If you are still waiting for the train from Tweed Heads, be advised my observations today suggest it will be late as cutting 79 just south of Ernest Junction needs the track gang first  

Continuing south from Ernest Junction, the line crossed embankments 124 and 125 for a total of length of 8 chains / 160 metres with a bridge over the road between the two embankments. The embankments had a max height of 21 feet. This road bridge consisted on 4 spans each 20 foot long according to the QR Working Plan and section. The local watercourse passed under a 4 ft concrete culvert just north of the road bridge. The embankments led into cutting 79 which was 6 chains / 120 meters long with a max depth of 17.2 feet. While the two embankments are long gone, the northern end of cutting 79 was still to be found in bushland in 2015 at s27 58.306 e153 21.453

[img]http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk478/petanoz/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Ernest-cutting-79_zps3msjjoav.jpg[/img]

I have found more on the actual timeline for the decision to make the Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek railway bridges sufficiently strong to carry engines and rolling stock of 4ft 8½in gauge for possible linking in with the NSW railway. The Nerang Tweed line opened 1903.

29JUNE1901 Memo included the fact that the Minister had decided all important work on the Nerang extension be made fit for the 4ft 8½in gauge.  The minister’s decision date was not on the memo http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk478/petanoz/Currumbin%20Bridge/Minister-yes-1435mm-29JUNE1901_zpssz5y6qp9.jpg

19OCT1901 Commissioner not in favour of the Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek railway bridges sufficiently strong to carry engines and rolling stock of 4ft 8½in gauge.   http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk478/petanoz/Currumbin%20Bridge/Commissioner-not-1435mm-OCT1901_zpsjrgelmb0.jpg

On 22March1902, the Acting Chief Engineer William Pagan wrote he was arranging to make the bridges carry standard gauge stock http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk478/petanoz/Currumbin%20Bridge/Pagan-1902-standard-gauge-yes_zpsiymsbajm.jpg

The Tallebudgera Creek and Currumbin Creek railway bridge plans included the track marked as 4ft 8½in gauge http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk478/petanoz/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Currumbin-Bridge-Elevation-View_zps70cb8e4f.jpg

Bridge plans
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwbURXS1ItSDhHNFU/edit
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwR3FXR2JmZjFNWEU/edit

The 29JUNE1901, 19OCT1901 and 22MARCH1902 documents from QLD State Archive item ID 299672 QR Hard Batch 92; 06/367 QR Hard Batch 92:06/367.
Some images a bit hard to read.

Hi I'm a new contributer to this forum (2nd post) this thread is of particular interest to me as I reside in the Tweed.
An update to the roadworks program (still!) currently underway will see bitumen laid on bay street possibly today weather conditions permitting.
A short length of rail on sleepers complete with checkrail was installed last week in a newly formed median strip in rememberence of the original right of way.
A nice touch that will no doubt have the younger generation asking about its history. Hopefully!
Cheers gordon

Hi I'm a new contributer to this forum (2nd post) this thread is of particular interest to me as I reside in the Tweed. An update to the roadworks program (still!) currently underway will see bitumen laid on bay street possibly today weather conditions permitting. A short length of rail on sleepers complete with checkrail was installed last week in a newly formed median strip in rememberence of the original right of way. A nice touch that will no doubt have the younger generation asking about its history. Hopefully! Cheers gordon

Welcome to Railpage Gordon and especially glad a local who notices things

I had a walk through there last week and my results are https://docs.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwUUxUeDZZWDFRY2M/edit

I spoke to the friendly council crew a couple of days ago who said they were some of the same crew that removed the rails mid last year, which explains how come the rails monument is in the correct place including the correct diagonal angle across Bay St. They said the rails and sleepers were the same ones they dug up last year and only had some cleaning done such as the tar etc. That day's work was placing grey coloured rocks that suggest ballast which were being cementing in for safety reasons. They said signage will explain the monument. All this is an unexpected bonus for me especially as the monument is all starting to look really good visually!!  

