Rocklea

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Tesxt by Peter Cokley:

As I wrote earlier, in 1926 a double dead end siding was provided for Evans Deakin who purchased their own shunting locos. (Armstrong J & Kerr J. Destination South Brisbane ARHS 1978 P27] The original Messrs Evans Deakin and Co siding dates from 1926 and the Commissioners 1927 report notes they delivered a couple of hundred wagons. Some very early Evans Deakin Trove URLs    http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/179308451 

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/117272195 

During World War 11 the Commonwealth Government organised extra tracks and built the Rocklea Munitions Works. These extra tracks, both 3 ft 6 in and standard gauge, were called "Commonwealth Sidings" as the Commonwealth Government organised them although they were built by the QGR. [A Closer Look at Salisbury and Nathan Heights P.119-125]

NSW Railways (Circular 158 – 28 North Coast) announced the Rocklea Commonwealth Munitions Sidings at 607 miles 17 chains / 977.212km was brought into use 28 May 1941. The initial NSW track plan was dated 21 May 1941. The NSW Railway document announcing the standard gauge installation is available and the same PDF, URL below, has a QLD Working Plan and Section for the similar period. A comparison with the 1945 track plan will show the QR Working Plan and Section was not long after the NSW sidings were installed in 1941 as many of the other sidings on the 1945 plan are missing. Please note what is called Compo Rd on the QR plan was renamed Evans Rd during WW2.

The Australian Standard Garratt used these "Commonwealth Sidings" on their way to Evans Deakin for upgrading during World War 11. [Knowles 2002 P.185 ]

The Rocklea Munitions Works produced about 150 million rounds of small arms ammunition and over a million brass cartridge cases for 25 pounder shells. There was a case factory, a machine shop, a rolling mill, a foundry and laboratories as well as various sundry stores and maintenance buildings as well as the military guard buildings. In 1943 munitions production ceased and the area was used for repair and overhaul of aero engines for the 5th US Army Air Corps. [A Closer Look at Salisbury and Nathan Heights P.119-125]

After the war, the Queensland Government purchased the Rocklea Munitions Works and developed it into an industrial estate. Commonwealth Engineering [Comeng] and English Electric arrived and they started building locomotives for various operators. Locomotives were delivered from both builders using the "Commonwealth Sidings" on both standard gauge and 3ft 6in tracks. Evans Deakin delivered wagons and Commonwealth Engineering delivered carriages and wagons as well.

Both Evans Deakin and Commonwealth Engineering also performed locomotive general overhauls for QR. Ten QR locomotives were dismantled and sent to Clyde NSW for overhaul in 1946/47. Evans Deakin reassembled these upon their return to QLD. [Knowles 2002 Page 185]

English Electric changed to the General Electric Company of Australia and is now trading as Alstom. Comeng's last major Queensland locomotive contract was the Comeng/Hitachi 3100/3200 electric locomotives, after which the yards and the associated railway tracks were redeveloped by new owners.

The 3ft 6in tracks no longer enter the area and the standard gauge tracks have been redeveloped. The standard gauge siding is now called Pradella (Orrcon) Siding and regularly receives wagon loads of steel products.

The May 1941 data  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwejJrRGpodFUtR3M...
1945 track plan https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwa0ZhNWV5UmpTQTQ...
1961 track plan https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByB-ppGeDyvwU1F1aFRtU2dwb2s...

The newspaper account of the start of the WW2 munitions area is also available; The Courier-Mail (Brisbane,) (6 FEB1941) http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article44901162

Bibliography;
Destination South Brisbane" Kerr & Armstrong, Australian Railway Historical Society [QLD] 1978
A Closer Look at Salisbury and Nathan Heights" by the Coopers Plains Local History Group, February 2002
"Salisbury Heritage Trail; Residential and Industrial" A.J.Waller, Coopers Plains Local History Group August 2001
"Queensland Railways Steam Locomotives 1900-1969: Design and Operation" J.W. Knowles 2002

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Type : Siding
Line : North Coast Line
Distance from Sydney : 977.212km
Opened : 1926, munitions sidings 28th May 1941
Closed : n/a
Status : In use
Name meaning : Unknown
Notes: Renamed to Pradella (Orrcon) Siding

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Date: 1970.
Location: Rocklea
Image: (C) Morris Z.

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Lee-ann Keefer