Normanton to Croydon Railway Line

The Normanton to Croydon railway runs for 94km in a roughly south-east direction from Normanton. It was built specifically to service the Croydon goldfield. It was constructed between 1888 and 1891with funds initially allocated for a railway between Normanton and the copper mines of Cloncurry, planned to link east to Charters Towers. However the gold discoveries of Croydon proved to be much more lucrative. The line boasts a major innovation in sleeper design. Engineer George Phillips designed steel sleepers because of the lack of suitable timber. The steel sleepers, designed in a U-shape, laid directly on the ground, also proved more resilient in the wet season because there was no ballast to be washed away. Bridges on the line were designed to be submerged as well. The sleepers were cast in the Toowoomba foundry at Woolloongabba and also in Glasgow. Golden Gate was a major station on the line, and a ‘suburban’ service between Croydon and Golden Gate was introduced in 1902. After the decline of mining, the railway was maintained as it proved more reliable than roads in the wet season. It now serves as a tourist attraction.