#westlander

[howiesrail]

The Westlander at Charleville

At the platform after its overnight trip from Brisbane.

The train will return to Brisbane later that evening and operates twice weekly.

[thewestlander]

Charleville

[thewestlander]

Charleville station with the Westlander occupying the main platform,

[thewestlander]

Charleville. End of the line for the Westlander.

FromWiki:

Charleville /ˈtʃɑrlɛvɪl/ is a town in south western Queensland, Australia, 683 kilometres (424 mi) west of Brisbane (the Queensland capital). It is the largest town and administrative centre of the Shire of Murweh, which covers an area of 43,905 square kilometres. Charleville is situated on the banks of the Warrego River, and is the terminus for the Warrego Highway.

History

The first European exploration of the area was conducted by Edmund Kennedy in 1847. A hotel was built in 1865, and a town began to grow to service the region. It was situated near Gowrie's Crossing, a permanent waterhole, now on the outskirts of the modern town. Gowrie Station had been established around the crossing along a natural stock route, for the grazing of sheep and cattle. The town was gazetted in 1868 with very wide streets to enable bullock teams of up to 14 pairs to turn with their wagons.[2] It was William Alcock Tully, then government assistant surveyor, who laid out the town's streets. An Irishman, Tully probably named the town after the town of Charleville, County Cork, Ireland.[3] Members of the Roma based Skinner family established a store in the town in 1872 that became known as the Warrego Stores.[4]

Charleville Post Office opened on 1 August 1865.[5]

Cobb and Co, the legendary Australian stagecoach company, established a coach building business in the town in 1886, however, the railway arrived in 1888, beginning the long demise of coach transport in the area. Charleville station was the terminus for the Western railway line for more than a decade. Facilities included a locomotive depot, cattle and sheep yards, a 50-ton weighbridge, a booking and telegraph offices, goods shed, stationmaster's house, and guards, enginemen and firemen's cottages.[6]

In 1902 Charleville was the location of an unsuccessful attempt by Clement Lindley Wragge to fire cannons into the clouds in order to break a drought. The cannons used remain on display in Charleville today.

Aerial view of Charleville in 1947

In 1922, Qantas established an airmail service between Charleville and Cloncurry. At the same time, this was Qantas's first regularly scheduled route and the second scheduled air route in Australia.

On 9 October 1924, the Charleville War Memorial was unveiled by Sir Matthew Nathan, the Governor of Queensland.[7]

Charleville was also one of the compulsory stop over/check points during the London to Melbourne MacRobertson Air Race in 1934. The winners of the great race were Tom Campbell Black and C. W. A. Scott. Their triumph was reported in Time Magazine as:

"Scott and Black, keeping up their sensational pace, flashed into Charleville, refueled, sped toward the finish where waiting thousands cheered their progress, reported over loudspeakers. With one motor dead, with only two hours sleep since leaving England, the Britons triumphantly set their scarlet torpedo down in Melbourne at 3:34 p.m. In 71 hr. 1 min. 3 sec. – Just under three days – they had flown halfway around the world."[8]

[thewestlander]

Arabella station, 594kms west of Toowoomba.

From Wiki:

Arabella Station is a pastoral lease that currently operates as a cattle station in Queensland.

It is located approximately 22 kilometres (14 mi) east of Charleville and 70 kilometres (43 mi) south of Augathella in Queensland.

The property was established at some time prior to 1887 and in 1888 was owned by Mr McKenzie and was trading in cattle.[1]

In 1907 Messrs Fisken and Bunning sold the property to Arnold Wienholt. The 176 square miles (456 km2) property was stocked with 2,000 cattle and 30 horses.[2]

Messrs Keogh and Rowe sold the unstocked 100 square miles (259 km2) property in 1924 to C. E. Tidswell.[3]

In 1938 Tidswell sold the 100 square miles (259 km2) property for £20,000 to G. H. Griffiths. It was stocked with 10,000 sheep at this time.[4]

In 1956 the homestead was the scene of an armed robbery when a man crashed his stolen car nearby then menaced the owner, C. Starky, with a shotgun before stealing one of the station trucks.[5]

In 2014 the 235 square kilometres (91 sq mi) property was in the grip of drought. The owner, Greg Ballinger, had been destocking cattle since early 2013 and had used thinning permits to feed stock mulga along with supplements to keep the herd alive.[6]

The railway arrived here in 1888.

