Crows Nest railway line
Encyclopedia
Crows Nest Branch Railway was originally surveyed as a direct line from Toowoomba north to Crows Nest
in Queensland
, Australia. The branch eventually took a more circuitous route to cover the maximum amount of farming country. The first stage struck out from Pengarry Junction a short distance west of Toowoomba and continued via Birnan, Cawdor, Shirley, Woolmer, Meringdan and Kleinton to terminate at Cabarlah. It opened on 17 September 1883. Shortly after opening, a daily service was provided to Cabarlah
.
The second stage of the line to Crows Nest was opened on 6 December 1886 and stops were located en route at Geham, Mt Luke, Taylor, Hampton
and Pechey. The extension serviced sawmills in the Pechey region and, in the case of one business at Perseverance, a tramway was built by its owner west to Hampton siding.
Until about 1930, a daily mixed train departed Crows Nest at 7.00am each morning except Sunday for the 3½-hour trip to Toowoomba. A rail motor service then took over which cut the travel time to a little over 1½ hours. The branch was relegated to goods trains only during the mid 1950’s and closed completely on 1 July 1961.
Crows Nest, Queensland
Crows Nest is a town in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The town is located on the New England Highway from the state capital, Brisbane and from the nearby city of Toowoomba within the Toowoomba Region local government area...
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia. The branch eventually took a more circuitous route to cover the maximum amount of farming country. The first stage struck out from Pengarry Junction a short distance west of Toowoomba and continued via Birnan, Cawdor, Shirley, Woolmer, Meringdan and Kleinton to terminate at Cabarlah. It opened on 17 September 1883. Shortly after opening, a daily service was provided to Cabarlah
Cabarlah, Queensland
Cabarlah is a locality approximately 15 km north of the Toowoomba city centre. It is situated on the Great Divide with views to the east of the Lockyer Valley through to Brisbane and to the west across the Darling Downs...
.
The second stage of the line to Crows Nest was opened on 6 December 1886 and stops were located en route at Geham, Mt Luke, Taylor, Hampton
Hampton, Queensland
Hampton is a town located in the Darling Downs region of Queensland, Australia. The town is located west of the state capital, Brisbane At the 2006 census, Hampton and the surrounding area had a population of 477...
and Pechey. The extension serviced sawmills in the Pechey region and, in the case of one business at Perseverance, a tramway was built by its owner west to Hampton siding.
Until about 1930, a daily mixed train departed Crows Nest at 7.00am each morning except Sunday for the 3½-hour trip to Toowoomba. A rail motor service then took over which cut the travel time to a little over 1½ hours. The branch was relegated to goods trains only during the mid 1950’s and closed completely on 1 July 1961.