|
Murphys Creek Railway Complex is a heritage-listed railway yard on the Main Line railway at Odin Street, Murphys Creek, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1921 to . It is also known as Murphys Creek Locomotive Water Tank & Tower. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 24 September 1999. == History == Murphy's Creek Railway Station opened in 1867 on completion of the Main Range segment of the Ipswich-Toowoomba stage of the Southern and Western Railway. The station closed in 1992. The township of Murphy's Creek developed as a direct result of the construction of the railway station. The name Murphy's Creek was a reference to a creek named after a shepherd who had a hut in the area of the time of the 1864 survey for the Main Range Railway.〔 Tenders were invited in January 1867 for the construction of station buildings at Murphy's Creek.〔 Locomotives in the early years of operation on the Main Range had a limited water carrying capacity, and as a result water halts were required at Helidon, Murphy's Creek, and Highfields (later Spring Bluff). At Spring Bluff a 7,000 gallon (35,000 litre) water supply was created by damming a spring then gravity feeding the water to a water column situated in the station yard. Prior to the completion of the rail link, the Murphy's Creek area was referred to as a "feeding place for the engines" on the 30 kilometre range climb to Toowoomba, by a correspondent for the Brisbane Courier. Similarly, a journalist for the Darling Downs Gazette who had made the trip on a special picnic train from Murphy's Creek to Toowoomba prior to the opening of the Main Range Railway, described a water tank at Murphy's Creek for the use of locomotives.〔 In 1871 a goods shed was provided at Murphy's Creek for increasing goods traffic. Ten years after completion of the Southern and Western Railway, traffic on the line had increased to the extent that the station yard, track layout and buildings were considered cramped and additional room was required to pass trains, on the single line track. In May 1877 tenders were called for a booking office and platform; the accepted tenders were priced at £1,287 and £1,640 respectively. This work was completed in 1878, along with an extra siding. At the completion of the work in 1879 the water supply for locomotives was expanded with the installation of an 11,000 gallon water tank.〔 The station yard was resignalled in 1884. At this time according to the Working Timetable, Murphy's Creek consisted of a station building, with telegraph connection and a watering point.〔 In November 1884 a reserve for railway purposes was set aside opposite the railway station. A forkline, or turning triangle, for locomotives was constructed on this site in 1885. Prior to construction of the forkline, the Working Timetable made mention of a turntable being situated at Murphy's Creek. The forkline was established in response to the inability of early steam locomotives to ascend the Main Range without reducing their load at Murphy's Creek. Trains would descend from Toowoomba to assist in hauling loads and from the early 1900s banking engines were used to help push trains up the Range from Murphy's Creek. At the same time that the forkline was constructed, a timber loading bank and gantry also were built, for loading stone from nearby quarries.〔 The ladies waiting room and the station lamp room were both destroyed by fire in February 1887. A new signal cabin and interlocked signalling was installed in 1913, as part of the duplication work being completed between Laidley and Helidon to speed up workings on the western main line, and increase train movements.〔 In 1917 Murphy's Creek was closed as a watering station for trains working on the Main Range and watering stops were provided elsewhere on the line. However, in August 1921 an 8,000 gallon (40,000 litre) single tier water tank for use in emergencies was erected at Murphy's Creek, which was used by crews requiring additional water supplies running on to the Main Range section. Helidon was also supplied with watering facilities.〔 Water softening plants were installed at Helidon and Murphy's Creek, to soften water using lime. This was to prevent a buildup of scale in locomotive boilers that would shorten the life of boilers. A sand box (shed) was also provided to store sand which had been previously dried in a furnace, as an aid for traction on slippery rails on steep grades and sharp curves of the Main Range section. The sand shed was to replenish a reservoir situated atop the boiler barrel of locomotives (sand dome), and was activated by a lever in the engine cab. Water was pumped from the nearby creek into the storage tank by a steam pump, operated from a stationary boiler.〔 By 1949 the capacity of the 1921 water tank at Murphy's Creek had been doubled with the addition of a second tier to the tank. The largest tender capacity carried by a Queensland steam locomotive was 3,500 gallons, and the Murphy's Creek tank held approximately three times this amount.〔 The use of Murphy's Creek as a station diminished with the introduction of diesel-electric motive power in 1952, and complete dieselisation of Brisbane to Toowoomba services in June 1956. Prior to the introduction of the new motive power, on goods trains up to 12 hours could be spent working between Brisbane and Toowoomba. Prior to dieselisation in 1956, over 49 light engine movements alone were timetabled on the Toowoomba-Murphy's Creek section. 83 working hours a day was taken up in light engine running and banking time on the range from the Willowburn depot. Engines would also attach to trains at Helidon or Lockyer stations depending on how locomotives were performing. The new motive power eliminated the need to run attached locomotives on the range section.〔 In 1963 the raised timber platform at Murphy's Creek station (similar to that at Grandchester) was removed and replaced by a ground level gravel platform and a new 14-lever interlocked signal cabin was provided with the rearrangement of signalling of the Murphy's Creek shunting yard. Steam operations on the Main Range had ceased by the mid 1960s.〔 Murphy's Creek railway station was closed in 1992, with the introduction of Centralised Traffic Control (CTC) along the Main Range line. This form of computerised and radio safeworking rendered the former mechanical form of signalling, interlocking and staff working obsolete. The station and associated buildings were sold to the local Murphy's Creek Progress Association in 1993. The water tank was in use prior to and post closure as a water supply for the local township, and also as an emergency water storage facility during bush fires. The water tank was retained by Queensland Railways for the use of special steam-hauled excursion trains operating between Brisbane and Toowoomba, but was placed out of use in 1994.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Murphys Creek Railway Complex」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|