Fw: Townsville

Forwarded from Geoff Kirton.

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From: "Geoff Kirton"
> Thanks Peter and Rick for these,
>
> T'ville must have had the most complicated rail layout in Aust.
> Had the workshops, loco depot, railmotor depot & station north of Ross
> Creek.
> South of Ross Ck. was Townsville South Yard which had a diamond crossing
> of the main line to access the wharves, nickel loading facilities & sugar
> terminal.
> Also a yard which was roughly oriented north-south in the appropriately
> named suburb of Railway Estate.
>
> Have a feeling that South Yd may have been replaced by a park & a motor
> racing street circuit, after looking at a photo in a Qld travel supplement
> from a "Herald Sun" recently.
> Also that a new station was built on a bypass in the southern or western
> suburbs somewhere, like Mackay.
> Looking at this travel supplement, I could see the former station in the
> distance.
> Think there was a requirement that it had to be kept for heritage
> purposes, especially for the original GNR building.
> Townsville still has the carriage workshops.
> I think the original T'ville 'shops were that saw-toothed building in the
> background.
>
> The ancient looking railmotor was a Panhard, I think - the other bigger
> ones probably AEC's.
> One of those RM's was in your photo at Bowen, with the 2 trailers - & the
> bonus water & hills backdrop.
> Have a feeling that Bowen has been by-passed as well with a new station
> once again to the south or west.
>
> Cheers
>
> Geoff