Railway Digest Magazine May 2024 Back Issue

Sugar Cane 2024 – Part 2: Burdekin to Mossman
Stretching from Isis Central Mill in the south to Mossman Mill in the north, there are currently 17 rail-served sugar mills dotted along a stretch of over 1,500 kilometres of Queensland coast supported by nine distinct railway networks. During the annual ‘crushing season’, which usually runs June to December, an estimated 203 locomotives and 52,000 cane bins are used to haul freshly harvested sugar cane billets along an estimated 4,190 kilometres of narrow-gauge track from farms and transshipment points to those 17 mills, ensuring they are crushed within 24 hours of being cut. Chris Walters provides a snapshot of these often-underappreciated rail systems, with Part 2 in the series covering the mills from Burdekin to Mossman.

A Perth Christmas and rail operations in the South West in early 2024
For Phil Melling and his family, Christmas 2023 was a bit different as, rather than staying home in Geraldton, they spent 10 days visiting relatives in Perth – and, of course, checking out the Perth rail scene, which now seems to be in a constant state of change. Phil also made several trips to Perth and the southwest in February this year, covering a lot of ground and observing a variety of rail operations.

Stanthorpe to Wallangarra line closure
On 31 October and 1 November 2023, high temperatures and strong winds fanned fires across the Tenterfield Shire in the northern tablelands area of New South Wales. The fires spread northwards to threaten the border towns of Wallangarra/Jennings with four homes and 17 buildings subsequently reported as lost. The rail line and several bridges were also damaged by fire. A review of fire damage found five bridges and an unspecified length of track in need of repair, costed at $20m. In early March 2024 the Queensland Government announced the permanent closure of the Stanthorpe to Wallangarra section of the southern line. Darren Tulk reports.