Gordon, can you keep us informed please as I tend to discover things around there long after they happened. Apparently after the rails were unearthen mid last year, they sat in the road for a few days **before removal**. It would have been really good if they were photographed in their original site before removal but lady luck was not with us at that time.  

Hi petan and thank you for the welcome
Yes indeed I am local here and travel bay street each day on my way to work I have always found the history of the line fascinating and you must be commended for yo
ur thorough research and detailing of local history for future generations to see.
I unfortunately missed the unearthing of the rails as it at the time coincided with my days off but likewise I had a chat with one of the aforementioned council workers as he did the meat raffle at the pub I work at! Would be interested to know what will become of the the rest of the rails I believe are kept at the council depot.
I will keep this great thread informed if any further updates happen
Cheers gordon

In 1914 Coolangatta’s railway platform was lengthened by 100 feet according to the Tweed Daily 28AUG1914 or by 150 ft according to The Telegraph (Brisbane) 11JULY1914 who also gave the cost as £130. The Tweed Daily also remarked this would result in a “first class” platform and was to be enclosed by a picket fence and facilities made for carts to back up to load luggage.

Brian Webber’s Southside book P.90 notes Coolangatta was upgraded from a “gate” to gain a station master 1921 but reverted to a gate again in 1930 with Gladys Meteyard taking over as Station Mistress for the next 31 years till the line closed.

Images of the previous Coolangatta station show facilities similar to a wayside halt type shed so clearly the town was expanding. The 1914 station expansion date is also of interest as the Town of Coolangatta was approved by Order In Council June 1914 with John Lanham the inaugural Mayor following the elections. He was mayor 1914-15. George Lindsay Gordon was mayor 1917.

These two mayoral names, Lanham and Gordon, later appeared as street names on the 1963 street map where the 1960 street map had Nelson St south of the rail yards. At around the same time Chalk St appeared on the former Coolangatta rail yards site as well as Griffith Street being widened when the train line was removed and former rail land offered for sale on 19 January 1963. Sir Gordon Chalk was the QLD Minister for Transport 12 Aug 1957 to 23 Dec 1965. (Post Office History)

(Edit) Nelson St seemed to be only the Kirra side of McLean St as the other side in front of the Methodist Church (now Uniting) was named Lanham St by the time that church was opened in 1924 as per The Brisbane Courier 9June1924  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article20735304  

Nelson was QLD’s 11th premier https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/members/former/bio?id=3050323710

John Lanham, the inaugural Mayor, had three sons. Two of whom, Percy and Cliff, became Methodist ministers. Padre Percy Lanham died in the Middle East in 1942. Cliff Lanham gained his pilot’s licence 1938 and worked with the Methodist Inland Mission as well as a WW2 Padre. After he left the ministry he was an air taxi operator at Mary Kathleen and later (c1963) formed Lanham Air Charter at Coolangatta Airport. Lanham Street named after 1914 mayor John Lanham not his son Cliff as Lanham St existed in 1924 as previously noted.

References;

Coolangatta inaugural council.  The Brisbane Courier  13JUNE1914 P.5   http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19954276

Coolangatta Council material. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_of_Coolangatta

Coolangatta Post Office History courtesy Gold Coast Library, Coolangatta.

Clifford Wilton Lanham material https://ehive.com/account/3492/object/77629/Clifford_Wilton_LANHAM_b_22nd_February_1911_Toowoomba_QLD_d_14th_January_1985_Tugan_Gold_Coast_QLD

John Lanham material. Cairns Post 24JUNE1931 P. 4. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48711361

Percy Lanham material.   Cairns Post 2SEPT1942 P. 4 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article42358557

Gladys Meteyard material. South Coast Bulletin (Southport) 4July1930 P.10 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136468637  

Gregory's Directories/ Universal Business Directories UBD (Aust.) Pty. Ltd. 1963 UBD courtesy Gold Coast Local Studies Library, c1960 Refidex Cokley Collection.

