Mount Morgan railway station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mount Morgan railway station |
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Mount Morgan railway station
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| Location | Railway Parade, Mount Morgan, Rockhampton Region, Queensland, Australia |
| Design period | 1870s–1890s (late 19th century) |
| Built | 1898–1921 |
| Architect | Henrik Hansen |
| Architectural style(s) | Classicism |
| Official name: Mount Morgan Railway Station Complex | |
| Type | state heritage (built, landscape) |
| Designated | 21 October 1992 |
| Reference no. | 600752 |
| Significant period | 1898–1987 (historical) 1898–1920s (fabric) |
| Significant components | carriage shade (railway), crane / gantry, railway station, track, furniture/fittings, railway refreshment room/s, railway siding, yard, foyer – entrance, office/s, signal box/signal cabin/switch house/mechanical points (rail), parcels office, tank – water, shed/s, machinery/plant/equipment – transport – rail, toilet block/earth closet/water closet, views to |
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The Mount Morgan railway station is a special old building in Mount Morgan, Australia. It is listed as a heritage site, meaning it is important to history. This railway station was built in 1898. It helped the town of Mount Morgan during its big gold rush and mining days.
A famous architect named Henrik Hansen designed the station. He also designed other well-known stations in Queensland. The station worked as a busy train stop from 1898 until 1987. After that, it became a fun Railway Heritage Museum. At the museum, you can see old train parts and mining tools from Mount Morgan's past. This includes a restored steam engine and a "Silver Bullet" rail motor. The station was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.
History of the Station
The Mount Morgan gold mine started in 1883. By 1889, Mount Morgan was a very busy town with over 5,800 people. They were all there because of the gold. Later, in 1903, they also started digging for copper. In 1929, a new company began an open-cut mine to get the copper ore.
Building the Railway Line
The railway line connecting Mount Morgan to Rockhampton opened on 26 November 1898. This line went through Kabra. Later, the line was made longer, reaching Wowan by 16 October 1912. When the line first opened, three trains ran every day.
The Special Rack Railway
The railway line had a very steep part called a rack railway. This section was between Moonmera and Mount Morgan. It was built this way to save money at first. However, it made train journeys slower and more expensive to run. Special steam locomotives had to be used for this steep section.
Even though this part was only about 2.4 kilometers long, trains could only go about 10 kilometers per hour. It took an extra 40 minutes for the special engine to connect and disconnect. Also, trains could not carry as much weight on this section. The steepest part was very steep, much steeper than a normal railway.
The rack section used the Abt rack railway system. This system was invented in Switzerland. It was one of only three such lines in Australia. The other two are in Tasmania and New South Wales. The special rack locomotives were kept at Mount Morgan until 1952. That year, a new, less steep railway path was opened.
Station Building and Changes
Henrik Hansen designed the station building to be grand and important. He designed similar stations in other towns around the same time. The first part of the station was built in 1898.
In 1901, the water supply for the train engines at Mount Morgan ran low. In 1902, the water supply completely failed. Trains had to bring water from Stanwell to keep the mine and town going. Twelve trains a day brought water. They unloaded it into the Dee River from a nearby railway bridge.
Between 1917 and 1918, the station yard was made bigger. The engine shed was moved, and a turning triangle was added for trains. This replaced the old turntable. In 1919–1920, a raised platform for loading coal was built.
In 1912, a parcels office and a station master's office were added to the station building. Refreshment rooms, where people could buy food and drinks, were added in 1921. These rooms were later closed in 1968 and moved to be used as living quarters.
By 1940, the station area was quite large. It included the main station building, refreshment rooms, a water tank, engine shed, and a goods shed. There was also a large crane and offices.
End of the Rack Railway
The rack railway closed in April 1952. A new railway path was opened that bypassed the steep section. This new path had gentler slopes. It allowed much heavier trains to pass through Mount Morgan. The rack railway was removed because the special locomotives were old and worn out. Also, the rack section was a bottleneck. It made it hard to transport coal from nearby mines.
A concrete wall from the old rack line can still be seen at the top of the Razorback Ranges. A small piece of the rack rail is also kept in Morgan Street, near the town museum. After the rack railway was removed, the line to Rockhampton became a normal railway.
Later Years and Closure
In the 1960s, diesel-electric locomotives started to replace the old coal-fired steam engines. The new diesel engines were maintained in Rockhampton. Before this, the steam engines were repaired at Mount Morgan. The first diesel train arrived in Mount Morgan on 26 May 1964. Steam train operations stopped in October 1967. In 1971, the coal loading platform was taken down.
As mining activities in Mount Morgan slowed down, there was less train traffic. The railway depot at Mount Morgan became too expensive to keep running. In May 1984, the number of staff was reduced.
On 1 August 1987, the railway line from Kabra through Mount Morgan to Wowan closed. A new direct line was built from the coal mines to Gladstone. This new line allowed much larger coal trains to run. The old railway line was taken apart in 1989. However, the Mount Morgan station building, its yard, and a short piece of track were saved. They were kept for tourism. The Mount Morgan Shire Council took over the station in 1988.
What the Station Looks Like
The Station Building is a grand and impressive structure. It has a large roof that covers ten train carriages. The front of the building has a central arched entrance with strong iron columns. It also has fancy iron lace panels and a timber top with a curved shape. The words "AD 1898 Mount Morgan" are written on it.
Verandahs on either side make the building look balanced. Some parts were added in 1912, like an extra entrance with its own shaped top. Inside, the main waiting area has beautiful wooden decorations. The ladies' room and toilets are on one side, and offices are on the other. The carriage shade covers two tracks. It has curved metal supports and a metal roof.
The old Refreshment Rooms were moved to a nearby spot and are now used as living quarters. They are a rectangular building with a kitchen area at the back. The Shunters/Guards Room, which was later a bike shed, is also an old building from that time.
The Goods Shed is a large timber building with a metal roof. It has an inside platform for loading goods and four doors on the sides. There is also a small timber office at one end. Inside, there is an old crane that could lift 30 hundredweight (about 1.5 tons). The office for the weighbridge is still there, but the weighbridge itself has been removed.
The Signal Cabin was moved here from another railway junction. The large 20,000-gallon water tank is made of cast iron. It has two arms for filling engines and was made by Walkers Limited Engineers in Maryborough. It stands on strong metal beams and a timber frame.
Why It's a Heritage Site
The Mount Morgan Railway Station Complex was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992. This means it is protected because it is important to Queensland's history and culture.
Showing Queensland's History
The station is important because it shows how Queensland grew, especially during the mining boom. It is a large and impressive building that served a very busy mining town. Many other similar towns from that time do not have such well-preserved stations. Mount Morgan's station is one of the earliest examples of a group of important stations designed by Henrik Hansen.
Rare and Special Features
The water tank at Mount Morgan is very rare. It is one of the few that still has the builder's plate from Walkers Limited of Maryborough. The goods shed is also rare. It is one of the few left that still has its original warehouse crane.
Typical Features of Old Stations
The station complex still has all the main parts of an important railway station from the late Victorian era. This helps us understand how these stations worked long ago.
Beautiful Design
The building has a beautiful design that people still admire today. Its looks are valued by the community.
