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R. D. Rex Ex-Douglas Shire Tramway, later Mossman Mill |
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‘R. D. Rex’ stored (sans chimney) at ANGRMS Woodford on 12
April 2003.
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Builder |
Mile
End, Adelaide |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
7650.49.1 of 1949 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
0-4-2T |
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Most
of the 19 steam locomotives built for various Australian sugar mills by Adelaide
company Perry Engineering Co. Ltd were of the 16 tonne 0-6-2T configuration,
whereas R.D. Rex is of the smaller 14 tonne 0-4-2T configuration. It was
supplied to the Douglas
Shire Tramway at Port Douglas in the far north of Queensland, which opened in
1899 and operated as a common carrier railway linking Port Douglas with the
town of Mossman and Mossman Mill, hauling goods, passengers and sugar. The Douglas
Shire Tramway was taken over by the nearby Mossman Mill in 1959 and integrated
into their cane haulage system. R. D Rex was supplied to the Douglas Shire
Tramway in 1949 but retired early in approximately 1961, at which stage it
was plinthed at Mossman. Presumably the tropical climate took its inevitable
toll and in 1975 it was donated to the Australian Narrow Gauge Railway Museum
Society (ANGRMS). (A number of plinthed sugar industry steam locomotives
succumbed to scrap metal around this period, and ANGRMS stepped in to save others
that were at risk.) R. D. Rex was transported to the Brisbane industrial area
at Rocklea for initial storage before moving to the ANGRMS Woodford site in
1979 and placed on the long-term storage sidings in company of their extensive
collection of rescued steam locomotives. The ANGRMS website includes a data sheet
for ‘R. D. Rex’ with some further technical information. Given its
association with the Mossman area, perhaps a suitable restoration base and
future home for ‘R. D. Rex’ would be the Bally Hooley Railway at Port Douglas,
which operates over a portion of the former Douglas Shire Tramway. In the
meantime, ANGRMS are to be thanked for ensuring the continuing survival of
this locomotive. |
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 |
ANRGMS website page for R. D. Rex |
Page updated: 29 July 2018
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