Engineering

Explaining the rack railway

The railway line from Moonmera to Moongan was opened 26 November 1898. It runs for just under two and a half kilometres but is very steep, with a gradient of 1:16.5, too much for a standard steam locomotive on its own.

A Renecker-Abt rack locomotive was brought from Switzerland to help out.

On ascents, the rack engine was attached to the rear of the standard locomotive

On descents, it was attached to the front of the standard locomotive to slow it down.

On ascents, it was attached to the rear.

Part of a rack rail is on display in Morgan Street outside the historical Museum.

Part of a rack rail, outside Leichhardt Hotel

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In 1888, an aerial tramway was being used to deliver stone from the mountain quarries down to the dry crushing sheds below.

It consisted of an endless iron wire cable suspended from supports. From the cable hang 60 oblong iron buckets, about 120 feet apart. Each bucket carried between two and three hundredweight of stone which made a total weight of nearly three tons on the downward portion of the cable.

This aerial tramway was the only one of its kind in Australia at this time.

Aerial tramway		Aerial tramway

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End of an Era

Queensland Rail replaced steam engines with diesel in the 1960s, but these were maintained in Rockhampton. Alternative rail links and changes in demand were having their effect.

Once the mine closed in the early 1980s, activity at the station declined and in 1984, only two employees remained. Finally in 1987, the Mount Morgan-Kabra line closed. Rail was removed, except for small sections to the immediate north and south of the station.

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