Botanical Gardens Railway
Bundaberg Steam Tramway Preservation Society Incorporated (BSTPS) trading as Botanical Gardens Railway (BGR) isolated in the Botanical Gardens North Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. The society is a non-profit organisation operated and maintained by volunteers.
The aim of the society is to Restore, Maintain and Operate Steam Locomotives that were utilised in the Bundaberg district to haul Sugar Cane to the areas Juice and Sugar Mills. While doing this it is also to bring awareness to present and future generations of the machinery used by our pioneering families.
The Steam Locomotives are fired on coal and operate on a 1km long 610mm gauge railway, constructed in 1986 and now maintained by BSTPS.
BSTPS owns 3 Locomotives, a 1952 Bundaberg Fowler (No3 0-4-2T), a 1914 Orenstein and Koppel (No 6805 0-4-OT) and a 1911 Leeds Fowler (Invicta 0-6-2T). The carriages are ex 3 ton chop stick carriage bogies that have been modified to accommodate passengers.
Address:
Botanical Gardens, Mt Perry Road, North Bundaberg, QLD
Tel:
0741593341
Hours:
10.00am - 4.00pm Sun, Wed in Queensland school holidays, public holidays, special occasions by application
Email:
Admission:
Adults $3, School Children $1, Preschool Children Free, Family $8.
Facilities:
Wheelchair access, toilets, light refreshments and meals, tours by appointment
Collection:
3 steam locomotives, 6 ex-sugar cane rail bins.
FACTS: The Loco most commonly used is the Bundaberg Fowler
No.3 (Local product) built by the Bundaberg Foundry
Engineers in 1952. (There were 8 built all for service
within the Queensland Sugar Industry) This engine is of 042T design, which means it has no
front wheels but has 4 driving wheels & 2 trailing or
back wheels. The T stands for Tank meaning that it is
has 2 side tanks for storing the water. They hold
approx. 300gals (1364 litres) each.
This Loco weighs approx. 18 tonnes with coal & water
on board.
Loco No.3 is designed to burn coal which comes from
Blair Athol Qld . However it will run on wood but not
efficiently.
No.3 Engine will consume in a day approx. 300 to 400
kg of coal & use between 4000 to 5000 litres of water
In one year our Engines will use approx. 25 tonnes
of coal & will travel in the vicinity of 3000
kilometres
The second Engine we use is (Germany) built in 1914.
It is much smaller weighing in at only 12 tonnes and
was built by Orenstein & Koppel in Germany. These
locos were built for the Sugar Industry and some are
still in service working in Indonesia.
This engine is of 040T design (Has no front or
trailing wheels which make it a very rough loco to
ride on.)
Time to light up these engines is approx. 3&1/2
hours. Normal start time is 6.30am and involves the
laying of timber in the firebox with rags soaked in
diesel. This is then lit and & when steam is
eventually raised the coal is added. It is possible to
force the fire & speed up the light up.
Other jobs in the light up include cleaning the engine
& all the carriages, lubrication of all the running
gear, filling of water tanks, filling of the coal
bunker & thorough inspection of the whole train so it
is safe for operation.
When all this has been done the days running can
begin.
The width of the track is 2 foot gauge or 610mm
(This is the distance between the inside of the two
rails)
It takes approx. 10 to 15 mins to do 2 circuits of
the gardens. (We leave whenever required)
4 members are required to operate the system on a
running day Driver, Fireman, Guard & Ticket Seller
The Driver is in charge of the days operation
FACTS: The Loco most commonly used is the Bundaberg Fowler
No.3 (Local product) built by the Bundaberg Foundry
Engineers in 1952. (There were 8 built all for service
within the Queensland Sugar Industry) This engine is of 042T design, which means it has no
front wheels but has 4 driving wheels & 2 trailing or
back wheels. The T stands for Tank meaning that it is
has 2 side tanks for storing the water. They hold
approx. 300gals (1364 litres) each.
This Loco weighs approx. 18 tonnes with coal & water
on board.
Loco No.3 is designed to burn coal which comes from
Blair Athol Qld . However it will run on wood but not
efficiently.
No.3 Engine will consume in a day approx. 300 to 400
kg of coal & use between 4000 to 5000 litres of water
In one year our Engines will use approx. 25 tonnes
of coal & will travel in the vicinity of 3000
kilometres
The second Engine we use is (Germany) built in 1914.
