Roster

Year Entered Service as a RA 1st posting Comment 1 Comment 2 Comment 3 Naming convention for individual RA's drawn from both columns below 1914 Innisfail Out of use by 1935 1914 South Johnstone Out of use by unknown 1917 Babinda Sold 1932 1918 Emerald Out of use by 1925 1918 Blair Athol Out of use by 1925 1918 Sarina Out of use by 1925 1919 Dalby Out of use by 1926 1919 Chillagoe 3 RM's used as RA's RM24,RM25,RM27 c1950 - 1961 1920 Mt Mulligan Out of use by 1946 1921 Mossman Out of use by 1931 1921 Roma Scapped 1941 1922 Charleville Written off 1929 1923 Goondiwindi* 1947 Dirrinbandi Out of use by 1955 1923 Baralaba* 1949 Blackall Out of use by 197 1924 Mt Molloy Out of use by 1940 1925 Cloncurry                           Damaged 1934, Sold to QR 1942 1925 Tully Out of use by 1935 1926 Milla Milla Hand Car only 1926 Innisfail Out of use by 1935 1926 Sth Johnstone Out of use by 1935 1926 Dalby* 1946 Mt Mulligan 1957 Almaden Out of use by 1975 1929 Charleville* Out of use by 1956 1929 Charters Towers 1945 Pentland Hughenden 1929 Atherton Out of use by 1935 1929 Ravenshoe Out of use by 1956 1935 Bajool** Out of use by 1956 1942 Mareeba* 1946 Mt Mulligan 1949 Almaden 1957 Gayndah 1949 Mareeba* Out of use by 1983 1954 Cloncurry* Out of use by 1971 Total 29

** Railway Ambulance owned by Rockhampton Harbour Board

*  Railway Ambulance known to still physically exist in tact in 2006

Below is another way of viewing the Railway Ambulances via point in time.  Years selected are 1925, 1935, 1950,  1962 and 1975 and are based on QR General Appendix records.

Sample Year Location of a Rail Ambulance 1925 Goodiwindi, Dalby, Roma, Charleville and Baralaba. 1935 Goodiwindi, Dalby, Roma, Charleville, Baralaba, Carters Towers, Cloncurry, Tully, Babinda, Mt Mulligan, Atherton, Ravenshoe, Mt Molloy, Innisfail 3ft 6in, Innisfail 2ft, South Johnstone 2ft. 1950 Dirranbandi, Dalby, Charleville, Blackall, Pentland, Mareeba, Mt Mulligan. 1962 Gayndah, Pentland, Charleville, Cloncurry, Mareeba, Almaden 1975 Blackall, Cloncurry, Gayndah, Mareeba.

MORE !!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PORT DOUGLAS

Refer also to Mossman Notes esp. refs to ARHS 3/56, 4/56; Stack Talk 7/71, 2/72.)

1964 - relevant? - old shed near Port Douglas wharf built in 1932 to house RM and oil storage for passenger service to Mossman, which ran for about 2 years, is now being pulled down (NQR 12-12-64 p44)

Note - small open car, 6ft 10in long with 4ft 5in wheelbase was in use on 2ft gauge Port Douglas Tramway, understood built about 1920 by Q.R. for the Douglas Shire Council. (Pony Express 1/77 p14; JW Knowles or CME)

TOOWOOMBA

1929 - QATB Toowoomba, request ambulance at Toowoomba to run on branches radiating from there, in cases of extreme urgency - 3.5.29 - to GM SWD. Letter from GM to Sec. 7.5.29 forwarding - only for extreme cases and when roads impassable. I recommend same.
    In reply to enquiry from Sec., GM 15.5.29 presumes it may be required to run between Murphy's Creek, Dalby, Cambooya, Milmerran, Crow's Nest, Cooyar, Haden.
    At Commr's Committee meeting 27-29.5.29, GM Rockhampton said he declined a similar application for car at Mackay. Commr instructed Toowoomba. request be declined.
    H. Yeates writes c. Nov/Dec.1929. GM 11.12.29 with letter H. Yeates MLA requesting motor, to run only to Haden, Cooyar, Cecil Plains, Crow's Nest, suggests it be based at Gowrie Jctn to avoid busy Gowrie Jctn-Toowoomba section (or at Pengarry). Memo Sec. to GM 20.12.29 application declined. H.Yeates 19.12.29 again. Mentions cases at Haden where it could have saved 2 days in attending to a child.
    H. Yeates 15.1.30, lists miles by Dalby ambulance. W.A. Russell 21.1.30 supporting Mr Yeates.
    GM SD 22.12.30 - due reduced subsidy to ambulance brigade, the matter has been deferred. (last item on file) (QSA A/12687, File 35/361 Batch 7)


MEANDARRA

1956 - 1956 request for rail motor ambulance at Meandarra.  GM SWD 27.8.56: Fairmont motor Meandarra could be used, and road will be all metalled in a few weeks, high truck could get through (Batch 5 File 63-249 (60-1999) Commr.Corr.)


EMERALD

1955 - Secretary QR to QCWA New Farm 8.9.55 - two instances, 26 & 30 May 1955, of persons conveyed Anakie and Emerald by motors operated by railway gangers as road impassible. "in view of the few isolated cases where urgent medical attention ... it is considered there is no necessity for any special conveyance to be stationed at Emerald as Railway Gangs' Motors have been found to be quite suitable to meet requirements." (Batch 4 File 63-249, Bundle 154, Commr.Corresp)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QATB Sheds for the Railway Ambulace on QR land

QGR usually allowed the QATB to erect shed to house these motors on railway land.  A nominal rent was laid down (eg one shilling per year at Mt Mulligan) but it was provided that this was not to be collected.