It is at last grow-up time for the Rattler Railway Company, as Gympie Regional Council formally kicks it out of the nest.
The Rattler, a long-term asset which many took for granted for generations, has had a rough time so far this century.
First came the discovery that the track was unsafe, then the floods that made sure it could not even be used unsafely due to washouts and other damage.
Then came more floods and the pandemic keeping customers away, even when the track was made safe.
Gympie Regional Council and state government money, lots of it, came in to help rescue the much-loved institution, which keeps alive the steam train lifeline which helped Mary Valley farmers get fruit, veges and cream to market for many years.
It was kept alive after that by volunteers and now is in business for itself.
Congratulations are in order.
– Arthur Gorrie
