Shunting (Switching) Layout. Part 1. Butter Factor.

At the NMRA Regional Convention in September, I was impressed with the Coffs Harbour Club switching layout. Something that could be taken anywhere in the medium size car. Given I’m reaching the pointy end of the pencil with age and one day downsizing could be a real possibly. I need to think about what I’m going to do should that time come. The current layout will be too big and was not made to pull apart to move. Now that I’m able it’s time to think about something I can take with me to enjoy.  

The plan was drawn up in AnyRail, the free version. Track used was Peco H0m

I have always be fascinated by trains shunting. At first, I had no idea what’s happening other than wagons being pushed and pulled onto various sidings and then to picked up and placed into other siding. I guess, a fuel tanker going to the local Power House was a given, but what about the other wagons. As a boy I would spend hours sitting on the fence watching trains shunt (no TV them days). Walking to and from school the railway line was in full view most of the way and you would pass the engine shed and the station. On weekends the “Westlander” (the new air-condition “Western Mail”) passed through the town. Given the line beyond Charleville to Cunnamulla was lighter than the line coming into town, and there was a connecting passenger train to Quilpie, there was lots of activity for a train nut. Due to the lighter track and being available only to smaller engines, carriages would be taken off the train before it would continue on to Cunnamulla. A few years later, one train became two. On the return the next day, it had to be all put back into one train to continue east.   

Westlander arriving at Charleville from Cunnamulla. Engine off the Quilpie train waiting to attach their train.  

The freight side took much longer to understand. Starting out on the footplate you were rostered on various shunts. Yes, you would spend the 8 hour shift pushing and pulling wagons all around a yard, but you had no idea what’s going on. You were following the shunter signals and keeping an eye where you were going. At time you would think to yourself do these blokes know what they are doing.  We picked up that wagon 20 minutes ago from 1 Road and placed it into 6 Road, now we picked it up again.

Somethings were obvious, like attaching the Dining Car into the Sunlander. 

Out on the road there was also shunt trains and at unattended stations the Fireman would leave the engine and assist the Guard, mainly holding points. Once again, just following instructions

As a Shunter, again you followed instructions. The Shunter in Charge or the Foreman Shunter had the paper work barking out the instructions. 

On the North Coast Line there were four shunt trains going north and four going south each day between Brisbane (Mayne) and Gympie. All trains commenced for Mayne. One would work stations Mayne to Petrie, another worked stations north of Petrie to Beerwah, the next one covered stations Landsborough to Yandina and the fourth train shunted Yandina to Gympie. These train returned to Brisbane later in the afternoon shunting much the same station. Trains heading north were marshalled in destination blocks in station order. Mostly, the detach (drop off) was on the engine arriving at the shunt location. As the train travelled north, it became shorter, arriving at the destination with just loading for that station. Marshalling stations didn’t block customer loading. So when the shunt arrived, wagons for one customer could be in two or three places within your block of wagons. 

Most stations had a box wagon of general goods from Roma Street, some stations had two or three given on the activity in the area. These wagons had mixed consignments, beer for the local pub, fruit and vegetables along with groceries for the general store, supplies for the school, a case of apples for Mrs Smith and so on. On the other side of the coin, smaller station would share one end of a wagon to the north of them, i.e. Mooloolah and Eudlo shared one end of one of the Palmwoods wagons. The good was unloaded from the wagon to the station office/barrow by the office in charge and guard as the train waited instead of taking a wagon off the train. If there was long cranky type freight, timber, steel etc., this would be loaded into an open “H” type wagon. On the train where was poison road wagon, one can’t mix pesticides with foodstuffs in the same wagon. At first this was a four wheeled open FJS wagon covered with a trap, not the best arrangements, dropping a door, climbing in under the trap at night. The gut busting door had to closed, and the trap tied back down. Later the wagon was changed to a 4 wheeled box wagon. Some of this freight was 44 gallon drums. Generally, the train only picked up north bound loading (wagons) for stations that it was timed to shunt at. This could be a camp wagon or a wagon that had shared loading. Sometimes a wagon could have goods for two or more stations, the first station would unload their goods and on the next train the wagon would be sent to the next station.   