It is much smaller weighing in at only 12 tonnes and
was built by Orenstein & Koppel in Germany. These
locos were built for the Sugar Industry and some are
still in service working in Indonesia.
This engine is of 040T design (Has no front or
trailing wheels which make it a very rough loco to
ride on.)
Time to light up these engines is approx. 3&1/2
hours. Normal start time is 6.30am and involves the
laying of timber in the firebox with rags soaked in
diesel. This is then lit and & when steam is
eventually raised the coal is added. It is possible to
force the fire & speed up the light up.
Other jobs in the light up include cleaning the engine
& all the carriages, lubrication of all the running
gear, filling of water tanks, filling of the coal
bunker & thorough inspection of the whole train so it
is safe for operation.
When all this has been done the days running can
begin.
The width of the track is 2 foot gauge or 610mm
(This is the distance between the inside of the two
rails)
It takes approx. 10 to 15 mins to do 2 circuits of
the gardens. (We leave whenever required)
4 members are required to operate the system on a
running day Driver, Fireman, Guard & Ticket Seller
The Driver is in charge of the days operation
Items
Steam Train
Germany No 6805 0-4-OT
Creator:
Orenstein and Koppel
Description:
Built in Germany by Orenstein and Koppel in 1914, it was on a ship bound for Australia when World War I was declared. This was Millaquin Sugar Mill's first steam locomotive. The track length at the time was only 2 miles. It served Millaquin until 1951 after which it was used in the Qunamba Mill area until its retirement. It was donated to the East Bundaberg Rotary club for placement in the park at Kendall's Flat, Bundaberg, where after approximately 30 years and several floods it was obtained by the society in 1987 for restoration. The recommissioning of Germany was held on 21st October 1990.
Date:
1914
Steam Train
Bundaberg Fowler No 3 0-4-2T
Creator:
Bundaberg Foundry
Description:
Built by the Bundaberg Foundry in 1952 and first commissioned on 5th June 1952, it spent its working life in the sugar industry, firstly at Mourilyan Sugar Mill, where it served until the mid 1970's, after which it went to Qunaba Sugar Mill until its retirement in 1979. The locomotive was donated to the society for restoration in 1981. It was restored by the society and recommissioned on 20th November 1988. In 1991 the locomotive was fitted with a new fire box and tubes by the Bundaberg Foundry. Botanical Gardens Railway (BGR) is located in the Botanical Gardens in North Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. The society is a non-profit organisation operated and maintained by volunteers. The Steam Locomotives are fired on coal donated from Blair Athol Coal at Clermont, Queensland. They operate on a 1km long 610mm gauge railway.
Date:
1952
Steam Train
Bundaberg Fowler No 3 0-4-2T
Creator:
Bundaberg Foundry
Description:
Built by the Bundaberg Foundry in 1952 and first commissioned on 5th June 1952, it spent its working life in the sugar industry, firstly at Mourilyan Sugar Mill, where it served until the mid 1970's, after which it went to Qunaba Sugar Mill until its retirement in 1979. The locomotive was donated to the society for restoration in 1981. It was restored by the society and recommissioned on 20th November 1988. In 1991 the locomotive was fitted with a new fire box and tubes by the Bundaberg Foundry. Botanical Gardens Railway (BGR) is located in the Botanical Gardens in North Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia. The society is a non-profit organisation operated and maintained by volunteers. The Steam Locomotives are fired on coal donated from Blair Athol Coal at Clermont, Queensland. They operate on a 1km long 610mm gauge railway.
Date:
1952
Steam Train
English Leeds Fowler 0-6-2T (INVICTA)
Description:
Purchased new in 1911 for the Invicta Sugar Mill, it spent all it's working life in Sugar Mills in the Bundaberg area. When Invicta Sugar Mill was dismantled in 1918, Invicta was used to marshal the sugar cane from the Invicta area to Ralphs Siding where other locomotives transported the Sugar Cane to Bingera Sugar Mill. Invicta worked in the Bingera area until the early 1960's when it was sold to Millaquin Sugar Company during the sugar industry expansion program, to work at Qunaba Sugar Mill. Invicta was retired before the steam era ended in 1978. In 1981 it was donated to the HMAS Nirimba Navy Training College at Quakers Hill, Sydney. In July 1993 BSTPS made a submission to the Australian Navy for the return of Invicta to Bundaberg. The Locomotive was returned and the official handover took place on 20th November 1993. Invicta now waits funding for restoration.