Mitchell Leggs Charters Towers, Mt Isa & Cloncurry
The CT,Mt.I&C is Mitchell Leggs freelanced RR. It operates in QLD Australia. The layout that will soon fill a space in his bedroom is the entire CT,Mt.I&C system. The layout will be a double decked L shape layout along two walls in my bedroom. There will be two yards at either end of the layout decks depicting Townsville Transfer/Dock Yard on the top and Mt Isa Mine Yard on the bottom. The layout depicts the entire CT,Mt.I&C system in the current times and will feature GDRMB GT series locomotives and nothing else. At the end of the bottom level just after Hugenden there s a backdrop and then a 1 1/4 turn helix. Townsville Yard is the only yard on the layout that has a servicing facility. Between Charters Towers and Townsville there is a 3% both side mountain that the trans must conquer if they are to succeed in making it to Townsville or back again.
In the 1800’s the legg family discovered a large ore deposit on family owned property, futher development of this find produced a need for reliable transportation system to bring the ore to market .In it inception the CHARTERS TOWERS MT ISA AND CLONCURRY railroad was the means to do this .In the beginning steam powered engines of its own, design most notably the monstrous 2-10-6’s would be double and some times triple headed to accomplish the trip from the mine at MT ISA in the interior thru such places as Cloncurry Julia creek Hughenden across the Great Dividing Range onto Charters Towers and then to port in Townsville. It also provided a means of transportation to many isolated communities that were a direct result of the mining in the region. The GT as it is nicknamed has taken on many different rolls over the years but has always remained a major supporter of economic development for the betterment of the people of the region.
Long after the lights dimmed on the steam era those beautiful giants could still be found on the lead of some of the GT’s most respected varnishes such as the Broken Arrower. With express service and stop at all stations they provided the people of this beautiful mountainous region a reliable mode of transportation to and from with its connections with the Queensland Rail in the east at Townsville, and Austrak in the west at Charters Towers. And every once in a while on the mighty grades of the Flinders Division they can still be heard with their mighty stack talk, all their power and glory like a Banshee wind that beckons to all.

Although long gone are the whistles of the many classes of steam powered locomotives from regular service, today’s railroad has never forgotten its somewhat humble beginnings. The Black and Silver of the flagship engines are a constant reminder of pride and strength that are a trademark of the massive Black and Silver ore hauler of the North-East. Its economic might has forged a long and lasting tradition with reliable service & innovations that have kept it on the leading edge of tech. While staying friendly to the earth and its native people who share the land. Look quick when you see the Black and Silver stallions bearing the Broken Arrow passing for it no doubt is headed into History.