Ipswich Workshops Rail Museum

[ozbob]

Ipswich Open Day at the @RailMuseum_Qld 2nd August 2015

>> http://www.theworkshops.qm.qld.gov.au/Events+and+Exhibitions/Events/2015/08/Ipswich+Open+Day+2015#.VbnFJPmqpBc

Ipswich Open Day

Entry is free for past and present Queensland Rail employees and Ipswich residents.
Proof of residency is required and may include drivers licence or rates notice. Admission charges apply for non-Ipswich residents. Non-Ipswich residents receive 50% off normal entry when accompanied by an Ipswich resident.

[ozbob]

A treat for Ipswich Open Day today!
@QueenslandRail pic.twitter.com/4RCXe38o5P

— WorkshopsRailMuseum (@RailMuseum_Qld) August 2, 2015

[ozbob]

Queensland Times --> Ipswich celebrates heritage at @RailMuseum_Qld on Open Day

[ozbob]

Ipswich Open Day

http://www.theworkshops.qm.qld.gov.au/Events+and+Exhibitions/Events/2016/04/Ipswich+Open+Day+2016#.Vw834npm1EY

Sunday 17th April 2016


Entry is free for past and present Queensland Rail employees and Ipswich residents

Proof of residency is required and may include drivers licence or rates notice. Admission charges apply for non-Ipswich residents. Non-Ipswich residents receive 50% off normal entry when accompanied by an Ipswich resident.

[ozbob]

FULL STEAM AHEAD | Restoration of 112yr old train begins, and we try to find Platform 9 3/4... @tennewsqld #TenNews pic.twitter.com/S7igjeaAvD

— Pippa Sheehan (@PipSheehan) July 19, 2016

[ozbob]

^

Pompey on the move to 8, 9, 10 Road.#pompey #locomotive #relocation #display #museum... https://t.co/UIvhN3FLK2

— WorkshopsRailMuseum (@RailMuseum_Qld) July 18, 2016

[ozbob]

Queensland Times 26th July 2016 page 7

Workshop full steam ahead on Baby Blue

[red dragin]

The welded boiler was sitting waiting for work to recommence when I was there early this year.

Must mean 1089 is back together and the bomber is finished too. 

[ozbob]

The Workshops Rail Museum's next steam train Sunday is on 21 Aug 2016. Info on... https://t.co/8UWoQji05B

— The Valley Rattler (@valleyrattler) August 5, 2016

[ozbob]

ABC News --> Rare model train collection donated to Queensland museum after being kept in secret

A secret collection of model trains that needed its own house in southern New South Wales and came with a staff bound by confidentiality agreements is being documented at the Workshops Rail Museum, west of Brisbane:

Key points:

Some 11,000 pieces — including locomotives that have working lights or can billow smoke — have been donated to the Ipswich museum.

That represents about half the collection from the estate of late Wollongong businessman Marsden Williams.

Workshops curator Dr Geraldine Mate said the museum usually focussed on Queensland rail history, but that this was a collection they could not pass up. ...

[ozbob]

Join us as we celebrate #InternationalMuseumDay with FREE ENTRY into The Workshops Rail Museum on Thursday 18 May 2017! pic.twitter.com/t8kR58N4tC

— WorkshopsRailMuseum (@RailMuseum_Qld) May 16, 2017

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/RailMuseum_Qld/status/902721435554111488

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https://twitter.com/RailMuseum_Qld/status/923706647104561152

[ozbob]

Queenslandtimes --> Workshops Rail Museum's all new exhibits

A HISTORIC locomotive that was used to transport essential supplies during the period of trench warfare on the western front has been been fully restored and is now on display at The Workshops Rail Museum.

At a media only event, The Workshops' new curators were chuffed to show off their latest display, the Hunslet No. 327, which will be a permanent display at the popular tourist attraction.

Built in 1916 by the Hunslet Locomotive Works of Leeds, England, the engine was one of 665 steam locomotives ordered by the British War Office during the World War I and dispatched to France to move supplies to the front lines.

"This locomotives job was to transport food, ammunition and all equipment needed to service the front during the war," explained collection manager Rob Sheils at the unveiling.

"It was used between standard gauge trains and the front.