Webber, Brian “Exploring Queensland’s Railways - South from Brisbane”, ARHS [Q] 2007 http://www.railshop.com.au/prod15.htm

The Telegraph (Brisbane) 11JULY1914 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article175969692  

Tweed Daily 28AUG1914 courtesy State Library Queensland

The sign with the history for the Bay St level crossing memorial is in place with accurate factual content courtesy the Tweed Heads Historical Society who I have now discovered also managed to take pictures of the rails in site after the council unearthened them last year as well of pictures of their removal for restoration.

The first passenger trains operated a few weeks before the official opening to Tweed Heads 14 September 1903. The Brisbane Exhibition was a good reason for hundreds of northern NSW visitors to sample the new Tweed Heads train line Monday 10AUG1903 before the official opening the next month. The passengers included several mayors and other civil dignitaries from as far away as Grafton. The front of two locomotives northbound was 347 of the then new PB15 built by Walkers of Maryborough in 1900. Some of the dignitaries took the time to instead spend a few hours in Ipswich inspecting the Woollen Factory and The Railway Workshops.

The Brisbane Courier 11AUG1903 P.5 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article19238863  
Queensland Times, Ipswich Herald and General Advertiser 13AUG1903 P.3 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article124391794
Northern Star 12AUG1903 P.5 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article72068110

1961 timetable comparison between Greyhound Coaches and QGR Tweed Heads Brisbane. The Greyhound terminal was across the other side of Melbourne St from Sth Brisbane Station although I am not sure if they did a Brisbane CBD circuit as well. I only used Ansett Pioneer and Kirklands who had city depots in the 1970s. I know the QGR TT is sideways but that is how it came out. 4 Greyhound for the Gold Coast and 3 Greyhound for Toowoomba, 2 for Beaudesert, 2 for Sunshine Coast and 1 for Woodenbong. Greyhound frequency source 1962 refidex. Tweed Greyhound Timetable from South Coast Bulletin 12 May 1961

Greyhound https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwT3ZaUWFKNlVzeG8/edit

QGR https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwZF9XWDJoaE1FWDg/edit

Edit; The QR c1961 Tweed Timetable (~3MB) has been fixed and I am grateful for an eagle eyed computer helper

The following advertisement for Aitkin’s co-ordinated Transport Service appeared in the South Coast Bulletin the day the Tweed Heads Nerang line closed 30 June 1961 http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk478/petanoz/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Aitkin-co-ord-Tweed-30June1961_zpsim6fsory.jpg  


Another South Coast transport operator’s advertisement from that year http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk478/petanoz/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Shephard-Transport-Currumbin-1961_zpsuaddaujn.jpg  


There were several other road transport operators servicing the South Coast that year and I only chose those two as they had bigger newspaper advertisements.


All this meant the highway needed upgrading http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk478/petanoz/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Pacific-Hwy-improvements-1961_zpsj48djtdv.jpg

Coolangatta railway stock yards on Griffith St. The date is before December 1958 as that is when the border tick gate moved from the spot in the image to Sth Tweed

[img]http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk478/petanoz/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Coolangatta-Grande-Hotel-pre-1958_zps8ecut7fj.jpg[/img]

So out of curiosity.... Does anyone have a photo of the Old Helensvale Station?

So out of curiosity.... Does anyone have a photo of the Old Helensvale Station?

Picture Gold Coast which is the council Local Studies Library has this which shows just a name board there towards the end of the era https://gccc.sdp.sirsidynix.net.au/client/search/results/onlinelibrary/q$003ddeskin$002bhelensvale$0026rw$003d0$0026rm$003dPICTURE$002bGOLD$002bC1$00257C$00257C$00257C1$00257C$00257C$00257C0$00257C$00257C$00257Ctrue$0026ic$003dfalse$0026te$003d$0026dt$003d$0026sm$003dfalse$0026

If it does not show, search that site for
Asset:
LS-LSP-CD096-IMG0106
File size:
150.26 KB


Title:
Two unidentified men standing at the Helensvale Railway Station sign, Queensland, circa 1960s [picture] / Bob Deskins, photographer.

