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Dularcha Railway Tunnel is a heritage-listed railway tunnel at 1.5 km south of Mooloolah township in Landsborough, Sunshine Coast Region, Queensland, Australia. It was built from 1890 to 1891 by T Jesser & Company. It is also known as North Coast Line No 1 : Mooloolah tunnel. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 24 September 1999. == History == Dularcha Railway Tunnel, constructed in 1890-91, forms part of the section of railway from Landsborough to Yandina, which in turn was part of the North Coast railway line from Brisbane to Gympie.〔 The building of Queensland railways began in 1864, however, unlike other states, routes were constructed independently of each other. Consequently, while a rail line had extended north from Gympie to Maryborough since 1881, it was not until 1888 that a line was opened from Brisbane to create a link with Gympie. Surveys for the section of line between Caboolture and Gympie had begun as early as 1884, however, the terrain had created difficulties which was eventually resolved by the construction of four major bridges and two tunnels. The North Coast Line was opened at Gympie in 1891. At the time, the North Coast Line was a direct link between Brisbane and Maryborough and brought Gympie within easy reach of Brisbane. So convenient was the line that a return journey from Brisbane to Gympie could be made in one day. Troops sent to quell the 1891 Shearer's Strike in Central Queensland were transported on this line.〔 The North Coast Line soon became a dominant method of freight transportation with passenger traffic increasing dramatically as each new link further north created an integrated rail system. It was popularity of train travel that promoted the gazetting of Dularcha National Park on 21 May 1924 under the State Forests and National Parks Act 1906. The area covered 336 acres. This area included that part of the Landsborough to Yandina line which incorporated the Dularcha Railway Tunnel. Between 1900-1920, the North Coast Line was gradually increasing in importance. It was constructed over a period of forty years and coastal rail freight grew slowly as coastal shipping offered cheaper rates for heavy freight.〔 The first section of the railway specifically built as part of the North Coast Line was the line from Caboolture to Gympie. Surveying began in 1882 and took six years. There were so many new lines being planned that surveying resources were thinly spread. It was October 1886 before Section 5 from Gympie South to Martin's Halfway House (Cooran) on the road to Noosa was completed. The contract was awarded to Willocks & Company.〔 The North Coast Line from Brisbane's Roma Street to Sandgate opened on 11 May 1882. Later from Nundah to Petrie on 1 March 1888 and Caboolture on 11 June 1888. Plans of section 2 and 3 from Caboolture to Yandina were approved in November 1887 and was awarded to T Jesser and Company on 14 December 1888. The Jesser and Company had also been given the contract for the Bowen Railway in April 1890. Besides the major bridges over the Mooloolah River, Eudlo Creek, Petrie Creek and the South Maroochy River, the line included the only two tunnels on the entire North Coast Line, one of which was the Dularcha Railway Tunnel. Sections were opened as they were completed, from Caboolture to Landsborough on 1 February 1890, and to Yandina from 1 January 1891. For the first time the trip from Gympie to Brisbane could be accomplished in a day, a twelve-hour trip. Some of the first passengers to make the one day journey were the troops sent to Central Queensland to quell the Shearers' strike.〔 The Brisbane-Gympie link put the Queensland Railways into competition with coastal shipping for the first time. Work began on regrading the North Coast line between Caboolture and Gympie in 1928 and continued until 1932. The northern section of the railway line including the tunnel was abandoned in 1932. At this time, the line was deviated east (about 600 metres south of the south portal) to its current location. As a result of the line deviation, the area of Dularcha National Park increased to 342 acres.〔 Following the closure of the tunnel for railway purposes area was closed off inside the opening of the south portal when it was leased for mushroom growing . An unsealed vehicular track, in part following the original rail route, passes through the National Park and the tunnel. The road connects the two communities of Landsborough and Mooloola.〔 The Dularcha Railway Tunnel was identified in the Queensland Railway Heritage Places Study: Stage 2. Volume 4.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dularcha Railway Tunnel」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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