Small gauge, big trains.
Queensland now has 21 sugar mills (NSW 3, WA 1) down from 34 in the early 70's owing to rationalisation and loss of agricultural land. The vast majority operate busy two foot gauge railway (or tramway) systems to transport vast quantities of harvested cane from the fields to the mills quickly and efficiently. Some use trucks and one has a 3'6" system.
The trains operate continuously during the harvest with modern systems of control, often on heavy tracks and some with quite long runs from the far flung farms to the mills. In fact, the Isis Central Mill west of Bundaberg is just nearing completion of a new 39 km multi-million dollar line to replace trucks, save money and potentially tap new cane fields.
These trains are also responsible for transport of raw sugar from the mill to the bulk shipping terminal at the port in the Ingham district in northern Queensland. Elsewhere, mainline rail companies also form an important part of the supply chain in transporting raw sugar from mills to the Mackay bulk terminal, while elsewhere trucks are used (unfortunately)! Queensland has six main bulk sugar terminals/ports where enormous sheds stockpile mountains of sugar waiting for bulk ships to arrive and export it overseas. Sugar is also refined for domestic use, used to make molasses for stock feed, ethanol to power various industrial applications and E10 petrol (and make methylated spirits) and of course is also the main ingredient in the production of rum at Bundaberg, Beenleigh and boutique distilleries now opening up. No doubt there are other uses I haven't listed.
Back to the cane fields. Once harvested, the cane has to get back to the mill for crushing in less than 24 hours. The cane trains take out the empty cane bins, four and eight wheeled wagons and leave them in sidings at the farm to be loaded. Then the reverse happens and they collect the loaded wagons and return to the mills. This and the previous scene in the Pioneer Valley show cane destined for Marian Mill west of Mackay. The cane trains these days can get very large given the narrow tracks. This one had 145 four wheel wagons plus a remote controlled brake wagon at the rear, operated from the loco to assist in controlling and braking the train as they are not fitted with continuous air brakes. This train would have a gross weight of over 1000 tonnes. Some trains operated on the bigger systems such as Victoria Mill in Ingham further north are reputed to gross twice that. This has been partly driven by the rationalisation and closure of mills, the joining together of mill railway systems and longer runs and necessitated to maintain economic and operational efficiency.
This shot shows Marian Mill no 38 "Miclere", built 1972, rebuilt 1995 heading back to Marian with its massive load.
Small gauge, big trains.
Queensland now has 21 sugar mills (NSW 3, WA 1) down from 34 in the early 70's owing to rationalisation and loss of agricultural land. The vast majority operate busy two foot gauge railway (or tramway) systems to transport vast quantities of harvested cane from the fields to the mills quickly and efficiently. Some use trucks and one has a 3'6" system.
The trains operate continuously during the harvest with modern systems of control, often on heavy tracks and some with quite long runs from the far flung farms to the mills. In fact, the Isis Central Mill west of Bundaberg is just nearing completion of a new 39 km multi-million dollar line to replace trucks, save money and potentially tap new cane fields.
These trains are also responsible for transport of raw sugar from the mill to the bulk shipping terminal at the port in the Ingham district in northern Queensland. Elsewhere, mainline rail companies also form an important part of the supply chain in transporting raw sugar from mills to the Mackay bulk terminal, while elsewhere trucks are used (unfortunately)! Queensland has six main bulk sugar terminals/ports where enormous sheds stockpile mountains of sugar waiting for bulk ships to arrive and export it overseas. Sugar is also refined for domestic use, used to make molasses for stock feed, ethanol to power various industrial applications and E10 petrol (and make methylated spirits) and of course is also the main ingredient in the production of rum at Bundaberg, Beenleigh and boutique distilleries now opening up. No doubt there are other uses I haven't listed.
Back to the cane fields. Once harvested, the cane has to get back to the mill for crushing in less than 24 hours. The cane trains take out the empty cane bins, four and eight wheeled wagons and leave them in sidings at the farm to be loaded. Then the reverse happens and they collect the loaded wagons and return to the mills. This and the previous scene in the Pioneer Valley show cane destined for Marian Mill west of Mackay. The cane trains these days can get very large given the narrow tracks. This one had 145 four wheel wagons plus a remote controlled brake wagon at the rear, operated from the loco to assist in controlling and braking the train as they are not fitted with continuous air brakes. This train would have a gross weight of over 1000 tonnes. Some trains operated on the bigger systems such as Victoria Mill in Ingham further north are reputed to gross twice that. This has been partly driven by the rationalisation and closure of mills, the joining together of mill railway systems and longer runs and necessitated to maintain economic and operational efficiency.
This shot shows Marian Mill no 38 "Miclere", built 1972, rebuilt 1995 heading back to Marian with its massive load.