The afternoon trains coming towards Brisbane would pick up loading and empty wagons. The box wagon would return to Roma Street with goods, empty kegs etc. from the pub. All empty wagons would go back to Brisbane. With the district being a pineapple growing area, most stations (not all) had a wagon or two for the Northgate cannery. Some of these trains were marshalled, and continued to the south side before returning to Roma Street/Mayne. The train from Yandina was to be marshalled as following, Engine, Clapham Interstate fruit (this had to marshalled Melbourne and then Sydney), Northgate (Golden Circle Cannery - pineapples), Moolabin (Brisbane Markets fruit), Roma Street and other destinations including empties and Van. If there was any loading for the north, it has a much quicker transit if sent to Brisbane and it would attached to a through train. 

In the Brisbane suburban area each line had a shunt train or two, thing were done in two ways. Stations on the end of the line would receive a shunt from Brisbane in the early hours of the morning. On reaching the destination and completing all shunts, the engine would pick up a set of stored carriages and work a passenger train to the city. In the afternoon a passenger train would put the carriages into a siding for the night and return to the depot working a goods train shunting selected station. These trains were not that big and the guard placed wagons on the train in an order that suited the work to be carried out. Working at Wooloongabba (Southside) there were tons of stories about shunting the Beenleigh Rum Distillery, I think the company used the traincrews as tasters. The night I went to the distillery the boys did had one or two before returning to Beenleigh to work the shunt back to the depot, often it was overproof ones at that. On the return often the driver would be out to it in the van, the fireman was driving and the guard was on the shovel.  

Stations closer to the big smoke (city) would receive a day time shunt after the morning peak hour trains. The train would drop off and pick wagon wagons as it went subject to the location of the siding in the direction of travel and the amount of loading for that station.

Shunt train 568 at Coopers Plains returning to Yeerongpilly. Train 568 shunted Coopers Plains, Sunnybank, Bradford Kendell Runcorn and Kuraby. 

Shunting of Rocklea with the contract train has been covered in a previous blog, Train 6678 April 2018.   

In the 1960’s, most yard shunt were worked with PB15 locomotives, heavier shunts like harbour shunts a C17 was rostered on the job. By 1970 the PB 15’s were replaced with DH locomotives. 

Some of the bigger yards had two on the go.

Maryborough mid 1980’s.

With heavier and longer trains in the 1990’s and with less shunting in smaller yards, 60 tonners took on shunting duties. By the late 1990’s the requirements were beyond them and 90t locos were used in bigger yards. 

Suburban shunts were worked to two 1720’s to save turning.

Looking at the prototype, each location or town on the network are unique to themselves. The railway serve the local industries and that could be different at each location. Over the years the business around the location could change, if you have been around for a few years you will also notice the way things were done have also has changed. 

Until the mid-1980’s loose shunting was the go, the air was drained from all wagons and wagons were kicked with hit ups. Wagons would roll down the siding until running into other wagons. Hand brakes were used if stopping the wagon was required. 

The chalk circle above the axle box was a method used by Train Examiners to show flange wear, this wagon flange is nearing condemnation for a sharp flange.   (Like the sand shoes?)

Fly shunting was also carried out, this was the way in transferring a wagon from the front of the engine to the back. Shunter would ride the cow catcher for the move. Coming back with a wagon on the front of the engine the driver would bunch up the wagon/s onto the engine, the shunter would drop the coupling off, the driver would take off separating from the wagon/s. Once the engine cleared the points, the shunting would reverse the point and the wagon would shoot down the other siding beside the engine. The engine comes back out over the points and drops back onto the wagon. The move saved running around in long loops. Around 1985, loose shunting was out the door with a few exceptions, shunting was carried out using the air brakes, a much slower method with less damages. 

