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Education Module Years 2–7

T e a c h e r ’ s B o o k l e t

Welcome aboard!Welcome on board the Kuranda Scenic Railway, where students

will discover the pioneering history of North Queensland, learn

about one of the country’s great engineering feats, explore the

rainforest environment and meet some of the great characters

involved in the construction of the railway.

The Kuranda Scenic Railway Education Kit is designed to enrich the

curriculum and learning experience of students in Years 2 – 7 and

provides an opportunity for students to gain awareness of one of

Australia’s iconic engineering feats as well as understanding the role

Kuranda Scenic Railway has had in developing North Queensland.

In addition to the Kuranda Scenic Railway trip guide and

informative onboard commentary, the Education Module

provides students with the opportunity to develop an

understanding of the railway’s history and its important social,

cultural and environmental impacts on North Queensland through

a series of worksheets.

Further activities found in this Teacher’s Booklet can be tailored

to suit certain curriculum and learning outcomes. Furthermore the

activities can be completed prior, during or after the excursion.

The KSR Education Kit will help educators and students make the

most of this unique rail experience!

C a i r n s - a u s t r a l i awww.ksr.com.au

The originalK ur a n d a s C e n i C r a i lw a y

A Timeless Rainforest Journey…

FURTHER ACTIVITY: Conductors and Trains

Students get to be conductors to ensure class is lined up in an orderly

fashion. This is when rules on how to behave on the train are provided

by teacher or Kuranda Scenic Railway representative.

The class may be introduced to Kuranda Scenic Railway Characters –

Christie Palmerston, Red Lynch, or perhaps one of our train drivers!

Turn on some music and let the kids become a train. As groups of

4 or 5 children hold on to the waist of the person ahead, they will

chug along to appropriate music, such as Johnette Downing’s

“Chugg-a-Lugg-a-Choo-Choo” from her Music Time CD.

As part of a health and safety curriculum, discuss train safety with

students. Look at a Railroad Crossing sign and discuss its meaning.

Teach the students to obey the railroad rules. Always pay attention to

sign and signals, and stay alert at all times. Only cross the tracks at

railway crossings, overpasses, or subways. On platforms, remember

to always stay behind the yellow line. Never take shortcuts when

crossing tracks. Always stop on the red signal, and don’t cross until

the signal turns green. You can find a more detailed safety message

on page 24.

Research the history and workings of steam engines. During the

Industrial Revolution, steam power partially replaced human and

animal muscle and powered massive societal and economic changes

starting in the 1850s in Europe and America. Research and discuss

steam power’s uses other than transportation in textile and iron

manufacturing, mining and farming.

Suggested reading:

Curious George Takes a Train by Margret and H.A. Rey

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper

The Caboose That Got Loose by Bill Peet

Freight Trains by Donald Crews

aC

d

eF

G

H

i

B

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Freshwater Station

The key landmarks that make up Freshwater Station.

A Ticket office

B Main entry

C Souvenir shop

D Restaurant

E Platform

F Red Lynch’s cottage

G Museum

H Parking

I Engine

Mashalling area:

65

Buy your ticket

Write out the sentences in the correct order to make a conversation.

Thank you, enjoy your trip.

May I have two tickets please?

Good morning!

They are $21 each.

Good morning, how can I help you?

Certainly, that comes to $42 dollars.

How much is a ticket?

Here you are, thank you.

1 Good morning!

2 Good morning, how can I help you?

3 How much is a ticket?

4 They are $21 each.

5 May I have two tickets please?

6 Certainly, that comes to $42 dollars.

7 Here you are, thank you.

8 Thank you, enjoy your trip.

Finish the following story

As editor of the Kuranda Chronicle, finish the following story using the

words provided below. Read your completed story to a classmate.

“On January 21st 1887, John Robb’s tender of £290,984-3s was accepted

for section two. He and his men tackled the jungle and mountains not with

bulldozers, jackhammers and other modern equipment, but with strategy,

fortitude, hand tools, dynamite, buckets and bare hands. Great escarpments

were removed from the mountains above the line and every loose rock and

overhanging tree had to be removed by hand.”

