Steam locomotives were used until 1929. By that stage railmotors had been introduced since 1922.[5] By 1974 the line was under the threat of closure, earning just $3,000 in revenue but costing $64,000 to maintain.[6]
Today the line exists as a tourist attraction and is said to be more an adventure than a train ride. The crews are qualified guides and will stop the train and talk about points of interest. The present three-car railmotor set of RM93 Gardner diesel railmotor and carriages TP1809 and TP1811 is known as "the old Tin Hare".[7]
Service
The service runs once per week to Croydon on Wednesdays, returning to Normanton on Thursdays. Shorter charter services on most other days are also available.[8]
Rollingstock
Thirteen power units have been used on the line. It is unusual that of the 13 units, 12 survive in one form or another and most are still in the region due mainly to its remoteness.[2] They are as follows:[9]
TP1809 carriage, former PL1809 passenger/luggage trailer transferred to Normanton in 1980, forms present Gulflander[16][17][18]
TP1811 carriage de-motored and reclassified RM1811, was the QR Commissioners Car throughout the 1980s before conversion and transfer to Normanton in 1991, forms present Gulflander[16][18]
^ abKnowles, J. W. (John W.); Australian Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Society (1983), Lonely rails in the Gulf Country : the story of the Normanton-Croydon Railway, Queensland, J.W. Knowles : Australian Narrow Gauge Railway Museum Society [distributor], ISBN978-0-9593651-1-5
^Friends of the Normanton-Croydon Railway (issuing body.) (1900), The Gulflander gazette : the voice of the tin hare, [Canberra] Friends of the Normanton-Croydon Railway, ISSN2207-4643
