The South Coast service was a slow one, with maximum speeds reaching 60km/hr so a trip from Brisbane to the South (Gold) coast could take 3 or more hours.  Just like elsewhere throughout the world, the advent of cars and trucks meant demand for the service fell away, but when the railway was closed, the roads could not cope with the volumes of traffic and it was not unusual for a 3 to 4 hour trip to the Gold Coast on the weekend.
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The new Gold Coast railway alignment straightened many curves and with new environmentally friendly rolling stock, speeds of 120km/hr became possible. These days it takes about an hour and fourty minutes to get to the Brisbane CBD from Varsity Lakes, which is exactly the upgraded service the Gold Coast required. The alignment the steam trains ran on could never be practical for today’s transportation service, as you can see from this Google Earth KML file (save it to your desktop, then open it in Google Earth). Here's what it looks like zoomed out:


The closure of the South Coast railway was a necessity, even if the new railway was slow in arriving.

The trains depicted are a PB15 locomotive and Evans cars.


Here's a photo taken outside the Beenleigh station, which was accesed from Soudan St.

Beenleigh

Original Beenleigh station in 1985 had just a single line and didn't go any further south as you can see by the buffer stop.  The current 5 ways is in the opposite direction from where this shot was taken, and the new alignment was graded lower so it would pass under the 5 ways intersection.

This passenger train is crossing the 5 ways intersection at Beenleigh heading north, and would approach the station after the intersection.

A goods train passes under the Pacific Hwy at Stapylton.  The existing Gold Coast railway alignment also passes under this bridge.
The service road bridge has been upgraded. It is opposite the industrial area on the eastern side of the motorway.

Photo left- Yatala timber trestle bridge with demolition train removing track 1965
Photo right- Road view of Yatala timber trestle bridge 1940s

Ormeau

Photo left- Ormeau timber trestle railway bridge early 1900's
Photo right- Ormeau station 1964, which is close to where the Livingstone Christian College is today.  This shot was taken just after services ceased. It is evident that the buildings have not been maintained for years.

Pimpama

Pimpama station 1910

Photo left- Pimpama station in the centre, 1964, with storage siding in the foreground. Close to current intersection of Depot and Jacobs Well roads, Pimpama.
Photo right- Oaky Creek timber trestle bridge and flood plains. Close to the current Coomera Council Depot

Coomera

Photo left- Coomera Rail bridge. Steel centre span over water and timber trestles matching alignment to surface level. It is about 300m west of the current motorway crossing of the Coomera river.
Photo right- View from about where the motorway bridge is today of the full Coomera river bridge steel and timber sections, 1964.

Photo left- Coomera station, 1960, with name boards painted over. It is close to the current Heathwood Drive in the green corridor opposite Catalina drive.
Photo right- Coomera station with differences in platform level for old timber coaches and newer Railmotors, 1961

Oxenford

Oxenford, bridge over Pacific Highway, early 1960s. Before the station approaching from Coomera

Photo left- Oxenford station early 1900's
Photo right- Oxenford station with passing loop looking towards Hope Island road level crossing.  This station was close to where the Oxenford Tavern is now.  In the foreground there is a reverse turnout connection to the passing loop.

Helensvale

Helensvale station 1960's. The low level platform was only ever a halt and never had any buildings. Helensvale was not developed, even in the early 1960's.  It would have been close to Helensvale State High School in the park area off Discovery Drive.

The Saltwater Creek crossing is directly south of Helensvale Homeworld, at the bend in the creek

Above left: Coombabah Creek timber trestle bridge, 1964 which is south of Country Club Drive, close to the new Light Rail Crossing of Coombabah Creek.
Above right: Coombabah bridge concrete piers in the 21st century

Formation near Coombabah Creek after track has been removed after 1965

Ernest Junction

Ernest Junction line north of the junction in the 21st century. Neither road or rail alignments exist anymore. Close to Ashmore road opposite the Smith St motorway

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Photo left- Line north to Helensvale looking from the top of the Ashmore road tunnel
Photo right- View south from Railway street, which was later renamed to Marybeth Crescent.  The storage sidings can be seen in the distance.

