The people of Buderim want their restored heritage Krauss locomotive steam train in the town again.

The application to house the historical train at Lindsay Rd, Buderim, was rejected by the Sunshine Coast Council last year.

Buderim-Palmwoods Heritage Tramway Incorporated president Helene Cronin said, in a podcast, the train built Buderim.

“Buderim wouldn’t be where it was today if they didn’t have the train,” she said.

When the train arrived, Buderim was subdivided, tourists came, produce was transported to Palmwoods, and stores began to appear in Buderim.

Ms Cronin said that Ernest Middleton decided to build his shop, Middy’s, in Buderim when he heard about the train.

The community even voted for the Krauss to be in Buderim.

The petition to bring the train back to Buderim received 1681 signatures.

The organisation’s lead restorer Doug Benckendorff said most people want the locomotive in Buderim.

“The majority want it, there’s very few people who say no,” he said

“Anybody you speak to say, ‘it should be here, it’s part of Buderim’.”

The Council said it conducted a thorough investigation of potential sites and found none to be suitable.

Council also said in a statement it would keep supporting Tramway Inc.

Council suggested it be placed in Milne Park, in Mons, or in the Nambour Museum.

At the time, Tramway Inc.’s spokesman Noel Williams told the Sunshine Coast Daily the train has no relevance in Nambour.

“Positioning our Krauss loco display as a community hub is exactly what we are trying to achieve but Council wants the people of Buderim to give up their heritage icon to Nambour where it has no significance at all,” he said.

The train was part of the Buderim-Palmwoods Tramway that ran between 1914 and 1935.

The Krauss’ restoration was completed in 2010, by Buderim-Palmwoods Heritage Tramway Incorporated.

The remains of the tramway are now a heritage walk in Mons.