The Queensland Rail History Podcast

In 1873, Walker's Limited built Queensland's first steam engine and went on to become a major manufacturer of railway Rollingstock. The first B15 steam locomotives came from Walkers, and they built steam locomotives up until 1958.

Walker's Limited built over 550 steam powered, 12 diesel electric and 144 diesel hydraulic locomotives.

In today's episode we'll discuss how over 140 years this small Maryborough co...

In February 1914, Queensland Railways commemorated the 50th anniversary of the beginning of construction for the first section of railway line in the state.  This section of line from Ipswich to Bigges Camp (today’s Grandchester, west of Ipswich) opened on 31 July 1865.

The Commissioner of the Railways had formally written to the Mayor of Brisbane, asking for permission to exhibit in Market (Albert) Square, "an example of the p...

Did you know one of the first travelling dental clinics in Queensland was a railway carriage? The school dental scheme was developed by the Department of Public Instruction in the late 1920s. The Rail Dental Clinic ensured people from the country received the same level of care as those living in the city. Operating for half a century, the Rail Dental Clinic service was discontinued in the early 1980s, but helped save many a tooth ...

Today on our podcast, we will go on a journey, and look at when things were not set in stone, but, rather, poured in concrete. 

Queensland Railways was a pioneer in the early use of concrete, where remarkable structures, bridges, dams, and buildings sprang up all over the state using this innovative building material.   

We will also talk about getting the mix correct with Peter Osborne, Heritage Strategist in Qu...

In 1931, the then Queensland Premier Arthur Moore travelled to Monto and opened Monto's Third Annual Show on Friday, 1 May 1931. Monto was a "new town" to which rail connection had been opened via Gayndah on 15th September 1928. The official party comprised the Premier, Arthur Moore, his wife, and Mr. R. L. Boyd, Country Party M.L.A. for Burnett from 1928 to 1932, who had a dairy farm near Wetheron in the Burnett dis...

On Saturday, 18 November 1978, the Merivale Railway Bridge, connecting Roma Street and South Brisbane Railway Stations was officially opened in the presence of 850 official guests.

Crossing the Brisbane River, the bridge was constructed over a period of three years and three months and reported to have cost $20.6 million.

In today's episode we discuss why the Merivale Bridge is still so important for Brisbane...

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries most of the travel between the isolated railway systems, and towns of Queensland was carried out by coastal shipping. 

By the end of the nineteenth century there were eleven of these isolated systems of the Queensland Railways and most of them ran from a coastal point towards the bush – the closest port was considered a good enough place to start from.

Or finish?

However, it was the...

A short rail tale about Queensland’s first Station Master…

Sir Charles Fox and Son, Agents for the Queensland Government based in London, were appointed as consulting engineers to the colony of Queensland and were given the job to find administrative staff for the Southern and Western Railway, then under construction between Ipswich and Grandchester (Bigges Camp). On 12 January 1865, the agents distributed the copy for an advertisem...

From the mid-1860s until 1924, travel in Australia involved trains hauled by steam locomotives, sailing and steam ships, paddle steamers, cable cars in the big cities, bicycles, and later the motor car. Plus, one of the great icons of transport in Australia - the horse-drawn coach services called Cobb & Co. 

As the railways grew, and other transport evolved, the legendary coaches and their magnificent horse teams, withdrew to pl...

In today's episode we look at how over 25 years ago, Queensland Rail began its ‘tilt to the future’ with an innovative technology and a number of Australian rail firsts, and how two trains revolutionised the train service between Brisbane and Rockhampton. 

We also chat with Jack, one of our Regional Rollingstock Project Delivery Managers involved in a recent traction package upgrade for the ETTs (Electric Tilt Trains...

There were two events in the 1960s and early 1970s that led to a massive change in South East Queensland’s passenger railways. The first was the replacement of steam with diesel-electric locomotives by 1969. This inevitably led to faster and cleaner trains. The next big step forward was the introduction of modern electric trains for the suburban system in Brisbane with the first services in November, 1979. 

On 8 May 1979, ...

Christmas time and the school holidays would bring back memories of long train journeys to far flung parts of Queensland, for many people. The link between country and regional towns, and the smaller townships, was the railmotor. For many decades in Queensland, the small red painted 45 horsepower AEC motors (based on a London bus design), ‘red rattlers’, or the later incarnations of the ‘Tin Hares’, through to the streamlined 2000 ...

Today, we’ll be looking at the era in the late 1880s and into the early 20th century, when many towns close to the South Coast (now known as the Gold Coast) all wanted their own railway to their own ‘slice of paradise’. When taking the train to your favourite holiday spot on the beach, or the bay was all part of the adventure. 

We’ll also chat with special guest, Deni, Assistant Station Master at Varsity Lakes station and hear about...

1953 was one of the truly revolutionary years for the Queensland Railways, with the introduction of air conditioned trains on our long distance services in Queensland. The Sunlander commenced service on the 4th June 1953. This new air conditioned train was hauled by a diesel locomotive and by eliminating steam locomotive servicing stops, the transit time from Brisbane to Cairns was reduced from 45 to 41¼ hours.

In this epi...

1952 was one of the truly revolutionary years for the Queensland Railways. It was in that year that the first DEL (Diesel Electric Locomotives) entered service. The new motive power would forever change the railway landscape of Queensland. Almost overnight, it demonstrating the economic, and operational benefits of modern diesel locomotives. 

In this episode we’ll look at how Queensland Railways progressively transitioned ...

A10 No. 6 is one of the oldest steam locomotives in the world, still capable of operating on a main line. The tiny locomotive has a long, and remarkable history. It was there (well, almost) to witness the beginnings of the railways in Queensland.

Today, we will talk about the story of this steam powered time traveller, how in 1965, it was the showpiece of the centenary celebrations of the railways in Queensland, and how i...

Once upon a time, three little letters, ‘’R R R’’ would bring a smile to any weary traveller’s face. Those three letters stood for the Railway Refreshment Rooms, and for 140 years it also meant passengers could hopefully enjoy a hot cup of tea, coffee scones, or even a full three course meal in all of 20 minutes! 

It was a full dining experience at big stations with trains arriving at strange and possibly odd hours for many places t...