Memoirs of a railway guard (2)

Older residents of the city and district will appreciate Mr. Byrnes’s references this week to the busy train services on the Fassifern line in the early years of the present century. Mr Byrnes also makes reference to athletic performances by some of his contemporaries and himself:

Before relating my experiences on the Fassifern branch, I would like to mention that when I was transferred to the Ipswich district, there were five classes of drivers and guards. I was only a young guard and I knew I could gain valuable experience from the older guards. There were men in the service I will never forget, in mentioning a few like the late Joe Meredith, P. Kiely, Bob Grant and Sam Scanlan. I relieved Sam Scanlan on several occasions on his annual leave. He was stationed at Esk for a good number of years. Sam was a very big and active man, weighting 17 stone 5lbs. He told me once he was never beaten at scratch pulling.

Sam Scanlan, from a standing jump, leaped over both sets of rails of the horse box and Harrisville docks at the top end of the Ipswich platform, a wonderful feat.

FASSIFERN BRANCH

In 1916, with Guard E. Haynes, I was transferred to Dugandan depot. Each guard took his turn on weekly shifts, early and late. There were no rail motors then, only mixed trains. The guards performed all the work that the rail motors do today, besides all shunting and roadside goods. There were 32 stops in the 35 miles.

Mr. Frank Brown was station master at Boonah. Outside of Ipswich, Boonah was the most flourishing township. A station mistress was at Dugandan to handle the mails. The return of the night train from Ipswich (leaving at 6.45) was due at Boonah at 10.10pm. Very often the train was late in arriving at its destination, due to excessive shunting and roadside goods en route.

Passengers were delayed at Harrisville, Munbilla and Roadvale station for about 20 minutes and the smaller station for about five to 10 minutes, while the guard attended to putting off wagons and goods. Today, the passengers have a fast service on this branch.

The station yard at Boonah was too small to handle all the traffic, as the new butter factory made a big difference in cream, butter and inward coal wagons. Mr Sam Dover was the Manager of the butter factory. There were also fortnightly pig and calf sales in the Boonah station yard, and very often the guards had to take railway waggons down to Dugandan to shunt.

LATE CLAIM FORMS

The station yard at Dugandan was always congested due to Messrs J Cossart and Sons and Bruckner’s saw mills handling inwards and outwards loading, besides that the cattle industry and produce made a good deal of work for the guards after arrival of trains. The Railway Department allowed the trainmen only 45 minutes after arrival to do shunting, and attending to the locking up of the carriages. When a train arrived late the guard was paid only time table time, and he had to make out a special late claim form for his late running to send to the General Manager. Occasionally the extra time was granted.

ATHLETIC CLUB

After World War 1 an athletic club was formed in Boonah. While I was stationed there, Mr Vince Collins was transferred to Boonah in charge of the State Insurance Branch. Vince was then the mile running champion of Queensland. I hear he is now head manager at Rockhampton.

Having been a member of the champion East Brisbane Harrier Club, I was naturally keen on forming a small country club. The Queensland amateur Athletic Association in those days held two championships for country clubs – a middle-distance and a sprint - in connection with the annual State Championships held in Brisbane. In 1919 Toowoomba won the mile and 100 yards, and in 1920, Mick Sheehy won the 100 yards and myself the 880 yards country championships for the Boonah club.

ADELAIDE MARATHON

Early in 1920, I received an invitation from Adelaide to compete in the first South Australian marathon championship. I mapped out a quiet seven-mile course and trained on this track for about seven months. I went to Adelaide in August on my annual leave. There was a strong Victorian tem, and after leading for about 10 miles, I had the honour of finishing in third place, behind Percy Collins (Melbourne) and H. Walters (Adelaide).

I received a beautiful gold medal and this is one of my most cherished trophies.

When I was stationed on this branch, Mr Frank Frown, Station Master at Boonah, was transferred. Mr Brown was a capable officer, both for the public and his departmental duties, and he was given a splendid send-off by the townspeople. Mr Jack Murphy, Station Master at Roadvale, was a classmate with me at Gregory Terrace Brothers School. He also was transferred. Mr Murphy was a likeable officer, and the small township of Roadvale gave him a great send-off. Besides two car loads of businessmen from Boonah were there, and I was invited to go with them.

FASSIFERN DISTRICT

I consider the Fassifern district area one of the most fertile areas in Queensland. A magnificent view of the farms and mountains is obtained as the trains run from Blantyre to Boonah. A modern butter factory was erected near the railway yards at Boonah, the old factory in Church Street being taken down. I have seen £90 paid in a cream cheque over 40 years ago, for the month at Boonah. The year 1917 was exceptionally prolific, and I have seen large numbers of German wagons at the Roadvale Station waiting for the railway wagons to load maize. The bacon industry was also good, and competition among the different buyers was keen in those days.

PRINCE OF WALES VISIT

The Prince of Wales’s visit to Boonah in 1918 caused the Railway Department to re-condition the 35 miles of the branch. The railroad was in a very neglected state, and trains ran only at limited speed. A substantial amount of money had to be laid out in reconditioning this branch for the royal train to run on. Guard J Meredith was the guard on this train.

In 1921 I was transferred back to the Ipswich depot, having served five years on this branch. During that time I made many friends, including the late Mr E.T. Bell, MLA for the district, and the late Cr W Farley, Chairman of the Goolman Shire Council

(continue)