Coffs Harbour Timber Company Explained

Coffs Harbour Timber Company

The Coffs Harbour Timber Company (CHT) operated two sawmills and two logging railways with a gauge of south of Coffs Harbour in the Australian state New South Wales.

History

The Coffs Harbor Timber Company was headquartered on Castlereagh Street in Sydney. C.W. Elliot and A.C. Mackay were their managing directors. They had hoped to transport their timber from Maharratta (Bonville) and Nondaville (Boambee) to the port of Coffs Harbor, but in 1913 they experienced unforeseen delays in obtaining rails for section No. 7 from Raleigh to Coffs Harbor.[1]

In March 1915, the Coffs Harbour Timber Company (CHT) acquired the rail vehicles, a stationary steam engine as well as 12. 9 km (8 miles) of rails from the British Australian Timber Company. Their Bonville Mill was opened in 1912 and their Boambee Mill in 1913. Both sawmills and the associated logging railways had a value of 50 to 60 thousand Pounds. On 1 March 1918 it was announced that the Boambee Mill should be closed. It was closed in February 1919, and the CHT was liquidated in 1931, which also led to the closure of the Bonville Mill.[1]

Locomotives

Manufacturer Works No Year Photo Type Comments
B/No. 237 1881 Small locomotive with extra tank on top of the saddle tank and a self-made tender
Lima 2135 of 1909[2] 1909 Shay A class Purchased from British Australian Tramway

Further literature

References

  1. Scott Schache: Bananacoast Railway: Rails of the Coffs Coast A Century Plus of service 1906-2015.
  2. Ian McNeal: The British Australian Timber Company Tramway, Coffs Harbour, NSW. (LR 86) In: Light Railways 231, June 2013, p. 28-29.