Technical Meeting Paper
196507 – Evans & Pitkeathly – Signalling on the Mt Isa Railway Rehabilitation Project
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With the discovery of large reserves of copper, lead and zinc ores by Mt. Isa Mines, it was decided by that company to embark on an expansion programme to triple its ore extraction from 4,000 tons per day in 1954 to 14,000 tons per day in 1965.
Transport of the mines’ products is entirely dependent on rail transport, and the condition of the railway at that time was such that this expansion programme could not be catered for without rehabilitation of the railway system. The services of consulting engineers were arranged by the Government to report on the feasibility of the overall mines expansion project.
A study of the ore reserves available from geological data, together with various other factors such as availability of coal, coke, smelting ores, future price trends, and the stability of world markets, indicated that adequate reserves of ore were available for a period considerably in excess of the 20 years considered necessary to amortise the cost of the railways’ rehabilitation project.
The portion of railway involved in this rehabilitation project embraces the coastal line from Collinsville northwards to Townsville, then westward from Stuart Junction to Mt. Isa, a total distance of 770 miles.
From Mt. Isa Mines, lead and blister copper ingots, and zinc concentrates are railed to the coast. Zinc concentrates are unloaded at the Townsville wharves by an automatic tippler and stockpiled pending overseas shipment. The blister copper is taken to the Stuart Copper Refinery (which is a subsidiary company of Mt. Isa Mines), where it is further refined and the major portion, in bar form, is then taken by road transport to Townsville for overseas shipment.
Copper wire of various types is manufactured at the Stuart Copper Refineries.
The lead ingots are also stored at the Stuart Copper Refineries pending overseas shipping from Townsville. Slag from the Stuart Copper Refineries is returned by rail to Mt. Isa for further processing at Mt. Isa Mines to extract gold from this residue.