The Midlander was a passenger train that operated 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 between 1954 and 1993. It travelled on the Central west line between

Rockhampton Rockhampton is a city in the Rockhampton Region of Central Queensland, Australia. The population of Rockhampton in June 2021 was 79,967, Estimated resident population, 30 June 2018. making it the fourth-largest city in the state outside of the ...

and Winton.

History

Victorian Railways introduced air-conditioned trains in 1935, and Queensland decided to follow suit in the late 1940s. Carriages were designed to travel to all parts of the system, meaning a maximum axle load of , which was a challenge for the dining cars. New features included showers in the sleeping cars, roomettes in first class and head end power cars, especially necessary where trains may be delayed by floods or other events, as was often the case. ''The Midlander'' was introduced in 1954, replacing the Mail train with its wooden carriages and providing a more comfortable and cleaner service. Completing its initial run 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 Rockhampton, ''The Midlander'' arrived in Rockhampton at 4pm on 4 May 1954. ''The Midlander'' then commenced its maiden voyage, departing from the

Rockhampton railway station Rockhampton railway station is located on the North Coast line in Queensland, Australia. It serves the city of Rockhampton. It is the terminus of the electrified section of line from Brisbane. The line north of the station runs along the midd ...

for Winton at 5:25pm.Air-conditioned train starts on western run
''

The Central Queensland Herald ''The Central Queensland Herald'' was a newspaper published in Rockhampton, Queensland from 1930 to 1956; it was created with the merger of '' The Artesian'' and ''The Capricornian''. History ''The Central Queensland Herald'' was published fr ...

''. Retrieved 13 December 2019. About 100 people watched from the platform as the train made its departure. Most of the available accommodation on the train was booked out for the first journey. Among the passengers on the train's first run to Winton were Minister for Transport Jack Duggan, Minister for Education

George Devries George Henry Devries (4 July 1896 – 13 July 1957) was a member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly. Biography Devries was born at Stretford, England, the son of John Arms Devries and his wife Elizabeth (née Ware). He was apprenticed as ...

and Member for Mackenzie Paddy Whyte. The train arrived in

Longreach Longreach is a town and a locality in the Longreach Region, Queensland, Australia. It is the administrative centre of the Longreach Regional Council, which was established in 2008 as a merger of the former Longreach, Ilfracombe, and Isisford s ...

at 1:15pm the following day, before arriving in Winton several hours later. Large crowds gathered at both Longreach and Winton to welcome the train where brief ceremonies took place. Through many years of its service, a

diesel electric locomotive A diesel locomotive is a type of railway locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine. Several types of diesel locomotives have been developed, differing mainly in the means by which mechanical power is conveyed to the driving wheels ...

would pull the train to

Emerald Emerald is a gemstone and a variety of the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6) colored green by trace amounts of chromium or sometimes vanadium.Hurlbut, Cornelius S. Jr. and Kammerling, Robert C. (1991) ''Gemology'', John Wiley & Sons, New York, p ...

, before switching to two

steam locomotives A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...

which would then pull the train through the Drummond Range.(6 May 1954
Adjustments to Midlander
''

The Morning Bulletin ''The Morning Bulletin'' is an online newspaper servicing the city of Rockhampton and the surrounding areas of Central Queensland, Australia. From 1861 to 2020, ''The Morning Bulletin'' was published as a print edition, before then becoming an ...

''. Retrieved 13 December 2019. One of the steam locomotives would be taken off at

Jericho Jericho ( ; ar, أريحا ; he, יְרִיחוֹ ) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank. It is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. It is the administrative seat of the Jericho Gove ...

, with the train continuing to Winton with just one steam locomotive. Within a decade of its maiden journey, ''The Midlanders most infamous incident, the

Medway Creek rail disaster The Medway Creek rail disaster occurred on 26 February 1960 when the Midlander, a passenger train service that operated in Central Queensland, crashed while crossing over the bridge above Medway Creek, near Bogantungan, Queensland, Australia. E ...

occurred near

Bogantungan Bogantungan is a rural town in the locality of Willows in the Central Highlands Region, Queensland, Australia. Geography The town is north west of the state capital Brisbane and west of the regional city of Rockhampton. The Central Weste ...

during its return journey to Rockhampton on 26 February 1960 where seven people were killed when the flood-damaged bridge above Medway Creek collapsed, forcing the train to plunge into the water below.

Replacement

In the late 1980s, tourism to western Queensland began to grow following attractions such as the Stockman's Hall of Fame opening at

. To cater for this market, and recognising the fact that travellers dislike changing trains, ''The Midlander'' was combined with the Brisbane - Rockhampton ''

Capricornian The Capricornian was a passenger train that operated in Queensland Australia between 1970 and 1993. It travelled on the North Coast line between Brisbane and Rockhampton. History When the '' Sunlander'' air-conditioned express train to Cairns w ...

'' Train renamed the ''

Spirit of the Outback The Spirit of the Outback is a long-distance passenger rail service in Queensland, Australia, operated by Queensland Rail's Traveltrain division. Route Debuting in November 1993 by combining the former ''Capricornian'' and '' Midlander'' trai ...

'' in November 1993 and the new service commenced at

and terminated at Longreach.(29 November 1993
Cruise ship on wheels
''The Canberra Times''. Retrieved 13 December 2019. A bus service now provides the connection to Winton.

References

{{Reflist

External links

Queensland Rail - Spirit of the Outback
Named passenger trains of Queensland Railway services introduced in 1954 1954 establishments in Australia 1993 disestablishments in Australia Railway services discontinued in 1993 Discontinued railway services in Australia

History

Replacement

See also

References

External links