Queensland Rail - 1992 VHS edit part 2

[@adriannettlefold9084]

I'm a driver for QR & Watco here in Emerald. I first arrived here in 2004, but grew up in the area and was in highschool In 1992. Absolutely wonderful to see how the place used to be compared to now. Most of the infrastructure seen is gone and the line to Springsure is now Red Boarded. Thanks for sharing.

[@tedbear4243]

Hi Adrian. Im quite fond of the Emerald area. As ive mentioned elsewhere in comments, I had some relatives staying in the caravan park that was before it became a shopping centre. I distinctly recall hearing on all tne ocassio sI stayed there, theseemingly continuous sounds of an EE unit shunting its life away in the yard. Most drivers didnt seem to muck around either, with some serious shunting at all hours of the day and night. it was a surprisingly busy spot.

[@adriannettlefold9084]

@@tedbear4243 I was interested to know if the 1620 shown on the shunt was 1632 or not. I learnt to drive her prior to joining QR in 2000 at Mary Valley Heritage Railway in Gympie. I was told by old Emerald drivers that 1632 was based here as the shunt engine. It was involved in a head on collision with C17 254 at Theebine in the 60's so she had an interesting history. I have to say it's been sad to see my job decline to what it is now, I have spent most of my life in Central QLD and Dad used to take me to work with him and now 22yrs in the job for myself. When I transferred from Cloncurry to Emerald in 2004 we used have so much variety of work. Stock trains loading at Longreach, Barcaldine, Jericho, Alpha, Pine Hill, Bogantungan, Emerald, Clermont, (Zamia was no longer in use although I'm sure there was a few decks loaded on one occassion before they ripped up the loop) stock trains were occssionally loaded at Comet and still unloaded at Gracemere saleyard. We had grain at Clermont, Capella, Springsure, Gindi, 40chain Emerald, Dingo and Duaringa. We shunted 3 fuel depots and 2 of which closed before I left to go to Brisbane in 2009. We had general freight and the Yaraka train. Ballast was loaded at Blackwater, Amar, and Alpha. Shunt were also done to Yamala to place wagons for Allied Pickfords. And finally we worked the Minerva 4 Header Coal trains initially to Gladstone then only to Bluff. I came back here Jan 2020 and all I do for QR is the Spirit of the Outback passenger service Longreach and to Rockhampton, with the odd work train to give variety. All the rest is either Aurizon, Watco, or no longer done at all. If you would like to see the line again, please feel free to see the 100yrs of The ANZAC Troop Train Videos on my channel. I was lucky enough to work QR's Stean locos and was on this tour in 2015. Cheers Adrian.

[@interceptor7905]

​@@adriannettlefold9084You live in Emerald still?

[@clarefreeman3909]

Thanks for another great video Ted. You are doing a great job by preserving these historical events

[@tedbear4243]

Thanks again Clare. I will be progressively digitally re-editing all these old VHS edits I did years ago. Unfortunately the frame rate in the transfer process somehow moved to 24fps (instead of 25fps) and before I realised it, I had a whole heap uploaded with one frame missing every second :-(

[@denisbright3995]

Worth preserving, Ted

[@darylcheshire1618]

I’m from Melbourne and rode on QR in 1987, I got up in my hotel room in Emerald and boarded the freight to Clermont. The wooden passenger guards van had two compartments, there was one passenger who rode the train from Rocky, I was surprised that he had so much luggage that it occupied every seat and he had to clear one for me. He was a member of the Clermont Historical Society and had been buying stuff in Rocky. Other lines I travelled on were to Springsure, Yaraka, Winton. The freight to Rocky had two beautifully clean and preserved wooden cars with photographs on the walls. They were passenger cars not composite guards van so it was a true mixed and not a car-goods. At this time many trains had wooden guards vans with passenger compartments such as the DAV. In later years they had the steel bodied TGV. In 1987 the guards van was on the rear of the train and was detached during shunting. In later years the guards van was coupled behind the loco and the passengers had to stay in the van during shunting because the train would suddenly depart after shunting was completed no matter where in the yard it was. Sometimes I got bumped around.

