Southport Express: Fate of beloved Gold Coast steam train revealed
Remember the blue and gold train which used to sit in near the Broadwater on the Gold Coast? This is the story about what happened to the Southport Express.
Gold Coast
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GOLD COAST BULLETIN: JUNE 23, 2005
IT was the end of the line for the beloved Southport Express.
In a secret dawn operation, the blue steam train pulled out of its Tuesley Park home station of more than 30 years and was loaded aboard a truck bound for Ipswich.
The stealthy operation was designed to avoid protesters furious the Gold Coast icon was being removed.
There was no fanfare as the grand 1953 steam engine, that has played home to children’s fun and laughter since 1971, was lifted by two cranes on to the back of a waiting low loader.
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A small crowd watched the delicate three-hour operation unfold with only an occasional protest shouted from a passing car.
Faced with a minimum $150,000 to repair the deteriorating train, the Gold Coast City Council decided in March to remove the rusting steamer.
Area councillor Dawn Crichlow said she was disgusted by the `clandestine’ operation to steal the train.
“It’s a landmark. Children love to play on it,’’ she said.
“They have done all this in secret. It’s just disgraceful but I have to say it’s just typical of this council.
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“And what does this leave us with at one of the entrance points to the city? A public toilet. How fitting.’’
The Southport Express was expected to ride again although it would look a little different.
The Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway Swanbank was its proud new owner.
The club, made up of current and retired railway workers, couldn’t wait to get its hands on the C17 locomotive.
Club director John Summers said the club would restore the engine to its former glory.
“Our aim is to get the engine back in working order and back on the rails,’’ said Mr Summer.
It will be a labour of love that will probably take more than five years to complete.
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The Southport Blue was to be returned to its original `Brown Bomber’ colours.
“It won’t be an easy job and it will be an expensive job, so we’ll have to try for a few grants to fund the project,’’ he said. ``But once done, it will be something special and kids can see it working.’’
The removal was a tough decision, particularly for the Rotary Club of Southport North that donated the train as a monument to steam.
Rotarian Peter Fearnside was part of the team that moved the steam engine to the park in 1971. He watched the operation yesterday with a tinge of sadness.
“It was a big project for us and that train has been there for a lot of years,’’ said Mr Fearnside. ``It was certainly an attraction for kids and grown-ups alike. Many a time you’d see an adult sitting up in the cabin, his hand on the throttle imagining himself steaming down the tracks somewhere.
“Children have climbed over every inch of that train. It’s been something special. But now children can ride in it and enjoy it even more. It’s sad to see it move from here, but it is going where it will be looked after.’’
Originally published as Southport Express: Fate of beloved Gold Coast steam train revealed