Wooloongabba Branch railway line

Wooloongabba Branch
South Brisbane coal wharf, c1889.
Operation
Opened	2 June 1884
Closed	Progressive from 1960 to 1989
Owner	Queensland Railways
Operator(s)	Queensland Railways
Technical
Track gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Route map South Brisbane wharves Brisbane Milling Company Stanley Street South Brisbane coal wharf Vulture Street tunnel Wooloongabba locomotive depot goods yard Stanley Street Balmoral tram line Logan Road Mount Gravatt tram line Ipswich Road Salisbury tram line Albert Cleveland line Dutton Park Beenleigh line

Coal wharf ~1898

The Wooloongabba Branch railway line was a branch line off the South Coast railway line in the inner southern suburbs of Brisbane, Australia. It opened on 2 June 1884 to serve the wharves and industries along the Brisbane River at Woolloongabba and South Brisbane.^[1] Queensland Railways always referred to the line as the Wooloongabba Branch (with one 'l'), despite the official spelling of the suburb it ran through being Woolloongabba (spelt with two 'l's).^[1]

Approval and construction

A railway from the Western line to Woolloongabba was first proposed in 1878.^[2][3] A railway from South Brisbane Junction (now Corinda station) to Stanley Street was approved by the Queensland Parliament on 17 September 1881. The first sod was turned in October 1882. The line was built to provide a connection for Ipswich area coal mines exporting from and/or refueling ships at the wharves.^[4]

The South Brisbane Wharf Branch extension was proposed in 1889 and costings were made in 1892.^[5]

Route

The branch ran from Boggo Junction (now Dutton Park) and ran under the Cleveland line. There was passenger station at Albert and a passenger terminus at Stanley Street near the South Brisbane Dry Dock (now the Queensland Maritime Museum). The major locomotive depot for the southern half of Brisbane's suburban network was at "Wooloongabba". The line was extended to the State Fish Market near Victoria Bridge, opening on 30 March 1897^[1] with the first consignment of goods on 12 April.^[6]

Stanley Street was the terminus for passenger trains south of the Brisbane River until the opening of Melbourne Street station.

Closure

The South Brisbane Wharf Branch beyond Stanley Street closed in January 1960. Woolongabba locomotive depot closed on 22 September 1967. Wheat traffic to the South Brisbane flour mills was transferred to South Brisbane station and limestone to Roma Street from October 1969.^[7] Much of the goods traffic was transferred from Woolongabba to the new goods yard at Moolabin from December 1969 and much of the line closed on the 19th of that month.^[8] The line beyond Albert was dismantled in early 1970.^[9][10] The last section between Dutton Park and Albert closed in 1989.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wooloongabba Branch railway line.

• 1925 map of the Queensland railway system

Railway lines in Queensland
Main lines Main Line Western Line Southern Line South Western Line North Coast Line Central West Line Mt Isa Line Tablelands Line List of approved, never constructed lines
Country branch lines Operational List of Queensland branch line locations Moura Line Blackwater railway system Cairns-to-Kuranda Etheridge Goonyella Line Newlands railway system (GAP) Glenmorgan Millmerran Wandoan Closed List of Queensland branch line locations Amiens Beaudesert Bell Blackall and Yaraka Boonah Brisbane Valley Buderim Bulimba Canungra Biloela Thangool Lawgi Cecil Plains Cooyar Crows Nest Dajarra and Selwyn Gladstone to Monto Goomburra Great Western line proposal Haden Injune Isis Jandowae Kajabbi Kilcoy Killarney Mackay Railway and branches Marburg Mareeba to Chillagoe Maryborough to Monto Maryvale Mt Edwards Mt Perry Mulgowie Nanango Pemberton Proston Redbank-Bundamba Southport Tarong Texas Theodore Urangan Wallaville Windera Winton Wooloongabba
Proposed or under construction Cross River Rail Inland Railway Redcliffe Peninsula railway line Maroochydore railway line Surat Basin railway
Tourist and heritage railways Gulflander Kuranda Scenic Railway Savannahlander Southern Downs Steam Railway Mary Valley Heritage Railway