FURTHER ACTIVITY: Write a story

Encourage students to write a pioneer story. From moving to the area

and starting work, to dealing with the day to day toil, allow students to

imagine what it was like to live and work on the railway at that time.

Catch the train

Years 3–5

Catch the train

Years 6–7

A

Two o’clock

A

Ten minutes

past five

D

Ten o’clock

D

Twenty minutes

past eleven

B

Six o’clock

B

Twenty five

minutes past six

E

Half past three

E

Twenty minutes

to seven

C

Quarter past eight

C

Quarter to three

F

Half past one

F

Five minutes

to eight

G

Nine o’clock

G

Five minutes

past nine

H

Five o’clock

H

Half past seven

I

Quarter to eight

I

Quarter to four

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Help explorer Christie Palmerston blaze a trail!

Get on track with Kuranda Scenic Railway

Years 3–5 Join the dots

Get on track with Word Tracks!

Years 6–7 Word Tracks

What will you find at the following coordinates?

Give the coordinates for:

A) M1 – Cairns Station

B) H6 – Freshwater Station

A) Kuranda Station – B12

B) Caravonica Terminal – G8

C) M4 – Trinity Bay

D) G5 – Redlynch

C) Barron Falls Station – B10

D) Cairns Northern Beaches – H12PATH

MATH

MATE

MAZE

PICK

SICK

SINK

SING

SONG

PACK

PACE

MACE

MICE

MITE

ROAD

LOAD

LOAF

LEAF

RAIL

RAIN

PAIN

TRIP

DRIP

DROP

FOOD

GOOD

GOLD

GOLF

GULF

TRACK

TRICK

THICK

THINK

THINS

SHINS

SEAT

BEAT

BEST

BUST

FURTHER ACTIVITY: More trains!

Visit RailSmart website: https://railsmart.com.au/RailsmartResources.html

and download Train Foldout activities where the students are able to

make various Train Foldouts: Baby Blue, Freight Train and Tilt Train.

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What we have learnt so far:

Review the exercises and reading we have completed so far to answer

the following questions:

Who was the bushman who found the route for the Kuranda Scenic Railway?

Christie Palmerston

What made the supply routes impassable in 1882?

Devastating wet season

What yellow metal was first discovered in North Queensland in 1873?

Gold

Approximately how much did it cost to construct the Kuranda Scenic Railway?

£290,984-5s

What was the Palmerston Highway originally known as?

Palmerston Track

Who is ‘Red’ Lynch?

Originally from Ireland, Red Lynch was the foreman

who organised the labour during the construction

of the railway line

Where is his cottage located?

Freshwater Station

HARD – Search down, across, diagonally and backwards!

KurandaFreshwaterLocomotiveBridgeCrossingTicketCarriageSteamTunnelRailTracksTrain

H N E N G I N E E R I N G A V S E F UP I O N E E R I N G N O N C T E E H ML A C I R O T S I H E O O R C G T I SG P A S S E N G E R S N I N A A I A IL L B R K N U R A N C D G A I I M S RC E L O E N E E G R O G N O R R A B UI C E U R E X P E D I T I O N R N A ON O I T C U R T S N O C N I S A Y L TW A Y E S C E A I U R N I S P C D A US N I A R T M A E T S T M S R A L I A

EngineeringConstructionBarron GorgeCable

SuspensionConcretePioneering Carriages

HistoricalSteelSteam trainRoute

SpanDynamiteIronPassengers

TourismCairnsMiningExpedition

Q B R I D G E M W O W Q Q G HE M Y Z C I M D U S T E A M SP I T R A C K S V S R S V H KP J T I C K E T A Y A V A V NS A C R O S S I N G I Z D T RJ B R A D G E K T R N I N U AC A R R I A G E S J Z U N N IP Z W P Z S K U R A N D A N LJ D I I D F R E S H W A T E RL O C O M O T I V E Q J X L U

Word prospecting – in the rainforest!

