Mount Morgan railway station

Mount Morgan Railway Station was constructed in 1898 to service the former goldrush and gold mining township of Mount Morgan, Queensland. The station was designed by Henrik Hansen, who also designed the Archer Park, Rockhampton Central, Shorncliffe and South Brisbane railway stations. The station operated as a functional railway station from 1898^[1] until 1987,^[2] after which it was restored as a Railway Heritage Museum.

Connection to Rockhampton

The Mount Morgan Railway Station was connected to Rockhampton in 1898. The Mount Morgan to Rockhampton line initially used a combination of Adhesion Railway and Rack Railway due to steep inclines in the Razorback Ranges.

Rack Railway

The Rack Railway section of line operated through the Razorback Ranges, between Moonmera and the Mount Morgan township. The Rack Railway system was developed in Switzerland and was one of only three used outside Europe. The remaining two were located in Tasmania and the United States.

The engine was typically coupled at the lower side of the train, when ascending and descending the incline. The Rack Railway was decommissioned in 1952 after diversion and excavation works on the Mount Morgan to Rockhampton line made it obsolete. A section of the Rack Railway has been retained in Morgan Street, Mount Morgan, opposite the town museum.^[3]

Today

After the Rack Railway was removed, the Mount Morgan to Rockhampton line operated as a fully adhesion-based railway until the line was decomissioned in 1987. The line was consequently removed in 1989. A concrete retaining wall from the line remains at the top of the Razorback Ranges on the entry to Mount Morgan.

Connection to western coal mines

The Mount Morgan to Rockhampton line was also a rail thoroughfare between Rockhampton and mines in the Central Queensland coalfields. Additional lines were progressively constructed between Rockhampton and the coalfields, bypassing Mount Morgan, thus making the Mount Morgan to coalfields line obsolete. The line between Mount Morgan and the coalfields was consequently removed with the Mount Morgan to Rockhampton line in 1989.

Today

A small section of the railway line has been retained for tourism purposes. The line operates subject to its conditions of repair.

Rail Heritage Museum

The Rail Heritage Museum includes artefacts from the rail and mining history of Mount Morgan, including a restored Hunslett steam engine, "Silver Bullet" rail motor and timber rail carriages.

References

1. ^ Centenary of the Town of Mount Morgan, Mount Morgan and District Historical Society 1982 pp211-213
2. ^ Rockhampton Regional Council: Mount Morgan Railway Museum
3. ^ The Mount Morgan Rack Railway, J.W. Knowles 1982 pp 5-49

External links

• Rockhampton Regional Council: Mount Morgan Railway Museum
• Rockhampton Regional Council: Archer Park Station & Steam Tram Museum

Coordinates: 23°38′21″S 150°23′11″E / 23.6391°S 150.3865°E / -23.6391; 150.3865