So out of curiosity.... Does anyone have a photo of the Old Helensvale Station?

Picture Gold Coast which is the council Local Studies Library has this which shows just a name board there towards the end of the era https://gccc.sdp.sirsidynix.net.au/client/search/results/onlinelibrary/q$003ddeskin$002bhelensvale$0026rw$003d0$0026rm$003dPICTURE$002bGOLD$002bC1$00257C$00257C$00257C1$00257C$00257C$00257C0$00257C$00257C$00257Ctrue$0026ic$003dfalse$0026te$003d$0026dt$003d$0026sm$003dfalse$0026

If it does not show, search that site for
Asset:
LS-LSP-CD096-IMG0106
File size:
150.26 KB


Title:
Two unidentified men standing at the Helensvale Railway Station sign, Queensland, circa 1960s [picture] / Bob Deskins, photographer.

That is awesome Petan, Thank You... but if you do end up finding more photos please let me know.

So out of curiosity.... Does anyone have a photo of the Old Helensvale Station?

Picture Gold Coast which is the council Local Studies Library has this which shows just a name board there towards the end of the era
Title:
Two unidentified men standing at the Helensvale Railway Station sign, Queensland, circa 1960s [picture] / Bob Deskins, photographer.

That is awesome Petan, Thank You... but if you do end up finding more photos please let me know.

Images of some other South Coast Line areas by Bob Deskins on Picture Gold Coast

I'm actually amazed that the Helensvale locality existed then. I had thought of it as a new suburb.

Graham, I lived at Helensvale for several years. It was originally going to be an acreage housing estate. But early on, something happened in the development and the plan changed. I don't know if the estate changed hands or not. But it was redrawn into a release of conventionally sized housing blocks.

The old railway ran along the eastern side of where discovery drive is now. The new line was slightly further east.

Adjacent to the railway Bridge north of Helensvale station is a road bridge over nothing. It was built in anticipation of the eastern highway that cost the then government the election. The railway was built and the existing road was widened from four to eight lanes.

Now of course urban infill has increased motorway traffic far quicker than expected, and the last bit of single track is about to be duplicated, over the coomera river. It was one of the longest bridges in Oz when it was built.

Helensvale’s steam era railway station site is now occupied by Helensvale State High School which is 3.3 km north of the present day Helensvale railway station. [Arundell P.88]. The Helensvale Rd location on the QR 1889 Working Plans and Sections is similar to its 1969 map location and also similar to the present day Helensvale Rd location near the high school.

In earlier days, Helensvale was the site of a sugar farm large enough to have its own sugar mill as well as handling cane from nearly properties. In 1873 the estate contains 1500 acres with fifty five acres of cane and they expected to plant an additional forty five to fifty acres of cane the following year. In 1885 the Helensvale Plantation was described as a large estate of over 3000 acres with 300 acres of sugar cane.  When sold in 1950, the Helensvale property consisted of 1262 acres with a dairy herd. The Helensvale farming property was marked on the 1969 map as about two kilometres north east of the railway station. The Brisbane Courier 3OCT1873 p. 7 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article1328618  The Brisbane Courier   26November 1885 P.2 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article3453310 Queensland Country Life   2FEB1950 P.16 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article97127758

(Caption; Helensvale steam era site compared with present day site) http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk478/petanoz/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Helensvale-1960s_zpseysyrcri.jpg

(EDIT; tried without success the image insert tool)

Thanks Petan. I didn't know that about the history of it.

There is a short section of cutting still in use as a walkway, off Ashford Road. Apart from that there isn't a lot to see.

