Driver's Eye View - Mary Valley Rattler - Gympie to Amamoor

The Mary Valley Rattler located in Queensland, Australia was formerly known as the “Mary Valley Heritage Railway”. It operates heritage trains between Gympie and Amamoor through the Mary Valley using heritage steam and diesel locomotives along with a 2000 Class DMU. It is one of the region's biggest tourist attractions and is managed as a not-for-profit organisation. Often described as Australia's third biggest heritage railway, it received funding from the Gympie Regional Council to address safety concerns in 2016. Journeys recommenced between Gympie and Amamoor on 6th October 2018.

The Mary Valley railway line branched off Queensland Rail's North Coast Railway Line, just south of Gympie and continued to Brooloo in the upper Mary Valley. Constructed started in 1911 with completion to Brooloo being celebrated in April 1915.

By the 1970s, the line became increasingly unprofitable due to the economic impact on the dairy industry of cheaper alternatives such as margarine and the loss of the British export market when the UK entered the European Economic Community. The Wide Bay Co-Operative Butter Factory in Gympie (Australia's largest butter factory in 1925) closed in May 1978 after nearly 80 years of operation. In 1988, staff were withdrawn from intermediate stations. The pineapple industry lobbied successfully to keep the line operational until 1995. In 1996 the Mary Valley Heritage Railway Board proposed operating a tourist train using volunteers and trainees. The first tourist trains commenced running on 23th May 1998.

The railway follows the Mary River Valley, crossing some of its main tributaries, including the Yabba, Kandanga and Amamoor Creeks. A C17 Class steam locomotive dating from the early 1920's and 2000 Class DMU were operating services during my visit.

The staff and volunteers are a friendly bunch who go the extra mile to make sure you enjoy your time at the railway. It's worth turning up early to enjoy a bite from the Rusty Rails cafe and watch the locomotive arrive from the loco shed and couple up to the beautifully restored rake of heritage carriages.

I'd like to thank Sherry Lowe, Nerida Kent and the locomotive crew for their help in making this video.

To learn more about the railway or the book your own Mary Valley adventure please click on this link - https://www.maryvalleyrattler.com.au/

Various Background Sound
SFX Producer - epidemicsound.com

Map at 00:28 – Google Earth/Google Maps

Track Gauge - 3'6″ (1,067 mm)

Correction - The river at 01:04:12 is not Moorhouse Gully, it is Amamoor Creek