EASY – Search down and across (circle each letter)

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Help Red look for gold

Red wants to go prospecting. Help him by correctly labelling his tools.

knife / pick / axe / gold bag / pan / sieve / hook / brush / rope / shovel

knife

sieve

pickaxe

brushshovel

hook

pan

rope

gold bag

Build a timeline along the railway tracks

Write the correct dates next to the historical events on the railway timeline.

1873Gold discovered in North Queensland

1887John Robb’s tender for Section 2 approved

1888Victorian Labour League formed

1890The United Sons of Toil was formed

1891The Cairns to Kuranda Railway line was opened

1915Opening of Kuranda Station as it stands today

2002First Buda-dji locomotive painted

2011Kuranda Scenic Railway 120th Anniversary

DATES20021890 18871891

1873201119151888

•

•

•

•

•

••

•

1413

Life for the workers

From what countries were most of the workers from?A) England & New Zealand B) Ireland & Italy C) Russia & India

What were some of the facilities that could be found in a workers camp?

Accomodation, hotels, churches, stores: groceries and clothes

Up to how many men worked on the project at one time?A) 1800 B) 1500 C) 12 D) 10,000

Why were workers on the railway line called ‘Navvies’?

Short for the word ‘navigator’, used to describe workers on engineering projects

Navvies were once paid 8 shillings per day! In today’s currency 8 shillings is worth 80 cents. List what you can buy for 80c today.

A phone call. Some lollies. A stamp. A piece of fruit.

FURTHER ACTIVITY: The Gold Rush and Unions

The Australian labour movement has its origins in the early 19th century

and includes both trade unions and political activity. Discuss unions

and the role they play in industrial relations in Australia. Find out more

about the the Great Maritime Strike and The United Sons of Toil.

Research the gold rush in Australia and the resultant radical change in

the economic and social fabric of the nation.

The Eureka Stockade: Between 1851 and 1854 tension was building

on the goldfields. Clashes between the miners and the authorities

became more frequent with significant discontent brewing over the

injustice of the goldfield licensing system and police corruption. Have

students research this important historical event and its outcomes.

Have the students create thier own gold nuggets – find a rock, paint it

gold and measure its weight. Estimate its value as if it were real.

FURTHER ACTIVITY: Wheels in a gear chain

Allow students to discover that gears are wheels with cogs or teeth

that fit against one another: when one wheel turns, the wheel touching

it turn too. Your team of Kuranda Scenic Railway engineers (students)

will make a set of gear wheels and investigate how they work.

Team equipment

1 newspaper (to protect your work area)

1 wooden board

2 large lids

1 small lid

3 nails

1 thick elastic band

2 thin elastic bands

1 felt pen

Step 1

Put one large lid at one end of the

board and push a nail through the

lid and into your wooden board.

Write 1 on the lid.

Put the thick elastic band around

the second large lid

Wheels in a gear chain – continued Wheels in a gear chain – continued

1615

Step 4

Use your felt pen to mark where

the two wheels touch.

Step 5

Slowly turn one wheel and watch

what happens to the mark on the

other wheel.

Step 6

Put the small lid on the board

so that it touches wheel 2.

Push a nail down through the

lid and into the board.

Write 5 on this lid.

Stretch the other thin elastic

band around the nails in wheel 2

and wheel 3.

Step 7

Move the mark you made on

wheel 2 so that it touches wheel 3.

Use your felt pen to mark wheel 3.

Step 8

Turn wheel 3.

What happens to the mark

on wheel 2?

Step 2

Put the second lid on the board

so that it touches the first lid.

Push a nail down through the

lid and into the board.

Write 2 on this lid.

Step 3

Stretch a thin elastic band

around the two nails.

1817

Spot the difference

Look carefully at the two drawings of Kuranda Station. Can you find the 10 differences between them?

Kuranda Scenic Railway bridges

Which contractor completed the Kuranda Scenic Railway? John Robb

How many tunnels does the Kuranda Scenic Railway travel through? 15

What was the length of the longest tunnel? 490 metres

How high is Stoney Creek Bridge? 26.5m

What type of column was used to construct Stoney Creek Bridge?