Shunting has been covered before on the blog back in April 2018. 

At the end of day, I don’t think you need a big layout to enjoy operations. It’s nice to be out with your mates for a few hours running trains and chatting, it’s generally a calendar event.  With my current layout it’s very nice to just have a break from what’s going on around you and shunt a few trains for 30 minutes or so. Each session is different, there is no need to shunt every siding every time with the same wagons. On the prototype each day/train was different. Orders and what on the train makes each shunt different. This can be achieved on a small layout with minimal rollingstock without tons of paper work. 

New Layout.

Its early days with the layout, it will have a QR theme and be freelance, with bits and pieces from various locations around the QR network. H0n3½ track system which will allow me to use my current rollingstock. Looking back, eras on the railway do change, steam to diesel etc. largely the structures can stay much the same for many years. 

 At first I’m making the various industries to fit the available space, some will be low relief to create feeling that you are there. Most will be built from photos, a few plans and a kit.  

Butter Factory      

In the 50’s/60’s and 70’s there were dozens of Butter Factory’s around the state, many were dairy co-ops, and most were serviced by rail. Usually a small dead end siding that could be only shunted from one direction, in other words a bugger to shunt.  The main traffic was butter out to the Butter Marking Board at Whinstanes, their siding was at Hamilton.  Some did receive milk in cans off various trains, a few shunting back into the siding to unload the milk. Butter was packed into boxes, if I’m correct they were 56 lbs, the maximum weigh a Lad Porter could lift. 

Dairy Co-Ops on the QR Network.

Dotted across state there where a number of Butter Factories operated by local farmers. Most had their own private siding. Coming to Brisbane on the Westlander as a kid on holidays, the Oakey Factory was something I would look for each trip. A few years on, early in my railway career I working at Whinstanes, each day I would visit Butter Marking Board siding as part of the 8:00 am Wagon Report for Head Office. The wagons would come from most Butter Factories in SEQ.    

Looking in the list of stations, stopping places, Isolated and private siding book 3^rd January 1963, the following sidings are shown.

Caboolture. - Caboolture Co-op, Butter Factory’s siding.

Maleny. -  (Road transport to Landsborough Goods Yards)

Eumundi. -  Wide Bay Dairy Coy’s siding.

Cooroy. - Caboolture Co-op, Dairy siding.  

Pomona. - Wide Bay Co-operative Dairy Co. Gympie.

Whinstanes – Hamilton Cold Stores Branch. Butter Marking Board siding.

Murgon. - South Burnett Co-op Dairy Co’s siding.

Wondai. - Maryborough Co-op Dairy Co’s siding.

Kingaroy. - Maryborough Co-op Dairy Assoc. siding.

Proston. - South Burnett Co-op Dairy Co’s siding.

Biggenden. - Maryborough Co-op Dairy Co’s siding.

Mundubbera. - Maryborough Co-op Dairy Co’s siding.

Monto. - Port Curtis Dairy Coy.’s siding  

Bundaberg. - Port Curtis Dairy Association siding Woongarra Branch

Booval. - Queensland Farmers’ Co-op Dairy Co’s siding

Kingston. - Southern Queensland Co-op Dairy siding,

Beaudesert. - Logan and Albert Dairy Co. Siding, Farmers’ co-op Association Boonah (??).

Esk. - Esk Co-operative Co’s siding

Clifton. - Downs Co-op. Dairy Co.

Milhill (Warwick). - Warwick Butter and Dairy Coy’s siding

Oakey. - Oakey Dairy Co’s siding

Chinchilla. -  Chinchilla Co-op Dairy Coy.’s

Miles. - Downs Co-operative Dairy Co.’s siding

Allora. - Warwick Co-op Dairy Assoc. Ltd siding

Killarney. - Killarney Co-op Dairy Coy’s siding

Goombungee (Haden Branch). - Downs Co-op Butter Factory siding

Natcha. (Glenmorgan Branch Dalby). Downs Co-operative

Gladstone. -  Dairy Coy, sidings Port Curtis Buttery Factory siding.

