The Yaraka Branch Line (with Pink Floyd), 2024 Digital Edit

Jericho is 493 km inland from Rockhampton on the Longreach / Winton line and was the junction for the Blackall / Yaraka branch. Jericho to Blackall officially opened in 1908 then through to Yaraka in stages, with completion in 1917. It was originally planned to goto Windorah and beyond as part of 'The Great Western Railway'. Blackall - 114 km from Jericho - was the only sizable township on the branch and was provided additional services to those that ran beyond to Yaraka. Yaraka was provided a mostly weekly 'mixed' service plus additional stock trains, with 1953 reportedly a big year for stock; at times running on a daily basis. The Yaraka train was the very last in Australia to service small communities and remote pastoral stations and the last freight train with provision for passengers until 2001. The final train ran on 14 October 2005 with the line dismantled soon after. This is an extended digital edit from original camera tapes with the addition of still images and is something of a tribute to those that built and worked the line over the years. An old 8 min VHS to VHS edit has been previously posted. Early black and white images courtesy State Library of Qld.