Locally the yard name was shortened to the
"Gabba". The Queensland Government Railways [QGR] spelt Wooloongabba with only one "L" while the rest of the
population used two "L’s" as seen on the maps.
Across the road from the Gabba railway yards was the
Brisbane Cricket Ground. This too was frequently refereed to as the
"GABBA". Many cricket battles between the Australian X1 and
the MCC [The British cricket X1] were fought out on the Gabba wicket!
The tracks left
the Goods Yard and crossed the Gabba "Five Ways" (bounded by
both sides of Stanley Street, Main Street plus Logan and Ipswich Roads).
The often photographed "Bell and Flag Man" preceded all rail
traffic crossing the Gabba streets. A tight speed limit would have
applied to all rail traffic while the flagman walks in front of the
locomotive waving his flag and ringing his bell. A lantern was used at
night.
After crossing Main Street, the tracks went east down
Stanley St beside the cricket ground than turned to
diagonally cross
Stanley St and cross Trafalgar St and than Logan Rd.
Logan Rd actually was part of the Pacific Highway,
which linked Brisbane with Sydney. This would give some indication of
the high road traffic levels that would have to pause while the PB15
class locos led the trains across the level crossings.
After crossing Jurgens St, the tracks crossed Ipswich
Rd, which, like Logan Rd, was part of Brisbane’s major traffic routes.
Ipswich Rd went west to the city of Ipswich where it formed the Warrego
Highway for its passage to the major city of Toowoomba and beyond.
When the train from the Gabba had crossed these 6
major and minor roads it gains the safety of its own "Right of Way" and steams to the Albert Crossing Loop.
The PB15
class locomotives could handle up to about 180 tons on this line
provided the train is not brought to a stop by signals on the heavier
grades.
The goods only line from the Gabba joins the main
passenger line to Beenleigh between Park Rd Station and Dutton Park
Station. This line runs from the South Brisbane Passenger Terminal in
Grey St., South Brisbane to Beenleigh and beyond. |