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| 1925 D17 Class Steam Locomotive 'Capella' in Tumoulin, Queensland |
Over 100 years ago on 31 July 1911,
regional Parliamentary representatives invited to the
Herberton-Tumoulin railway line opening were too busy
to attend according to a local historian.
Exactly 100 years later – and how
things have changed!!
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| Crossing the trestle bridge, Tumoulin to Ravenshoe |
So, on 31 July 2011, during a
re-enactment of the historic opening ceremony as 1925 D17 class
locomotive 'Capella' steamed into Tumoulin 100 years to the hour
later. Where ex-Queensland Rail welder and state Member for
Dalrymple Shane Knuth was waiting to cut the ribbon!
In a fortuitous blend of serendipity,
coincidence and blind luck, Pilchard and I joined the historic ride
into Tumoulin from Ravenshoe – Queensland's highest town at 920 m
(3118 ft) above sea-level on the Tablelands west of Cairns. Although
Tumoulin is higher at 964.7 m (3165 ft) – and thereby Queensland's
highest railway station – its height doesn't count in the 'highest
town' honours because it's only a 'locality'!
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| Tumoulin Railway Station sign |
Here on the Atherton Tablelands*
there's no real clue that we're in the depths of northern Australia's
tropics – cool nights are common, and the heat and humidity
sometimes found on the coast even in winter is often absent. BUT …
this paradise comes at a price as we're not that far from
Queensland's highest mountain – Bartle Frere – and Australia's
wettest locality – Topaz where aanual rainfall averages well above
4 metres, although it's WAAAY more higher in the ranges!
The final extension of the railway line
from Cairns initially constructed to service Atherton Tablelands
mining town Herberton, Tumoulin-Ravenshoe is ironically one of only
two sections** still operating. And although completed 5 years after
Herberton-Tumoulin opened in 1911, it's from Ravenshoe that we depart
on this bright winter's day to take part in Tumoulin's centenary
celebrations.
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| Creatures en route to Tumoulin |
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| Spot Paris! |
100 years later, it's all changed –
the line from Atherton closed over 20 years ago, as has the tourist
train from Atherton to Herberton Pilchard and I caught many years
ago.
Luckily for us, however, the Ravenshoe-Tumoulin line is now
managed by volunteer organisation Ravrail. Their fact sheets and
railway line mud map (from which much information for this post was
taken) highlight the assortment of regional attractions and a strange
selection of creatures we will be passing en route to Tumoulin!
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| No 268 - Capella |
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| No, not a bushfire! It's a Steam train! |
As the immaculate train climbed upwards
over wooden trestle bridges, past homesteads, orchards, forests and a
crayfish farm, who would have thought Paris Hilton would have been
lurking amongst the native animals? Or that we'd be encouraged to
photograph a scenic public toilet??
Almost the most fun I've had for
$AUD20, the festive centenary market with railway volunteers in
period costume, Aboriginal dancers in traditional dress and fettlers
camp gave this trip extraordinary value! But even without the
centenary extras the return trip scenery and steam train experience
is well worth the modest fare.
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| Emergency! |
Ravrail are to be congratulated for
succeeding where governments have failed for a) their contribution to
Atherton Tablelands tourism; b) keeping the railway line open; and c)
immaculately preserving this marvellous piece of Australia's
heritage.
And I'm to be congratulated on my restraint - although my fingers were positively twitching to pull that antique emergency chain, I resisted - in absolute fear of the $10 fine being enforced!
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| Centenary re-enactment - cutting the ribbon |
There's no point expecting a photo of
the magnificent scones, jam and cream served by the Tumoulin Railway
cafe – they disappeared WAAAAY too quickly for that!! But there's
no need to wait another 100 years for them, or even for the next
train trip to Tumoulin.
Take this magic railway journey every
Sunday at 1:30 pm, or even hire the train for a memorable way to
celebrate any special occasion.
The return trip to Ravenshoe –
downhill all the way – ended this unexpectedly fabulous day where
instead of just a train ride, we became part of this
history-making journey!
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| Ravenshoe Station, Atherton Tablelands, Queensland |
* The Atherton Tablelands is also known
as the Cairns Highlands, or Tropical Tablelands. I've used its most
common name although the highlands region also incorporates the
Evelyn and Northern Tablelands
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| Harry's Dunny ... no, not a real person inside!! |
** the other is the far better known
and commercially run 'Kuranda Scenic Railway' from Cairns to Kuranda
Want more information?
- More photos on Flickr!
