Qunaba Mill No.1 ‘Delta’

Formerly Fairymead Mill No.20

 

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Restored and reassembled ‘Delta’ displayed in the Menzies Creek Museum, in company with other exhibits and displays.

It carries the name ‘Delta’ (Qunaba Mill) and No.20 (Fairymead Mill) on the cabside.

Closer inspection suggests a few details may be outstanding, such as the boiler clothing and steam pipe lagging.

This view was kindly contributed by David Baker and is dated March 2022.

Builder

Perry Engineering Co. Ltd,

Mile End, Adelaide

Builder’s Number & Year

9767.50.4 of 1950

Wheel Arrangement

0-6-2T

 

This locomotive was originally delivered to Fairymead Mill, Bundaberg in 1950, becoming No.20 on the shed roster.

In 1970 it changed hands when sold to Millaquin Sugar Company for their nearby Qunaba Mill, where it became No.1 ‘Delta’. (The intriguing name ‘Qunaba Mill’ is derived from Queensland National Bank, who were the owners at one stage.)

No.1 ‘Delta’ was withdrawn from service at Qunaba Mill as late as 1978. It was subsequently donated to the Puffing Billy Preservation Society and moved to their museum at Menzies Creek.

My visit to Menzies Creek during October 2002 found No.1 Delta in a dismantled state and under overhaul, as per the photograph below. The Menzies Creek Museum has been significantly upgraded in recent years, with a vastly improved indoor exhibition building provided. As at June 2020, No.1 Delta had been restored, reassembled and placed on displayed within the exhibition area, prominent in its bright yellow lined livery among the many interesting narrow-gauge railway artefacts.

The Collections Victoria site provides some further information and photographs for this locomotive.

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Qunaba Mill No.1 ‘Delta’ dismantled for overhaul at Menzies Creek on 8 October 2002.

References

a

Light Railway Research Society of Australia Inc. Web site
(retrieved 23 October 2018):

'Preserved Australian Sugar Cane Locomotives' list
by John Browning (www.lrrsa.org.au/LRR_SGRc.htm)

b

Wikipedia page for Perry Engineering Co Ltd,
retrieved 23 October 2018

c

Collections Victoria page for No.1 Delta,

retrieved 23 October 2018

Page updated: 6 March 2022

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