Wowan. (Mount Morgan – Dawson Valley Branch.) Butter Factory siding.

Mackay. - I’m sure there was one at the bottom end of the Goods Yard down on the river, maybe it was a QR siding, thus not shown.   

Malanda. - Atherton Tableland Co-op Butter Association siding.

As a matter interest, this list is in station order for accounting, there were five (5) districts. District 1. - Roma Street - North Coast Line to Avondale and branches.  District 2. - Main Line west to Helidon and branches including the southside, District 3. - South West Division, Helidon west and branches District 4. - Central Division. Division 5 - Northern Division.  Accounting employees, Station Masters, Good Shed and Parcel Office clerks compiled monthly returns/reports for the Audit office using this system. Returning were sent in with documents were filed in this order. In short, freight charges on goods invoices, parcel waybills were cross checked between the sending and receiving stations with these amounts being part of the each station monthly balance return with other business transactions, such as ticket and stamp parcel sales. 

On the southern end of the state, most journey times was overnight. Loaded in the afternoon and at the destination the next morning. Mainly AGB and CMB wagons being allocated to the traffic. The wagons were iced by the buttery factory. CMIS wagons (Chilled Meat In Side, sorry, that’s not how the wagon received it’s classification), could have been used. But, these were Red Diamond wagons (50mhp/80Kmp) and were required for passenger trains and fast freight service on longer runs to the far north and far west.   

There may have been other buttery factories in the state as well in a different time period.  

Today, many of the buildings are still standing and are being used of other things.

 Oakey:

A Chronicle article “The Way We Were” 8^th August 2016 gives a brief history of the factory.

The Oakey District Co-Op Butter Association was formed in 1901 and commenced production from the new factory in 1902. In 1912 the factory was destroyed by fire and the company changed its name to Oakey District Co-Op Butter Association Limited. A new factory was built on the other side of the creek and was opened in 1913.  Could you see that happening today, building a new factory in 12 months??.  Modifications were made in 1929 and 1942. In 1942 there were 33 permanent employees, a general manager, secretary, eight office employees, a cream grader, two butter makers, a cream taster, a pasteurising officer, two engine drivers, a weight attendant, and various positions of receivers, butter packers and cleaners. At the time where was around 500 suppliers of cream to the factory. After WW 2 the factory was purchased by Kraft Foods International with the last batch of butter being manufactured on the 30^th December 1980. The photos about were taken April 2024.

Miles:

Chinchilla:

Kingston: 

(Photo - Internet Flickr - Queensland State Archives)  

Photo - Box & Co Builders website.  

Far from their glory days, some information will still assist you in your modelling today.   Searching the internet can come up some interesting facts about this long gone industry.  

Model:-

Many many years ago I purchased a “Quick” HO scale B 811 kit, old fashion factory with loading dock kit, the other end was called an Engineering works. I think its two kits in one, parts are branded “Pola”. The idea behind the purchase was to make it a buttery factory.  

The kit was assembled, no instructions other the photo on the box. Once finished, there were other parts left in the box. A home-made black-grey acrylic wash was applied to the red bricks to highlight the cement between the rows of bricks. It also took the gloss shine off the plastic structure.  

The smaller building had a slate tile roof, something not found in this part of the word. Corrugated iron was made to form a new roof more fitting for our district. The roof was painted black and weathered.

Cooling tower was cut back to reduce the height. The larger building was also cut down to reduce the overall height. White trip was added as a feature found on many Queensland Butter Factories. All building were different in size and construction with similar features. Don’t think there were two the same. 

Slaters 5mm letters were used to add the name to the viewing site to assist operators unformulated with the layout. The letters was purchased off eBay in WA. The loading bay door was painted green to make it more noticeable.

