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Miallo is
typical of the many small steam locomotives which worked on the 2’ gauge
sugar tramways of Queensland. It was purchased by Mossman Mill, situated in
tropical far north Queensland, and operated there for thirty years.
Miallo
was under overhaul at Mossman Mill in 1964 when laid aside, with the
overhaul never completed. (It would be interesting to know if the overhaul
was cancelled because damage was discovered, or perhaps inspection
determined that boiler replacement was required.) Unfortunately, Miallo is now
missing majority of its motion and valve gear, which was dumped by Mossman
Mill in 1964. The loco remained stored incomplete at Mossman Mill until
purchased for preservation by the Australian Narrow Gauge Railway Museum
Society (ANGRMS) in 1973. Miallo made the long trip south to Brisbane in
1974, with an initial spell of storage in Brisbane in 1974 before arriving at
their Woodford site in 1983.
ANGRMS
is based at Woodford station on the former QR Kilcoy branch, a portion of
which has been re-laid to 2’ gauge for heritage train operations and is
known as the Woodford Railway. A series of storage sidings at Woodford
house Miallo and other steam locomotives saved for posterity by ANGRMS, but
alas many have not as yet received any rehabilitation. ANGRMS has recently
constructed a new storage and restoration shed at Woodford, and perhaps
Miallo will be a beneficiary of this investment.
The ANGRMS
collections page for Miallo provides some useful technical information
for this loco.
Update
July 2025:
Miallo moved into the new
workshop building at Woodford on 30 June 2023 (together with South Johnstone No.5), initially
for inspection
to determine viability of replacing the missing components and returning
the loco to steam; failing that, a cosmetic restoration may follow. I
understand funding for work on both Miallo and South Johnstone No.5 has
come from bequests from ANGRMS members now passed.
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