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Mourilyan Mill No.7 Mandalong Valley Tramway |
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Mourilyan Mill no.7 in steam on dual-gauge track within the
NSWRTM loco workshop, 9 May 1998.
This photo was kindly contributed by Bruce Belbin.
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Builder |
Mile
End, Adelaide |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
2714.51.1 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
0-4-2T |
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Mourilyan Mill, situated south of Innisfail in a rich cane
growing area on the floodplain of the South Johnstone River, clearly
preferred steam locomotives of the 0-4-2T arrangement, running a fleet
including several such machines predominantly supplied by John Fowler &
Co. of Leeds. Fowler’s exit from steam locomotive construction in 1935
presented a challenge to Australian mills seeking additional steam motive
power, and local builders stepped in with products similar
to the popular Fowler designs. Against this background Mourilyan Mill
provided Perry Engineering of Adelaide with an order for a 0-4-2T machine similar to their earlier Fowler units, which arrived in
1951 and became Mourilyan Mill No.7. A further loco was supplied by Bundaberg
Foundry in 1952, the only 0-4-2T ‘Bundaberg Fowler’ built by that company,
which became Mourilyan Mill No.8. Mourilyan Mill began dieselisation in 1955, gradually
building a fleet of five 0-6-0 Diesel Hydraulic locomotives from Clyde
Engineering, Granville. No.7 was last used in 1962 after a short working life
of 11 years, being made redundant by the arrival of the fourth Clyde-built
diesel hydraulic loco. No.7 together with No.6 (Fowler 20713 of 1935) were
stored serviceable at the mill until the arrival of a fifth Clyde-built
diesel hydraulic loco in 1966, at which point both steam locos were formally
withdrawn. After a few years of storage at Mourilyan Mill, No.7 was
purchased for preservation in 1972 by a young enthusiast and transported to
St Ives in the Sydney suburbs. Alas fate was not so
kind for No.6, which was cut down to the frames to become a mill roller
transport wagon. Mourilyan Mill locos No.1 (Fowler 12025 of 1909), No.2
(Krauss 3267 of 1895), No.3 (Fowler 12967 of 1911), No.4 (Fowler 15916 of
1921) and No.5 (Hudswell Clarke 1556 of 1925) also met this ignoble end,
although the Bundaberg Fowler No.8 was sold to Millaquin Mill in 1966 and
eventually survived into preservation. At St Ives, Mourilyan Mill No.7 was slowly restored to
operation over the 1970’s and 1980’s. I recall an article in the local
newspaper describing a proposal to establish a 2’ gauge railway near the St
Ives Showground (not far from my childhood home), but that proposal
apparently did not proceed. Mourilyan Mill No.7 was leased to the Bulahdelah Logging
Railway at Boolambayte, NSW from 1987 to 1996. I don’t know much about this
operation, but understand it featured a short but very steep line and
switchback as it climbed a hill. The name referenced earlier logging tramways
which once operated in the Bulahdelah area. Photos show that Mourilyan Mill
No.7 wore lined yellow livery at the Bulahdelah Logging Railway and was
housed under a basic weather shelter that made do as the running shed.
(Contribution of photos and further information about this operation would be
appreciated.) Mourilyan Mill No.7 was transferred to the NSW Rail
Transport Museum (NSWRTM), Thirlmere in 1996, where it received a light
‘tone-up’ overhaul over a two-year period. The loco was repainted to lined
green livery and given a couple of test runs on the short section of
dual-gauge track in the workshop area. Subsequently it spent some time
‘stored serviceable’
under a heavy-duty tarpaulin
outside the workshop before being relocated to the Lake Macquarie Light Railway,
Toronto, NSW. Here it keeps company with two larger Perry 0-6-2T locomotives,
North Eton Mill No.6 & No.7. Since late 2019, Mourilyan Mill No.7 has been at K&H
Ainsworth Engineering, Goulburn for an overhaul, including new tanks, new
smokebox, a complete re-tube plus many lesser items such as ashpan repair and
snifter valve replacement. 'Light Railways’ magazine of June 1998 contains
well-illustrated articles by Bruce Belbin providing a full history for this
locomotive and the story of its acquisition for private preservation,
together with Mourilyan’s fleet of steam locomotives. Unfortunately, Mourilyan Mill itself is now only a memory.
Queensland’s tropical north is subject to Cyclones, with Mourilyan Mill being
damaged by several such storms since its opening in 1884. Cyclone Larry
significantly damaged the mill on 20 March 2006, including the high chimney
which was blown down in the fierce winds. Mourilyan Mill was judged
uneconomic to repair and has subsequently been largely demolished, with cane
growers transferring supply to other mills in the area. Update: In August
2023 Mourilyan Mill No.7 arrived at the Mandalong Valley Tramway, a private
bush tramway on the NSW Central Coast. Here it has since been overhauled,
with a first re-steaming on 21 April 2024. Mourilyan Mill No.7 features this YouTube
item from BelbinVideo which also shows ‘Ivy’ (Fowler b/n 15947 of 1922) in
steam: |
A side view of newly overhauled
Mourilyan Mill No.7 on dual-gauge track at the NSWRTM workshop and running
shed.
This photo is courtesy of Bruce
Belbin and dates from 9 May 1998.
References
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a |
Light
Railway Research Society of Australia Inc. Web site 'Preserved
Australian Sugar Cane Locomotives' list |
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b |
Wikipedia
page for Perry Engineering Co Ltd, |
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c |
Lake Macquarie Light Railway website, retrieved 27 April 2021 |
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d |
Information provided by Bruce Belbin via email, 28 January 2006 and 11 May 2021. |
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e |
'Light Railways - Australia's Magazine of Industrial & Narrow Gauge Railways', Number 141, June 1998, published by Light Railway Research Society of Australia
Inc. |
Page updated: 29 May 2025
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