Phoenix columns

What geographical features were the bridges built across?

Ravines and waterfalls

The Barron Gorge is how many metres above sea level? 329 metres

Shapes

Years 3–5

A 2

C 4

E 8

B 6

D 12

F 18

2019

Angles

Years 6–7

The Kuranda Scenic Railway locomotive

Today Kuranda Scenic Railway is driven by what kind of engine? Diesel Electric

What year was this type introduced? 1966

What type of train engine was used in the past? Steam

Name something the on board air compressor does? Brakes, sanding

equipment, windscreen wipers, warning whistle, crew observation equipment

How much horse power does the train’s engine generate? 1000HP

What is the weight of the Kuranda Scenic Railway locomotive? 60 tonnes

FURTHER ACTIVITY: Build a bridge

Have students visit the library and different websites to research

how to make a model bridge. Get them to draw a design and select

a suitable material (popsicle sticks, toothpicks, matchsticks, balsa

wood, or even lego). Once built, students should test its strength by

putting successively heavier weights on it. How long is their bridge?

How much weight can it hold before it bows? Or collapses?

Research famous world bridges. Have students find photos of the iconic

bridges and label them with their name and which country they can be

found in. When were they built? How were they built and what materials

did they use? Did any difficulties occur during the construction?

How do bridges work? There are three major types of bridges: The

beam bridge, the arch bridge and the suspension bridge. Have your

students research each of the major types of bridges so that they

understand how each one works. The main feature that controls the

bridge type is the size of the obstacle. How far is it from one side to

the other? Why was a certain type of bridge chosen over another?

FURTHER ACTIVITY: Engines and carriages

Visit RailSmart website: https://railsmart.com.au/_downloads/QRFleet.pdf

and download a pdf copy of all of Queensland Rail’s locomotives and

powered vehicles and discuss the different usages of each.

A straight angle = 180°

A right angle = 90°

Vertically opposite angles

Acute angle <90°

Reflex angle >180°

An obtuse angle >90°

2221

FURTHER ACTIVITY: The natural environment

The Wet Tropics World Heritage Area is home to Australia’s greatest

diversity of animals and plants. Have students research in detail one

plant and one animal unique to this region.

Encourage students to appreciate the natural world around them. How

many plants and animals can they identify in their immediate surrounds

in the schoolgrounds? At home?

Teach your students how animal classification works. Discuss the

different groupings; Kingdom, Phylum, Classes, Orders, Families, Genera

and Species. How do you decide where a particular creature belongs?

Draw up a classification chart which shows where cats, dogs, and

bears (for example) diverge in their classification.

Have your students research vertebrates and invertebrates, the

differences between them and some examples. How do certain

animals live without skeletons? What structures do they have instead?

Have each student study the human skeleton, then label the bones in a

diagram or on themselves. Let them discover why we need a skeleton.

Discuss the reproductive systems of mammals, marsupials,

monotremes and the differences between them.

Get your students to draw a picture of Kuranda Scenic Railway as it winds

through the rainforest and past various animals and plants that live there.

They could also write a story of their experience of the day, a narrative

account that helps the reader to visualise their experience and to gain an

understanding about what was special about the trip for the student.

Have students write a travel brochure detailing the historic value of

Kuranda Scenic Railway, the type of tour packages and experiences

available, what they may expect to see along the journey and the reasons

why it is such a popular activity with tourist. Drawings can be included, or

even photography that may have been taken on the day by students.

Rainforest structure

canopy

epiphyte

ulyssess butterfly

flying fox

giant liana vine

strangler fig

wait a while

understory

bracket fungi

cassowary

tree frog

leaf litter

buttress roots

Excursion day

You will need to look outside your booklet to answer the following:

What is the name of the river that you can see whilst travelling on the train?

A) Russel River B) Tully River C) Barron River

As the train travels up the mountain what is the name of the 180 degree loop?

