggest a lack of water facilities for the engines along
that stretch of line. Go one further, and let's say lack of WATER,
period. No point in building lineside tanks if there is nowhere
to fill em from!
Adrian Hurley, who has experienced life on the QR,
has this to say about Cunnamulla. (Adrian also submitted some
of the information about these trains, see
more below)
" It hadn't changed a bit when last I was out there
thirty yeas after your shot was taken (ie 1988). Nor had the ritual for the
staff on the train. Charleville men always took a decent set of clothes when
they worked this train to Cunnamulla. The idea was to take the dining car
girls out on the town. We had a great time, in fact my fondest Christmas memories
are working the Westlander to Cunnamulla on Christmas Day. "
Train Numbers were:
Roma Street to Cunnamulla (Western Mail later called The Westlander) - 8 U
Cunnamulla to Roma Street (Western Mail later called The Westlander) - 9 Down
Charleville to Quilpie (The Flea) - 98 Up
Quilpie to Charleville (The Flea) - 99 Down