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Our podcast is very much like the beginnings of the Queensland Railways in 1865 - a journey into the rich tapestry that is the story of Queensland. Since the colony and later the state of Queensland first came into existence there has been a story in the background. A story of iron, and steel, of timber and tin and most importantly, people. People think about the railway, and think of the iconic images of the steam locomotives, rollingstock, railway lines, stations but so much of our history ...
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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 disc…
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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 closes…
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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 Grandcheste…
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Episode 19 - Cobb & Co and the Queensland Railways - A long lasting shared journey
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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…
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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…
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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 sy…
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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 ratt…
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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 …
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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 transi…
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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 thi…
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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 showp…
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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 …
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Today we are discussing a place many of our listeners will be familiar with – Roma Street station. We will cover its grand beginning as a major terminus, to the many face changes over the years. We also chat with Operations Performance Manager for SEQ Operations, Ian Heidke, who shares the importance and challenges of Roma Street.…
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An encounter with the South Brisbane railway system during the 1960’s was truly a step back in time to the early 20th century. On our latest episode, we’ll talk about how the Gabba depot came to be, why it disappeared, and how a ‘flag and bell man’ was such an iconic part of the old streetscape and railwayscape of inner-city Brisbane for many decad…
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Annette and Queensland Rail Historian, Greg Hallam, talk about a time of trains bringing families together to celebrate the holidays, delivering presents and good wishes. From everyone at Queensland Rail, we would like to wish our listeners a happy Christmas, and we're looking forward to connecting with you again in 2023 with new stories of the rai…
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In this episode, we talk about how over a century ago, Queensland and the Queensland Railways found themselves thrust into a great conflict. When it began in 1914, it seemed literally half a world away yet within four short years would have a devastating effect on the lives of many people in Queensland. Few people today understand the great contrib…
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In this episode, we talk about how 80 years ago, Queensland and the Queensland Railways found themselves thrust into a crucial role during the Defence of Australia. When Japan entered World War II, Australia was under threat of invasion. Darwin suffered the worst bombing and heavy casualties. Fortunately, the bombs that fell on Townsville and near …
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In 1914, Queensland Railways launched a garden competition to encourage railway staff to beautify the stations with colourful flowers and plants, and to grow fruits and vegetables. The Commissioner for Queensland Railways at the time, Colonel Charles Evans, introduced the prize to also allow for employees to demonstrate their pride in their workpla…
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Today we're talking about the crossing of the Main Range from the present day township of Murphy's Creek to Toowoomba, and what truly was a marvellous feat of Victorian era engineering. We also speak with Gavin Anderson, Asset Manager West Moreton for Network Operations South at Queensland Rail. He commenced his career as a ‘Nipper’ in a Bridging g…
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Today we are looking into design and standardisation of the railway. Be it early prefabricated buildings brought over on ships, the choice for narrow gauge or the adapting and tweaking of designs, to give a local solution to problems faced when building a railway in Queensland’s climate and landscape. We’ll also hear from Andrea Kriss, a Senior Des…
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The Christmas period was always one of the busiest times for travellers in Queensland, who went to visit family, or go on holidays, on the Queensland Railways.Queensland Rail
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What are some of the great Queensland Railway lines that never were? What we might today think of as a big, connected network across the state, actually began as a number of scattered railway lines that stretched inland from the coast. They were very much their own identity. In this episode, we chat with Ken Fairbairn, Driver of the Gulflander and …
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Episode 2 Part 2 - Building along the Barron River - The construction of the Cairns to Kuranda Railway
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In the 2nd half of our two-part special, we’re going to cover the completion of the Kuranda Scenic Railway (KSR). If you haven’t listened to part 1 yet, please make sure you start there first. We’ll explore some of its famous landmarks that can be seen along the journey. We’ll discover what happened to the line when war broke out and why it’s still…
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In this two-part episode, we’re going to dive into one of the most iconic pieces of railway in Australia, arguably in the world: The Kuranda Scenic Railway – the KSR - located in Far North Queensland. It has become such a popular tourist attraction in Cairns, truly a must-see experience. We’ll chat with our historian, Greg and deep dive into how th…
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In the last weeks of July 1865, the population of Southern Queensland watched with increasing interest and confidence, the anticipated completion of the first section of the Southern and Western Railway. Looking back at that era, it is still easy to discern the excitement and pride that had manifested in the colonists of Queensland as they read rep…
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