A) Jungarra Loop B) Mango Tree Loop C) Redlynch Loop

On 6th Dec 1973 what happened to the Cairns to Ravenshoe Railmotor?

A) It was robbed B) It got stuck in tunnel 2 C) Delayed due to heavy rain

What is the name of the waterfall that the train stops for 15 minutes?

A) Mungalli Falls B) Millaa Millaa Falls C) Barron Falls

Name two distinctive landmarks in the Stoney Creek Gorge area?

A) Glacier Rock & Redbluff B) Glacier Rock &

Mt Whitfield C) Glacier Rock & Navibluff

How many metres tall is Robb’s monument?

A) 15 metres B) 21 metres C) 89 metres

What is the name of the waterfall that the trains

passes on a 4 chain radius curve?

A) Bridal Veil Falls B) Stoney Creek Falls

C) Surprise Falls

As the train climbs the McAllister Range what is the

island you can see as you look towards the Coral Sea?

A) Michaelmas Cay B) Fitzroy Island C) Green Island

Until 1958 the Barron River was a raging torrent, what

is the name of the dam that was built to contain it?

A) Tinaroo Dam B) Barron Weir C) Cania Dam

Name the lakes in the Atherton Tablelands which

used to be active volcanos?

A) Tinaroo Lake & Lake Morris B) Lake Dyer

& Lake Eyre C) Lake Eacham & Lake Barrine 2423

FURTHER ACTIVITY: Railsmart

Queensland has about 1,800 public level crossings, and all have warnings

for motorists. By law pedestrians and drivers must obey all road traffic

signs and signals. Only 30% of public level crossings have flashing lights

and/or boom gates.

Discuss distractions and your safety: It doesn’t matter if you are waiting

to catch a train or just crossing the tracks, if you are distracted you miss

the vital signs that are there to keep you safe. When using mp3 players,

mobile phones or even talking to someone, always be aware of what is

going on around you and be prepared for the unexpected.

Discuss these life saving rules when ever near to a railway crossing:

• Only cross the tracks at railway crossings, overpasses, or subways.

• On platforms, remember to always stay behind the yellow line.

• Always pay attention to signs and signals, and stay alert at all times.

• Never take shortcuts when crossing tracks. Always stop on the red

signal, and don’t cross until the signal turns green.

Discuss the following safety rules prior to travelling on

Kuranda Scenic Railway:

• Pay attention and follow signs and signals.

• Observe Do Not Cross Track safety signs and use Designated

Walkways only when entering the railway station.

• When on the platform keep clear and well behind the yellow safety line.

• Watch the gap between the train and the platform when boarding.

• Exit and enter the train at the front and rear of the carriages using the

hand rails for support.

Visit www.railsmart.com.au for further activities and information.

superf u

t ur e

®

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How to put your student booklet together1 Print out all pages at 100% scaling (ie: do not scale to fit printer margins), fold all pages except this one in half with print facing outward. 2 Align all folded pages together with open edges to the left and in the correct order. 3 Turn this page over. 4 Align left edge of this page with left edge of cover page and staple in 3 places to secure (approx 1cm from edge). 5 Turn this page back on itself to wrap behind, folding at dotted lines to create spine and inside flap.

Education M

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Web: www.ksr.com.auBookings: (07) 4036 9333 or Fax: (07) 4036 9222

Email: KSRres@qr.com.au

The originalK u r a n d a s C e n i C r a i lw a y

Safety tips

Thank you for experiencing the

historic Kuranda Scenic Railway.

To ensure you have an enjoyable

day, please remember the following

important safety advice:

• Observe all safety signs and follow

the instructions of staff.

• Children must be supervised at

all times, especially around open

windows.

• Do not place any part of your body out of

carriage windows.

• Do not stand on the walk ways between

carriages.

• Do not try to board or disembark whilst

the training is moving.

• Do not open external doors or gates

whilst the train is moving.

• Do not throw rubbish or any other items

from the train.

• Take extra care and hold the handrails

when using carriage stairs.