Queensland Railways Locomotive Museum

Plans to establish a museum exhibiting a selection of steam locomotives that had operated on railways in Queensland were formed by members of the ARHS Qld Division, mainly on the realisation that the use of steam locomotives would cease within what was then thought to be a generation. In 1964 an approach was made to Queensland Railways with the object of having certain locomotives set aside for preservation. The plans were so that: "future generations might have the opportunity to see, at first hand, full size examples of this form of locomotion…" At about this same time the Ipswich Rotary Club announced plans to preserve in Ipswich the static locomotive A10 No.3, and two carriages that had previously been placed on display at Countess Street, in Brisbane.

A number of sites were considered over the next few years, and the plan proceeded with the full support of the then Commissioner for Railways, Alva G Lee. The initial plan to select six steam locomotives was increased to fourteen. As part of the museum complex, a small caretaker’s office for sale of souvenirs etc. and for the use of ARHS members was supplied.

The museum was officially opened on 7 February 1970. Over the preceding six years, two important exhibits had been donated to Queensland Railways, by an organisation external to QR. These were A10 No.6, and B13 48, which had operated privately on Gibson & Howes private tramway at Bingara and Watawa, near Bundaberg.

The centenary of the Queensland Railways furthermore accelerated the process of the lobbying by the ARHS Qld Division that a representative collection of operable steam locomotives be retained for use on historical excursions to be operated through the ARHS Qld Division, in the 1970s.

A small team of volunteers cared for the exhibits, but in 1992 the decision was taken to close the collection to the public. This was primarily as a response to concerns about security of the items, as well as workplace and other issues. A regime was instituted to maintain the objects, and attempt to prevent further deterioration. QR in 1991-2 had entered into an agreement with Queensland Museum, and the then Railways Historical Centre at Ipswich had become a branch of the Queensland Museum