As local residents may be aware, during 2011 the Queensland Pioneer Railway Service is operating in conjunction with the Homemade Expo to offer return train trips from Bundamba Racecourse to Box Flat. This opportunity to ride on a vintage steam train is particularly fitting given the historical significance of the railway industry to the local community.
During the 20th century, the Railway Workshops at North Ipswich was consistently the largest employer in the city. By 1914, there were approximately 1500 workers at the Workshops and special ‘”Worker’s trains'” were used to take men to and from North Ipswich. When the steam locomotives were lit in the early morning at the Roundhouse, smoke wafted across the suburbs of North Ipswich and Woodend. However, there were not many complaints since railway employment was one of the keys to Ipswich prosperity.
The steam locomotive (Class BB18¼ No. 1089) pictured below was the last one built and placed in service in Australia. It entered service on 13th March 1958 and was later restored at the Ipswich Railway Workshops for display at the Redbank Rail Museum (1969-1992).
Last steam locomotive built in Australia – Image courtesy of Picture Ipswich
The above information was sourced from Ipswich in the 20th Century by local historian, Robyn Buchanan and the library’s online resource, Picture Ipswich.