Photo left- Ernest Junction station looking from the east and Southport branch. The station is inside the junction triangle
Photo right- Close up of Ernest Junction station looking east to Southport branch

Ernest Junction station inside the triangle. Train in background north to Helensvale. Train in foreground on left, south to Tweed Heads

Southport

Photo left- Southport station arriving looking west. Water tower and engine shed on right. Water tower was a timber structure.
Photo right- Southport station early 1960's looking east. Train departing south for Tweed heads. The footbridge in the background was a typical Queensland Rail timber structure.

Photo left- Southport station entrance from Scarborough street (southern end). Today Scarborough street is a through road with centre street parking. Present site of the CSI club.
Photo right- Southport station from the northern end of Scarborough street

Photo left- Southport station as seen from the footbridge, showing the entry from the southern side of Scarborough street. The station platform was a high level timber structure.
Photo right- Railmotor service at Southport station 1950's

Photo left- Southport yard looking east towards the coast and Marine Parade, early 1964.
Photo right- Close up of Southport locomotive shed and yard. Water tower in the foreground left

Photo left- Entry into Southport station yard from the south west, after High Street crossing
Photo right- Entry curve towards Southport station yard before High street crossing, after Whitby Street. Ganger on trike. Queensland Rail track alignment plans do not show Whitby street

Molendinar

A train passing the remains of Molendinar station in 1964. Molendinar station was originally called Benowa.

Nerang

Nerang station, 1964, looking towards the Nerang river on left. Original township next to the river where present day buildings are located on Station street. Passing loop and original timber loading siding in the foreground. Difficult to locate Nerang station exactly, whether in the car park along Station street or the motorway access ramp or the motorway lanes themselves.

Photo left- Restored Nerang station building at Gold Coast Hinterland Heritage Museum
Photo right- Nerang station 1964 looking south

Nerang river timber trestle bridge, 1934.  River crossing  slightly north of the Bellara street reserve, at the end of Bosun Parade

Worongary

Worongary station 1915

Mudgeeraba

Photo left- Mudgeeraba station with passing loop
Photo right- Mudgeeraba station hill view, before passing loop constructed

Photo left- Mudgeeraba station 1961 with passing loop removed
Photo right- the remains of the Mudgeeraba Creek bridge, below where the southbound motorway lane now resides.

West Burleigh

Photo left- Tallebudgera Creek Bridge
Photo right- Tallebudgera Creek rail bridge 1991, replaced by the southbound motorway bridge

Photo left- West Burleigh station with a hotel in the background that has since been replaced.
Photo right- West Burleigh station post closure in 1961. Siding located at the station. Photo taken from Tallebudgera Creek road crossing.  The area between the station and the hotel is now the motorway.

West Burleigh station prior to closure in 1961. Additional end platform siding with timber buffer shown

Photo left- Breakers train returning material to store at West Burleigh station looking south, 1964
Photo right- View West Burleigh tunnel from train, 1961

Elanora

Elanora station shelter, 1960

Currumbin

Currumbin station

Photo left- Currumbin Creek bridge and station behind
Photo right- Currumbin Creek railway bridge in the 1990’s, which served as a footbridge till it was demolished in 2017
Tugun

Tugun station building

Bilinga

Bilinga railway siding and station shelter

Kirra

Photo left- PB15 climbing through Kirra cutting.  It has since been flled in and is the current Lanham Street park.
Photo right- Looking along the straight towards Kirra, mid 1950’s

Looking towards Kirra with timber trestle bridge over Miles St centre right

Coolangatta

Photo left- McLean St wooden trestle bridge
Photo right- Alignment heading north from Coolangatta station with view of Garrick St to the left, 1961

Tweed Heads

Photo left- Tweed Heads station and shunting yard
Photo right- Tweed Heads triangle dead end, with cattle yard centre right, 1958

Photo left- Tweed Heads triangle with Coolangatta top left and train heading to Tweed heads station towards camera
Photo right- Tweed Heeds station from Frances Street level crossing 1961

Tweed Heads loco depot 1961 before closure. Past Frances Street that is now housing