People assemble in front of the locomotive on the opening day

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Queensland railways

Queensland railways

Access visual resources, collections and stories featuring the historical background of railways and their development in Queensland.

Featured collections

Electric train Number 04 loading passengers at Enoggera station

Digitised photographs

Browse nearly 7,000 digitised/digital photographs and illustrations relating to Queensland railways.

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Ceremonial spade, 1865

Presented to Governor Bowen for first section of Northern Railway, Rockhampton to Westwood, 1865.

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View of an early locomotive crossing a deep creek ravine via a wooden structure

Album of Railway construction, 1882

Photographs showing railway construction in Queensland in 1882, digitised for access.

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Tourism / promotion brochure showing rail travel in Queensland

Queensland Railway publications

Digitised vintage guides, handbooks, reports produced by Queensland Railways (Queensland Rail).

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Known as a Juice train this photo shows a loco and workers standing alongside tracks at Isis Station

Notes on Queensland railways

Historian, John Kerr's extensive notes [8 vols.] describing timetables, branch lines, and accidents.

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Arthur Palmer Presentation spade and wheelbarrow

The Brisbane to Sandgate line was launched at a ceremony at Brisbane Exhibition Grounds.

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Photographs

Experience images of the railway, early construction and travel during different times of Queensland's past history.

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A jumble of carriages derailed and rescuers and passengers clamoring to help others in need

Audio and videos

Stories connected to railways in Queensland and their importance to the state's history, economy and bringing communities together.

Queensland Railways

Historian Gregory Cope shares the unique story of how railways in Queensland were proposed and developed.

Torres Strait Railway (Family) Histories 1999-2000

A collection of digital recordings documenting the experiences of Torres Strait Islander Railway Workers starting in the 1950s.

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Railways: journal articles

PDF · 153 KB

From the blog

Railways and this mode of transportation is a topical area of interest to Queenslanders. The blogs featured in this guide reference historical and contemporary aspects of the railway linking communities and locations in Queensland.

Locomotive coal wagon and carriage on the bridge in Main Range, ca.1880.

Railways in Queensland – History in Pictures

Visual account showing the hardship and difficult terrain workers faced during construction.

Gympie on track : opening of the Brisbane - Gympie railway 1891

By 1890 eleven separate railway systems operated in Qld, the first step linking them at Gympie.

Missing Heritage - The Queensland Railway Times

State Library holds only a few editions of the Queensland Railway Times. Can you help?

Queensland railways

Featured collections

Photographs

Audio and videos

Queensland Railways

Torres Strait Railway (Family) Histories 1999-2000

Railways: journal articles

From the blog

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