[thewestlander]

Angellala

[thewestlander]

Angellala Bridge, 549kms west of Toowoomba.

Showing the Westlander in 2015, and a cattle train from 2011. The bridge is a monument to early Qld engineering skills.

[thewestlander]

Angellala Rail Bridge

All details from here:

https://heritage-register.ehp.qld.gov.au/placeDetail.html?siteId=15531

Description

The Angellala Creek Bridge and approaches located at 442 miles 42 chains (549.630 kms) from Roma Street and consists of 3 x 2 x 1 x 20 foot (6.1 metre) timber longitudinal with a common braced timber trestle (pier one) and common concrete piers on piers two and three. 7 x2 x40 foot (12.2 metre) riveted half-through continuous plate girders with steel cross girders and transom tops, steel longitudinals, common concrete pier on pier four, common cast iron cylinders on concrete bases (piers five to ten), strengthened with two steel columns on concrete bases at each mid span (piers 4A to 10A) and a common concrete pier at pier eleven.

87 x 2 x1 x20 foot (6.1 metre) timber longitudinals, common braced timber trestles (piers 12 through to 100) or common concrete piers (piers 23-26, 31-32, 34, 38, 41, 51, 53, 58, 61, 64, 66-68, 71-72, 74, 76-80, 82-83, 85, 96-98). The bridge features a maximum span of 20 feet (6.1 metres) and is aligned on a straight track with the approaches being on a forty-chain curve. The abutments, piers and main spans of the bridge are original, however the approaches to the bridge have been reconstructed, and in 1994 intermediate supports allowing larger diesel-electric locomotives to operate between Roma and Charleville were incorporated into the structure.

Cultural Heritage Significance

Criterion A  - The Angellala Creek Bridge is important in demonstrating the pattern of Queensland's history in particular the development of the railway network in Western Queensland                                 

Criterion B - The riveted gusseted half through continuous plate girder spans are the second oldest of their type in Queensland.    

Criterion E - The bridge is close to the Warrego highway and is and important landmark in the area being a feature of the western approach to Angellala. 

Criterion G - The bridge is close to the Warrego highway and is and important landmark in the area being a feature of the western approach to Angellala. 

Criterion H - The bridge is important for its association with the life and work of its designer Henry C Stanley, Chief Engineer for Railways.

History

Plans for the crossing of Angellala Creek at 66 kms east of Charleville were prepared in 1885 with the construction of the western extension from Roma to Charleville. Part of the Western Railway Act assented to on 25 September 1875 was repealed by the Railway Reserves Amendment Act of 1879, and the money in the Western Railway Account and all funds from land alienation were paid into Consolidated Revenue of Queensland. Construction west from  Roma proceeded through the 1880's and there were approaches to build a land grant railway, into western New South Wales and to Adelaide through the south-west by several syndicates.

However the Queensland government undertook construction further west. The railway opened to East Mitchell in 1883, and after completion of the Maranoa River Bridge on 17 January 1885 into Mitchell itself. Further extensions took place to Dulbydilla on 24 August 1885, Morven on 1 March 1887 and opening through to Charleville on 1 March 1888.

Angellala (441 miles 74 chains - 550 kms west of Roma Street) was named after the nearby creek. It opened as a station from 2 May 1910, and was also worked as a crossing loop. From 1929 until 1932 the station was worked unattended, however a station mistress was appointed from 1932 date until 1971. Angellala was a watering stop for locomotives, with the water tank situated at the Charleville end of the yard, and the hydrant at the Roma end.

The crossing of Angellala Creek posed several design problems for the bridge designers, as it was situated in a shallow valley and extensive flood plain. The bridge across the western crossing features the longest timber trestle approach on a rail bridge in Queensland. Overall length of the structure is 2080 feet (634 metres). The main crossing of the creek features 7x 36 feet (12.1 metres) steel spans. The approach from the west is over 1740 feet (530 metres). It was designed in 1885 when HC Stanley was Chief Engineer.

Plans were prepared for the strengthening of the bridge for heavier C17 class locomotives in 1946 when the spans were halved by installation of intermediate columns. With upgrading for main line (90 ton) diesel-electric's to be used west of Roma, the main spans were strengthened with additional steel pillars in 1994.

The Angellala bridge is the sixth longest in Queensland, the western approach (530 metres) is the longest approach of any railway bridge in Queensland. The riveted and gusseted half -through continuous plate girder spans are the second oldest of their type in Queensland.