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The Marburg Branch Railway is a branch line of the
1925 map of the Queensland railway system
{{Railway lines in Queensland , state=expanded Closed railway lines in Queensland South East Queensland Railway lines opened in 1911 Railway lines closed in 1964 Railway lines closed in 1979 1911 establishments in Australia 1979 disestablishments in Australia
The Marburg Branch Railway is a branch line of the Main Line railway
The Main Line is a railway line in South East Queensland, Australia. It was opened in a series of sections between 1865 and 1867. It commences at Roma St Station in Brisbane and extends west 161 km to Toowoomba. It is the first narrow gau ...
(from Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
to Toowoomba) in Queensland
)
, nickname = Sunshine State
, image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, established_ ...
, Australia. It branches near Rosewood, Queensland, Rosewood, which is about 20 kilometres west of Ipswich, Queensland, Ipswich.
Previously known as Rosewood Gate, a railway gatekeeper was appointed to Rosewood in 1866. A waiting room and stationmaster's house were built in 1875 and a station office built in 1880 was replaced with the current building in 1918. Agricultural land to the north of Rosewood was not directly serviced by the Brisbane Valley railway line and, in December 1909, parliament approved the construction of a branch line to run about 15 kilometres to Marburg, Queensland, Marburg.
The Marburg locality was originally known as First Plain, then as Frederick after the name of an early settler, and lastly as Marburg after a Marburg, Prussian town of the same name. During World War I the town was known as Townshend but the Marburg name was reinstated in 1920.
The line opened on 18 December 1911. The route was (from north to south):
* Marburg railway station, Queensland, Marburg ()
* Malabar railway station, Malabar ()
* Birru railway station, Birru ()
* Tallegalla railway station, Tallegalla ()
* Kunkala railway station, Kunkala ()
* Cabanda railway station, Cabanda ()
* Perrys Knob railway station, Perrys Knob ()
* North Rosewood railway station, North Rosewood ()
* Rosewood railway station, Rosewood ()
A daily service to Ipswich, Queensland, Ipswich departed Marburg each morning and returned in the evening. It was a two-hour journey by rail and over time the faster road trip prevailed. Coal mines in the region kept the line viable until they progressively closed.
The branch closed in stages – from Marburg to Birru in 1964, to Kunkala in 1970, Cabanda in 1973 and to Perry's Knob in 1979. The Rosewood Railway Museum now uses the upper section of the line. It has a display at Kunkala station.
See also
*Rail transport in QueenslandReferences
*"Heritage Trails of the Great South East" QEPA September 2000 *"Triumph of Narrow Gauge: A History of Queensland Railways" by John Kerr 1990 Boolarong Press, BrisbaneExternal links
1925 map of the Queensland railway system
{{Railway lines in Queensland , state=expanded Closed railway lines in Queensland South East Queensland Railway lines opened in 1911 Railway lines closed in 1964 Railway lines closed in 1979 1911 establishments in Australia 1979 disestablishments in Australia