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‘Adelaide’ ex-Inkerman Mill Now ‘Betty Thompson’ at the Bennett Brook Railway, WA |
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‘Betty Thompson’
(BT1) in operation at the Bennett Brook Railway during 'Thomas the Tank Engine
day' on 19 May 2002.
It was originally named ‘Adelaide’ on the
roster of Inkerman Mill, Home Hill.
This photograph was kindly contributed by Stuart Jackson.
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Builder |
Mile
End, Adelaide |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
8967.39.1 of 1939 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
0-4-2T |
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This
small locomotive originally worked at
the Inkerman Mill, situated next to the Burdekin River at Home Hill,
approximately 100km south of Townsville in Queensland’s north. Here it was
used as the mill shunter, receiving the name ‘Adelaide’ – presumably a
reference to its city of construction. Interestingly, at Inkerman Mill it replaced
an older loco employed as mill shunter, the Hunslet 0-4-2T locomotive ‘Torpedo’ (b/n 1187 of 1915) which also
survives in preservation. ‘Adelaide’ was retired from service in 1966. Like many
sugar locos it was plinthed in a local community setting, with ‘Adelaide’ being
placed in a playground at Home Hill. In 1990 it was purchased by a Bennett
Brook Railway member, Malcolm Thompson, who arranged the loco’s transport to
West Australia and its restoration to operation, which was completed in 1996.
Malcolm renamed the locomotive ‘Betty Thompson’ after his wife, and it also now
carried the number ‘BT1’ on the front buffer. I understand ‘Betty Thompson’ / BT1 has been the usual
running loco in recent years on the Bennett Brook Railway 2’ gauge railway at Whiteman Park;
this parkland features both the 2’ gauge Bennett Brook Railway and a standard
gauge tram line winding through the bushland reserve. In 2009 Betty Thompson was
joined at the Bennett Brook Railway by a sister Perry cane loco, a larger 0-6-2T
type (b/n 2601.51.1 of 1951) originally from Marian Mill and more recently
operational at Melaleuca Station, Chinderah, NSW. |
References
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a |
Light
Railway Research Society of Australia Inc. Web site (retrieved
22 April 2021): 'Preserved
Australian Sugar Cane Locomotives' list |
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b |
Wikipedia
page for Perry Engineering Co Ltd, |
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c |
Bennett Brook Railway website - Collection page Retrieved 22 April 2021. |
Page updated: 27 April 2021
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