No.4 Nelson

The Mulgrave Rambler

This photo (a screen capture from a video) is kindly provided by Matt Fenn and shows Nelson during an outing in October 2003.
No.4 Nelson has been heavily modified from a tank loco into a tender configuration.

Builder	John Fowler & Co, Leeds
Builder’s Number & Year	20273 of 1934
Wheel Arrangement	0-4-2T

This Fowler locomotive worked at the Mulgrave Mill, Gordonvale (south of Cairns) where it was No.4 'Nelson' on the mill roster. When first preserved it was plinthed within a park at Nelson.

No.4 Nelson was restored to operation at Mulgrave Mill in 1989 as motive power for 'The Mulgrave Rambler', a tourist train that operated from the Mulgrave Mill Museum & Visitor's Centre along local cane tramway routes. Unfortunately the Mulgrave Rambler had been discontinued in recent years, with No.4 Nelson remaining stored in a shed within the Mulgrave Mill yard.

It appears that No.4 Nelson was heavily modified from its original 0-4-2T form, probably during its 1989 restoration after years plinthed in a park. It now operates in 0-4-2 tender configuration, with the modern welded tender providing greater fuel and water capacity than the original side-tanks and rear bunker. The loco also now has an external main steam pipe and regulator valve; this unusual configuration probably makes maintenance easier, but at the expense of thermal efficiency. (Presumably the original internal regulator and main steam pipe required replacement and external replacements were more practical.)

No.4 Nelson now been sold to the Bally Hooley Railway and was transported to their Port Douglas operation on 11 April 2017.
A brief news item and recent photo of No.4 Nelson can be found on the Bally Hooley Railway website.

My visit to Mulgrave Mill on 21 August 2004 found No.4 Nelson just visible through the open shed doors.
This photo was taken through the chain-link fence from public land!
But the staff at the Mulgrave historical museum very friendly and helpful.

References

a	Light Railway Research Society of Australia Inc. Web site (as at 25/7/2017): 'Preserved Australian Sugar Cane Locomotives' list by John Browning (www.lrrsa.org.au/LRR_SGRc.htm)
b	'Light Railways - Australia's Magazine of Industrial & Narrow Gauge Railways', Number 255, June 2017, published by Light Railway Research Society of Australia Inc.

Page updated: 25 July 2017

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