Crows Nest Branch Railway was originally surveyed as a direct line from
Toowoomba north to
Crows Nest in
Queensland, Australia. The branch eventually took a more circuitous route to cover the maximum amount of farming country. The first stage struck out from Pengarry Junction a short distance west of Toowoomba and continued via
Birnan,
Cawdor, Shirley,
Woolmer
Woolmer is a place in Hampshire, England. Woolmer is situated between Liphook and Bordon. The surrounding Woolmer Forest, a Royal forest, is both a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.
Woolmer was a tiny ham ...
,
Meringandan
Meringandan is a rural locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Meringandan had a population of 487 people.
Geography
The town is located on the Darling Downs near Highfields, NNW of Toowoomba.
It is drained by the ...
and
Kleinton to terminate at Cabarlah. It opened on 17 September 1883. Shortly after opening, a daily service was provided to
Cabarlah
Cabarlah is a rural town and locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In the the locality of Cabarlah had a population of 1,075 people.
Geography
Cabarlah is approximately north of the Toowoomba city centre and has an area o ...
.
The second stage of the line to Crows Nest was opened on 6 December 1886 and stops were located en route at
Geham
Geham is a rural locality in the Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. In the , Geham had a population of 489 people.
Geography
The New England Highway passes through Geham. The northwest boundary is aligned with Cooby Creek.
Climate
The ...
,
Mt Luke, Taylor,
Hampton and
Pechey. The extension serviced sawmills in the Pechey and
Perseverance regions with a
siding at Hampton station connecting to the
Munro Tramway servicing
Palmtree, Perseverance and
Ravensbourne.
Until about 1930, a daily mixed train departed Crows Nest at 7.00am each morning except Sunday for the 3-hour trip to Toowoomba. A rail motor service then took over which cut the travel time to a little over 1 hours. The branch was relegated to goods trains only during the mid-1950s and closed completely on 1 July 1961.
See also
*
Rail transport in Queensland
References
* "Triumph of Narrow Gauge: A History of Queensland Railways". John Kerr. 1990. Boolarong Press, Brisbane.
External links
1925 map of the Queensland railway system{{Railway lines in Queensland , state=expanded
Closed railway lines in Queensland
Railway lines opened in 1883
Railway lines closed in 1961
Darling Downs
1883 establishments in Australia
1961 disestablishments in Australia