Normanton Rail

Today we are having a short rail trip out to Critters Camp, from Normanton.

HISTORY OF THE NORMANTON RAILWAY STATION
** Info from the sign **

Original construction of the railway began in 1888 with the line being completed in 1891. The line was originally proposed because of the copper mining industry in Cloncurry and also the cattle industry. The only way the copper was able to be transported to the port of Normanton was bullock and dray. This transport was only possible when the roads were dry enough for the heavy drays to be towed and there had to be enough feed and water available for the teams to eat & drink on their way. Because of this, the cost of transport was very expensive. But that all changed when gold was discovered at Croydon.

The Normanton-Croydon line was then constructed under the supervision of Mr George Phillips, an engineer and advocate of the Gulf Country. He designed and patented the steel sleepers used on the line. Interestingly, they are hollow based and packed with mud, avoiding the need for ballast material in the track. This low cost railway was also designed to be submersible, allowing flood waters and debris to flow over the line, leaving it intact when the water subsides.

Today, over one hundred and twenty years since the start of the construction most of the original steel sleepers are still in place.

The original service consisted of five, first and second class passenger carriages and fifty assorted freight wagons. The last steam locomotive ran in 1929, but the first railmotor was introduced in 1922 for the services with little freight.Read more