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Purchased new in 1907 for the Invicta Sugar Mill, it spent all its working life in Sugar Mills in the Bundaberg area. It has recently (November 2008) been restored and returned to service on the ASCR.
The loco was purchased by Mr Buss of the Invicta Sugar Mill, then located near the Kolan River. At the end of 1918 the mill was sold and moved to Giru in North Queensland, while the rolling stock was sold to Gibson and Howes (Bingera).
When Invicta Sugar Mill was dismantled in 1918, Invicta was used to marshal the sugar cane from the Invicta area to Ralphs Siding where other locomotives transported the Sugar Cane to Bingera Sugar Mill.
Invicta worked in the Bingera area until the early 1960s when it was sold to Millaquin Sugar Company during the sugar industry expansion program, to work at Qunaba Sugar Mill.
Invicta was retired in 1978 before the steam era ended. In 1981 it was donated to the HMAS Nirimba Navy Training College at Quakers Hill Sydney. In July 1993 BSTPS made a submission to the Australian Navy for the return of Invicta to Bundaberg. The locomotive was returned and an official handover took place on 20th November 1993.
The loco was dry stored until restoration started in 2003. A team of 20 members worked over four years to complete the restoration, with most of the work undertaken by the members themselves
Invicta was recommissioned 17 November 2007 with a 100th birthday celebration attended by roughly 200 members and guests.
Invicta in the Botanic Gardens on its first day of regular operation, 18 November 2008.
Download colouring page.
Restoration Reports, 2003-2005
Enquiries to The Secretary, PO Box 7209, Bundaberg North, Qld 4670 Australia; or e-mail rndriver @ yahoo.com; Phone: 07 4152 6609 (10 am to 4pm Sundays or leave a message). Bundaberg Steam Tramway Preservation Society Inc (BSTPS), trading as the Australian Sugar Cane Railway (ASCR).
Site maintained by Lynn Zelmer, e-mail:lynn @ zelmeroz.com (webmaster). All materials © copyright and provided for non-commercial use only. Page last updated 4/06/08