Why does the rail trail make a sharp left hand turn when approaching Harlin from the south, then climb up and over a steep hill before crossing the road in the centre of Harlin, and then climb over another hill? Wouldn’t it have been easier to follow the original alignment of the old railway corridor?

Three reasons:

1/ Following the original alignment would have meant crossing the Brisbane Valley Highway in a 100 km zone on a corner with poor line of sight.

2/ Sadly, the old Ivory Creek railway bridge was lost in the 2013 floods and the creek crossing is much wider at that point, so placing the crossing futher upstream where the creek is narrower was a cheaper option on a very limited budget

3/ To support local businesses in Harlin by bringing rail trailers through the town.