[@tedbear4243]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. I stayed at Emerald often and wish I had more coverage out to Springsure

[@aussiesean5140]

Great piece of history footage . Cunnamulla will never see trains again, I believe during the mid 90s passenger trains stopped and Quilpie there train yards are all empty these days, the lines still there. And was recently re sleepered.

[@tedbear4243]

It seems so tragic having all that infrastructure sitting there unused and the roads in such a mess due largely to trucks.

[@jeffusher9403]

Just found these, plus the 1988 page. Great stuff.

[@tedbear4243]

Thanks Jeff :-)

[@katrinalaw1479]

Nice shot on the midlander train between longreach and Winton and back and also on the westlander train to cunnamulla

[@kylestennings456]

Another great ice house montage 👌🏻

[@petermcgreevy6386]

Thanks for sharing, some good footage and good music too...........

[@tedbear4243]

Thx Pete. I will progressively be doing digital re-edits of all these old VHS videos

[@AndrewDonnelly-z4i]

Love those big old cludes 14:57

[@DanReeder1337]

came for the trains, stayed for the electronica

[@tedbear4243]

Cheers Dan. I'll be re-editing these old QR videos eventually. They will also be at the correct frame rate next time I post them! I might have to make sure I dont update all themusic!

[@dieseldavetrains8988]

Great scenery, Queensland the only state left in Australia running electric locomotives on freight, nice to see them in action. Love the bull bar on the Kingswood at Winton, real Outback Australia at its best!

[@NR54trailerail]

Amazing footage, thanks for sharing.

[@tedbear4243]

Thx. I will eventually be digitally re-editing most of the VHS to VHS edits that were posted early on which will improve their look considerably, plus will fix the dodgy frame rate issue too.

[@darylcheshire1618]

when the weekly train from Hughenden to Winton stopped at a siding, people would turn up to receive orange juice and other perisables.

[@kendale2847]

Brings back memories when I worked the trains to Cunnamulla and Quilpie stop over in the quarters. But alas no trains to Cunnamulla and the odd stock train to Quilpie progress they call it.

[@tedbear4243]

Its a great shame that so many branch lines were closed. What were the quarters like in those two out of the way spots?

[@jasonpeisley6031]

I don't mind the music too much, would be cool if we could hear the trains a little more, awesome footage, takes me to being a kid!! 🥰😍

[@tedbear4243]

Thanks Jason. Music is a big part of the way I do things, to this very day. But with train related material, Its mostly (tho obviously not always) used where there is no substantive live sound, or where/when the audio craps out on the camera Ive had at the time - and that happened a few times :-( I like to mix things up a bit :-)

[@lorakennyvolker1573]

some very good footage of the midlander and westlander

[@tedbear4243]

Its a tragedy that so much has now disappeared from the rail scene in QLD.

[@scottcannell1861]

@@tedbear4243 thanks to Peter Beatie and Ann Bligh for privatisation of Queensland rail

[@clarefreeman3909]

Me again I just have to say your choice of I Don't Believe Anymore by Icehouse one of the best Australian bands, is an iconic piece of music , you could also use Cross the Border, which I think was off The Man of Colours album. Thank you Regards Clare

[@tedbear4243]

'I dont believe' works pretty well plus yes, Icehouse is very much a top Aussie outfit! I will see if I can make use of Cross the Border somewhere

[@darylcheshire1618]

When I rode the car-goods from Yaraka in 1987, someone had driven a car into one of the open wagons to ship it to Blackall to be repaied by the dealer. Presumably the repaired car would be driven back onto the train next week and retrieved by the owner at one of the sidings. Hows that for service?

[@tedbear4243]

Unfortnuately I didnt get to ride the train out to Yaraka, but pleased I at least got to follow and video it

[@darylcheshire1618]

@@tedbear4243 When on the up Yaraka train, the driver said “It’s time to give young Daryl a driving lesson” and I drove the train between Benlidi and Malvernton. From Blackall, I rode in the aircon crew car and we all put food in this big pot on the stove and ate it on toast. Best train trip I ever had.