The people of Buderim want their restored heritage Krauss locomotive steam train to be placed in Buderim.
Last year, the application to house the historical train at Lindsay Rd, Buderim, was rejected by council.
However, the train belongs in Buderim because it made the town what it is now.
Buderim-Palmwoods Heritage Tramway Incorporated president Helene Cronin said, in
a podcast, the train built Buderim.
“Buderim wouldn’t be where it was today if they didn’t have the train,” she said.
When the train arrived, Buderim was subdivided, tourists came, produce was transported to Palmwoods, and stores began to appear in Buderim.
Helene said that Earnest Middleton decided to build his shop, Middy’s, in Buderim when he heard about the train.
The community even voted for the Krauss to be in Buderim.
The petition to bring the train back to Buderim received 1681 signatures.
The organisation’s lead restorer Doug Benckendorff said most people want the locomotive in Buderim.
“The majority of people want it, there’s very few people who say no,” he said
“Anybody you speak to say, ‘it should be here, it’s part of Buderim’.”
The council, in a statement, said they conducted a thorough investigation of potential sites and found none to be suitable.
Council also say they will keep supporting Tramway Inc.
“Council endorsed the outcomes of this investigation… and resolved to continue to support the Buderim Palmwoods Heritage Tramway Inc. should a suitable location be identified for the display of the Krauss Locomotive.”
They made other location suggestions, but none of them were in Buderim.
They suggested it be placed in Milne Park, in Mons, or in the Nambour Museum.
At the time, Tramway Inc.’s spokesman Noel Williams told the Sunshine Coast Daily the train has no relevance in Nambour.
“Positioning our Krauss loco display as a community hub is exactly what we are trying to achieve but Council wants the people of Buderim to give up their heritage icon to Nambour where it has no significance at all,” he said.
The train was part of the Buderim-Palmwoods Tramway that ran between 1914 and 1935.
The Krauss’ restoration was completed in 2010, by Buderim-Palmwoods Heritage Tramway Incorporated.
The remains of the tramway are now a heritage walk in Mons.
The train belongs in Buderim, but will remain at Wises Farm for now.
JournoKale 