| Name | "Blackall" by her 2nd precinct | Power | T Model Ford Canada* |
| 2-2wPMR | Timber Chassis, tin panels, roof | ||
| Gauge | 3ft 6in | operational | |
| Builder | Ruddle Engineering Co | Blackall, Qld | |
| Year |  |
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| 1923 Baralaba |
| About the Railway Ambulance |
| Basic Info. |
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| * Changed to Ford Prefect motor, year unknown. |
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| In service: |
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| Above: The Baralaba ambulance rail motor in its original form. The Goodinwindi car was similar Photo J.W.Knowles collection |
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| Above: The Baralaba (later known as Blackall) ambulance rail motor in the form in which it arrived from Baralaba in 1949, with canvas roof and sides, seen at Emmet in the 1950's Photo F McKennariey collection |
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| Above The Blackall ambulance rail motor ...... October 1970. A portable turntable is ued to place the car on the rails. Photo by J.W. Knowles |
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| The interior of the Blackall ambulance rail motor. It can be driven in either direction from the central position as shown. Photo J.W. Knowles collection |
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| Above - Photograph of Railway Ambulance Baralaba (Blackall) year unknown, location unknown, photographer unknown |
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| Above photos courtesy Michael Wilson |
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| Out of Service: |
| Baralaba's (Blackall) new home at the old QR Blackall Station in 2006 |
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| View of front of Railway Ambulance in Blackall 2005 photo by G Thomson |
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| Interior view - operator sits sideways on the left and operates the controls. |
| Above - Photo by John McCandless 2005 |
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| In 1949, the railway ambulance was transferred to Blackall where she saw out her career. |
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| About the railway line - extract from Truimph of Narrow Gauge, J Kerr |
| Blackall: |
| This is how the railway line got started.......... |
| "Work on the first 64 kilometres of Section B, from Blackall towards Windorah, began on 21 August 1911 with 273 men and 24 teams at work at the end of the financial year. Three sections were built, the first opening in two parts, to Malvernton on 16 June 1913 and to Benlidi, on 1 July. The second section, to Emmet, opened on 16th December 1914, an event postponded 2 weeks after heavy rain. The third section terminated at Yaraka which opened as the terminus on 3rd April 1917. |
| Extract from ABC online Friday 21 October 2005. |
| "The last official train service to Yaraka in central west Queensland arrived and departed from the railway station on Friday the 14th October 2005, amidst some bitter-sweet celebrations. The Yaraka branch line is now closed" |
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| More info From J.W. Knowles 1990 |
| An identicial car was obtained from the same builder by the QATB Headquarters for the Centre at Baralaba in the Dawson Valley south of Rockhampton in 1923 (as the Goondiwindi RA) to operate from Baralabla to Mt Morgan, and later on all lines south of Mt Morgan. It made a trial run from Mayne to Samford on 6 November 1923. It was given frequent use taking patients to Mt Morgan hospital, and during floods in 1928, it carried boats, and timber to make boats. By 1937 a hospital had been opened at Baralaba, and it recieved much less frequent use. It was retained, however, until May 1949 when it was sold to the centre at Blackall in the Central West, where gang trolleys had been used to convey the sick in time when roads were impassable. |
| At Blackall |
| At Blackall, the car is available for use between Alpha and the terminus of the long branch at Yaraka, where roads remain poor to this day (although constantly being improved). In 1953, the original engine was replaced by one from a Ford Prefect. In the late 1960's, the canvas roof and sides were replaced by a metal top. By 1966, it had run 5900 mile (9493km) at Blackall. WIth dry seasons, it ran only 76 miles (122km) from then until 1970. By 1979 it had run 7045 miles (11335km). After a trip in 1983, it has not been used up to mid 1989, but it is given an occasional test run. The shed in which it is kept is at right angles ot the track, and the portable turntable is used to place it on the track; it is not necessary to turn the car at its destination, as with two gearboxes it can run at the same speed both ways. |
| From The Sun 2nd September 1988 |
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| More info from the JDK data base |
| (see also 1923 Goodiwindi regarding commissioning of Baralaba RA) |
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