"Tropical Tri-Bos (The QR 3900 Class)"
By Rod Milne
Paperback cover 16 pages black/white photos
INTRODUCTION
In the history of the QR, the year 1989 marked a true turning point in the working of services over the state's most important railway, that linking Brisbane to Rockhampton. Midway through the year the MLE (Main Line Electrification) programme was completed with the inauguration of electric train services between Gladstone and Nambour. Previously, electric train service had been extended south from Rockhampton to Gladstone on account of coal haulage, and north from Cabooulture to Nambour in 1988 on account of outer interurban rail passenger traffic. Almost a decade later, the MLE completion in 1989 remains an important engineering achievement, though how effectively and optimally that link has been used by QR management remains questionable. When the new service opened in May 1989 there were visions of rail truly pegging back road transport on this haul and it is fair to say that the vision is a long way from reality.