The Moreton Bay Tramroad Company was a private enterprise attempt to establish railways in the new colony of Queensland. It was stillborn.
People
Coote, Stephens, Buckley.
Abraham Fitzgibbon engineer, who was assistant to William Doyne on the Dun Mountain Tramway in Nelson, New Zealand.
Land Grant Railway
It had been proposed to fund it as a Land Grant Railway.
Horse power
The tramway was intended to be operated by horses.
Characteristics
Gradients
Original proposed MBT company gradient was 1 in 25 (4.0%). The original gauge was 1435mm with horse drawn motive power.
The later railway along the route of the tramway has ruling gradients of 1 in 50. This might be rather steep for horse operation, unless unloaded in uphill direction.
Rails
The line was originally to use rail.
Nomenclature
The Tramway company is sometimes called a Tramroad.
Timeline
1859
Queensland separated from New South Wales on 6 June 1859. Some very preliminary railway plans had been prepared by the New South Wales Government which were handed over to the new Queensland Government.
1860 April – An early mention in a political platform of the need for railways or tramways in Queensland. April – An early mention of the constructing firm of Moreton, Peto and Brassey. November – An advertisement for the company's prospectus in a Sydney newspaper. November – An advertisement for the company's prospectus in a Brisbane paper.
1861
1862
April – coal deposits reported next to the proposed route. 29 May – Tramway assets taken over by Government.
1863
Insolvent Court 9 May – the Government Railways Bill repeals the Tramway Act, except for court actions already in action. 20 August – Railway Bill in parliament
1865
29 March 1865 – three large shareholder taken to Supreme Court for not paying calls on contributing shares. The three are: Coote, Stephens, Buckley.
References