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C17 No.824 Displayed at Injune |
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No.824 (numbered 809) is plinthed at Injune, as seen in
this photo of 28 May 2001 kindly provided by David Rowe.
This locomotive has since received a cosmetic restoration
to authentic black livery with red running boards and is now protected by a
weather shelter.
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Builder |
Sir W
G Armstrong Whitworth & Co Ltd, Newcastle
upon Tyne |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
No.809: B/n 857 of 1927 No.824: B/n 872 of 1927 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
4-8-0 |
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No. in class |
227 |
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The
locomotive plinthed at Injune is one of Queensland Government Railways’
highly successful C17 class 4-8-0 locomotives of which 227 units were
constructed by a variety of builders between 1920 and 1953. The C17’s were a
‘maid of all work’ locomotive powerful enough for main line freight duties,
yet with a low axle load which permitted wide deployment and accordingly the
type could be found on everything from suburban and express passenger trains
to main, secondary and branch line freight and mixed traffic work The final
C17 class locos were retired at the very end of QGR revenue steam operations
in August 1970. For many
years this locomotive was understood to be No.809 and apparently wore those
numberplates but is now identified as No.824. Both Nos.809 and 824 were from
a batch of 25 C17’s built in the UK by Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co
Ltd at Newcastle-upon-Tyne and placed into service in July 1927. This group
followed the original C17 ‘1920 design’ with a straight-sided cutaway cab,
tall steam dome, cast iron chimney and a low-sided bogie tender. It retains
the original 1920 design of boiler with a tall steam dome. No.824 was
written off in May 1967 after a working life of nearly 40 years. Following retirement,
it was placed in the rural community of Injune, north of Roma, displayed
alongside the former Injune railway station - the branch line to Injune
having recently been closed. (Grid reference approximately S25°50'27.81
E148°34'2.16). No.824 is paired with a larger C19 tender, and ownership of
this locomotive now rests with Bungil Shire Council. Apparently, it was
fitted with number plates from No.809 as those from No.824 had already been
sold to a collector. No.824 was
the locomotive involved in the Camp Mountain railway disaster, the worst
accident in Queensland’s rail history with 16 lives lost. This tragedy
unfolded on Labour Day 1947 when a picnic train coming downhill took a curve
too fast and derailed. The accident occurred on the former Dayboro branch
north-west of Brisbane; today this line has been truncated back to Ferny
Grove as the terminus of an electrified suburban line. The portion of the
Dayboro branch over the range past Ferny Grove is now a popular cycling
track; the section of trackbed where the accident occurred has been converted
to a local road, alongside which a stone memorial marks the site of the
disaster. A recent ABC News article provides further information and recollections
about the tragedy: https://amp.abc.net.au/article/100719314 Photos
taken in late 2021 show a pleasing change of fortune for No.824 as it has now
been cosmetically restored to its correct identity and repainted with
authentic black livery with red running boards. It is now protected by a
suitable weather shelter. I don’t know if the information boards at Jandowae
speak of No.824’s involvement in the Camp Mountain disaster, but certainly
its recent restoration and conservation provides a more fitting memorial to
this tragedy and the lives lost. For
further general information about Queensland Railways’ C17 class locomotives,
refer to the page for C17 No.2. |
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References
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a |
Oberg, L. ‘Locomotives of Australia’, published by J. W. Books Pty Ltd |
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b |
Armstrong, J.
'Locomotives in the Tropics - Volume 2 (Queensland
Railways 1910 – 1958 and beyond)’, published
by the ARHS Queensland Division, 1994. |
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c |
Information table provided by Graham Wilson (Operations Manager, Heritage Rollingstock & Component
Services, QR) at our meeting of 8 October 2004. |
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d |
Wikipedia
page for Camp Mountain rail accident Retrieved 28 January 2022 |
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e |
Information
provided by Michael Gitsham, Railway Preservation Society of
Queensland Inc. via email dated 26 July 2021. |
Page updated: 30 January 2022
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Government Railways: |
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Private & Industrial Railways: |
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