Plans for the Pacific Highway in 1962 makes interesting reading as the roads mentioned were eventually built. The right edge was I received it.

http://s311.photobucket.com/user/petanoz/media/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Pacific-HWY-plans1962_zpsnzb9zqqt.jpg.html

Auction of QR buildings January 1962 Coolangatta    
http://i311.photobucket.com/albums/kk478/petanoz/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Rail-auction-GC-Adviser-1962-01-04_zpsvdkh0qpy.jpg

EDIT The terminology in the newspaper is interesting as is the number of structures listed which would only cover some of the locations as there would have been more between Tweed Heads and Nerang.

Some recently uploaded station area plans. I did black and white versions of the Tugun and Currumbin ones some years ago but recently found the clearer colour versions at QLD State Archive.

Currumbin from Town of Currumbin plan 1951 courtesy QLD State Archive. Blue dots show shire boundary. School of Arts reserve now RSL club. http://s311.photobucket.com/user/petanoz/media/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Currumbin-1951_zpslcm6oett.jpg.html

Tugun from Town of Currumbin plan 1951 courtesy QLD State Archive.  Tugun is shown on the Town of Currumbin plan. http://s311.photobucket.com/user/petanoz/media/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Tugun-1951_zpsqconbtmn.jpg.html

Kingston 1976 single track version courtesy QLD State Archive. http://s311.photobucket.com/user/petanoz/media/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Kingston-1976_zps1bygvxfz.jpg.html

Southport station from 1932 town plan courtesy QLD State Archives http://s311.photobucket.com/user/petanoz/media/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Southport-RWY-1932_zps5yoda10d.jpg.html

Bilinga 1951 cadastral showing location in relation to streets

http://s311.photobucket.com/user/petanoz/media/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Bilinga-Station-c1923_zpsncmxgu9q.jpg.html

Some Kirra Coolangatta research updates.
The auction of the 38 housing allotments of former Kirra rail land along Coolangatta Rd Kirra was reported in the Daily News (Tweed) 19April1965. Total was £70975 which the newspaper noted as an average of nearly £2000 each. Actual sale prices ranged from £1475 to £2950. The position of the rail route relative to Coolangatta Rd can be determined by the walkway to the Kirra Cutting 70 metres on the beach side of the Coolangatta Rd Miles St Intersection.  

That same Daily News (Tweed) 19April1965 reported the government netted £368575 for the sale of former railway land south of Kirra. The details and prominent buyers’ names can be read for yourselves (2MB) on the link below, if interested. The large brick building in the newspaper story eventually had its front removed as it was built in the late 1950s while the railway was still in operation and thus before Griffith St was widened after the rail land sold. The brick building is still there and is the one on the post office side of the present day Chemist Warehouse

http://s311.photobucket.com/user/petanoz/media/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Move-building-DN-19APRIL1965-sml_zps8syokayx.jpg.html

Although the last public train was 30June1961, the actual last train was the railway removal train through Coolangatta and Tweed Heads in December 1962. Danny Sheehan’s photo of the removal train is on P.84 of South Coast Railway and is dated 15 December 1962. The South Coast Bulletin 28Dec1962, image in link below, reported the completion of the removal of the rail lines, facilities and the McLean St rail bridge between Tweed Heads and McLean St.    

http://s311.photobucket.com/user/petanoz/media/All%20Coolangatta%20Tweed%20Line%20images/Mclean-bridge-removal-date_zpsneai320w.jpg.html

Petan, your research is extraordinary. I've only just discovered this thread after being curious about the Currumbin rail bridge. I ride over this bridge every day on my way to work. I always knew it was a rail bridge, but never thought a lot about it until recently. It got me thinking about the approximate location of Currumbin Station. Was it on the southern side of Currumbin Ck Rd near the tennis courts, or on the northern side in the vicinity of the rsl car park? Thanks. Really enjoying reading about the history of the line.