Atherton Railway Atherton, Queensland, Australia
By Smittengranny on 07-Aug-19. Waypoint GA13951

Most of the railway lines on the Tablelands were privately built in response to the booming mining industry in the early 20th century.  The government had started the process by developing Cairns port and building the line up the Kuranda Range.  However that cost a great deal more than was expected so it fell to private enterprise to build the many branch lines that opened up the area. Copper, coal and tin had all been found and lines built though the government then stepped in and bought those lines.

The area around Atherton was deemed to be excellent agricultural land and so the government built the line heading south from Kuranda reaching Atherton in 1903.  It continued on to Herberton despite the tin mining boom being well over by 1910 when it arrived, and then on to the timber milling own of Ravenshoe by 1916. Passenger sservices continued to run throughout most of the century until 1st January 1989 when it was announced that they would cease immediately. Then on 9th September 1990 the railways fate was sealed when the announcement came that the track would be closed.

For a while a tourist rail service was ru nbetween Atherton and Herberton, by different groups but they also petered out. Some of the locals still hope that this service will be returned to boost tourism in the area but a huge investment would need to be made. 

The cache itself is placed near picnic tables in the beautiful rainforest away from the actual Old Atherton Station.

Being in the rainforest it was difficult to get good coordinates thus the D rating, so good luck.

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