General News
11 May, 2025
Sugar cane loco arrives
THE recent delivery of an ex-sugar cane loco to the Atherton-Herberton Historic Railway was “delightfully” welcomed as the group added the new addition to their operation.
The loco was recently retired from the Pioneer Mill at Brandon, just outside of Ayr, and was donated by Wilmar Sugar.
It will replace the aging man car that the group have been using for “many years” and will also be able to assist with everyday rail movements, in particular when the fire season excludes them from using their Peckett
steam loco.
The loco was built in 1962 by Clyde Engineering at their plant located in the Sydney suburb of Granville and numbered 622.
When delivered to the mill it was named Maidavale, a name that will be retained on the loco, according to the group.
The group extends their thanks to Pete Murray, senior project engineer at Pioneer Mill, and Pete Ives, owner of Ives Haulage and Australian Porphyry Stone, for safely transporting the loco to the Herberton workshop.
The volunteers will now commence the tidying up and commissioning of the locomotive ready for general use and expect this to be completed in the coming months.