The sign on the front of the building was a homemade using an Ink jet printer and decal paper from Amazon.  

LED lights were added to give life to structure. The light over the sign was made using 1mm brass tube and Tichy Train Group lamp reflectors # 8027. Some detail was placed around the building to show there is activity in the place. 

The backdrop was a test paint job using a new Imyyds cordless air brush with acyclic paints. The brush is rated as 32 psi, most other cordless brushes are only 20 psi. After about 4 years of coping a flogging my $80.00 one started running out of puff. I think a bit more practice is required, the sky colour could be a bit on the bright side, early morning sky maybe ?????

Once the structure is on the layout additional detail will be added to finish the scene. Will need a few milk cans to finish it off.   

Traffic Requirements.

The kit had a boiler house with a coal bunker attached. My guess is given that most butter factories where in country locations, locally supplied fuel would have been used to fire the boiler, wood. With the coal bunker on the building, a small open wagon of coal would be in order. Packing would be required to ship the end product, wrapping to cover the butter blocks which was packed into boxes for ease of handling. The packaging would arrive in a covered box wagon. Any size could have been used for departmental convenience.  What I mean is the order could of have been for a small 4 wheeled box wagon, on hand at the loading station was an empty 8 wheeled box wagon. To save waiting for a 4 wheeled empty wagon to come to fill the order, the 8 wheeled wagon was supplied. Both 4 and 8 wheeled wooden butter wagons were used to transport the butter to market. Steel ice wagons were used in prime traffic on express freight service. It would be highly unlikely that all three types of wagons would come in every day. Some days two butter wagons would be supplied, but only one was loaded to go out, the other would stay behind and be used next loading day.        

Wagons.

Insulated Wagons

The ABG wagons being used are Caintode Flats kits. A couple of different type are available for early or later eras. In later years the ice box hatches on the roof were removed and a shelf was provided across the ends for ice blocks to keep the wagon cool. . 

The CMB wagons were scratch built using Caintode Flats bogies and detailing parts.

In the later 1970’s, early 1980s some were used to carry explosives, these were classed ECMB

Box Wagons.

Both 4 and 8 wheeled box wagons can be used. “C”, “CLF”, “CJF” box wagons are available from Caintode Flats. 

Caintode Flats “C” wagon kits.

Caintode Flats “A” class wagon kits.

Chivers Fine Scale “ALG” class wagon.

Southern Rail RTR “ALY” class wagon. The wagon has been weathered using Tamiya Accent Color panel liner. Thanks to PK for a live demo at a get together on the layout.

Coal.

The coal bunker on the kit looks to me being more suited to road delivery by truck, the bunker is not all that wide. However, being a railway man we will use rail instead of road. Given the size of the bunker, 4 wheeled wagons would be best suited. My guess once a week would keep the factory operational. The kit below is a Chivers Fine Scale “FGM” class wagon.  Any 4 wheeled open wagon could be used. Once factory is on the layout, the bunker could be extended or made a little wider, real coal add would make a big difference.

Other structures for the layout are in the construction stage and will be covered in the following months. 

Trust you found the information helpful with your modelling journeys.  

The Brisbane Model Train Show is just a couple of weeks away, on the same weekend is the Rose Hill show in Sydney, 4^th and 5^th of May. Just looking this year, hope to catch up with a few modellers for a chat. AMRA Qld will have a new QR H0n3½ layout “Spring Bluff” at the Brisbane show. The construction team have visited the location a number times as part of their research. Looking at photos in the club weekly newsletter, the boys have done a great job. I‘m looking forward to seeing it.     

Stay safe and enjoy the hobby until next time. 

Regards, 

Arthur H. (Uncle to some).    

Acknowledgements

Internet Flickr - Queensland State Archives

Box & Co Builders website.

QR Stations, Stopping Places and Isolated Siding 3^rd January 1963.