"They run on a narrow track, they run on a 60cm gauge, and the idea of that is it's lightweight, it's moveable and as the war changed and the front changed, you could quickly move your rail line to where you needed it."

Following the end of the war the locomotive was rebuilt by Hunslet Engine Co and in June 1920 it was one of 15 War Office Hunslet locomotives purchased by the Queensland Government and shipped to Mackay to begin work as a cane train at the North Eaton Sugar Mill.

The locomotive was retired in 1964 and moved to Etons Langford Park where it was put on static display for the community.

Due to deterioration, it was removed in 2005 and generously donated by the Mackay Sugar Co-Operative Association to The Workshops Rail Museum in Ipswich.

For more than five years, a group of dedicated train enthusiasts worked tirelessly to restore the Hunslet No. 327 back to its original First World War configuration.

To start, the engine was carefully disassembled, rusted out panels were replaced and other damage repaired.

As much of the original fabric as possible was preserved.

Each step of the process was carefully recorded and photographs were taken.

While the Hunslet is the new jewel in The Workshops Rail Museum crown, curators are keen to remind the Ipswich community they are always working to install new exhibits and attractions which will appeal to people of all ages.

Over the years, The Workshops have had numerous items donated to them, which are currently in storage. But curators hope to bring them out onto the floor and have them on display in the coming months.

In the meantime, there are still plenty of incredible things to see and do.

The premise has a very long and impressive history, which is evident in the old buildings which are still proudly standing today.

This was the site where trains were built, maintained and new technology invented for the fast-pace rail industry in the 20th century.

In its time, more than 200 steam locomotives were built right here in Ipswich at The Workshops.

It is also where the very first train to run in Queensland steamed. It ran from here to Bigges Camp, now Grandchester, over 145 years ago.

The old time keepers office, which is now the ticket office for The Workshops, is one of the oldest buildings on site. It was built around the early 1900s.

It has recently undergone renovations, including a fresh coat of paint, to be an attractive and historical monument to welcome guests. In the coming weeks, a number of artefacts will be moved into the building, creating an exciting exhibit upon entry.

One of the monuments which you will see straight away when you walk in is the honour stone.

This is where the names of those who worked at the Workshops Rail Museum and served during the war are forever engraved. There are more than 300 names.

Thousands of workers have called The Workshops their home over the years.

During its peak in WWII, more than 3,000 people worked on site, making it the state's largest employer at that time.

Many of its employees went to fight overseas and sadly did not return home.

One of the most interesting names on the honour stone is a gentleman named William Gunn.

He worked hard at The Workshops and wrote countless letters to the Queensland Times newspaper. His last letter to be published in the Queensland Times coincided with the news of his death overseas.

Now, The Workshops is again an icon for the region.

The rebirth of the site in 2002 as a world class rail museum, coupled with the oldest continually operating railway workshops in Australia, makes for a visitor experience second to none.

It currently has five large locomotives and five passenger coaches to admire.

Standing next to these trains you will truly understand their immense size and power..

There is also a wide array of artefacts and personal belongings from those who helped shape the rail industry when they worked there.

But there is much more to the museum than trains. They also feature a wide array of exhibits and community events, such as their new twilight markets.

If you are looking for a fun day out, be sure to pop the Ipswich Workshops Rail Museum on your list.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/974022208271007744

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https://twitter.com/RailMuseum_Qld/status/978059822326104064

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https://twitter.com/haydenjohnson94/status/979229720142258176

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https://twitter.com/RailMuseum_Qld/status/979264730236829696

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https://twitter.com/RailMuseum_Qld/status/990117458664087553

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https://twitter.com/Robert_Dow/status/996861021884051456

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https://twitter.com/RailMuseum_Qld/status/1027037515083988992

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https://twitter.com/RailMuseum_Qld/status/1061161346727784448

[ozbob]

Media release

Minister for Transport and Main Roads
The Honourable Mark Bailey MP

19 November 2021

$2.75 million investment in Ipswich's rail heritage

The Palaszczuk Government is investing $2.75 million to bolster the historic rail bridge linking the heritage listed Ipswich Rail Workshops and the broader Queensland Rail network, and to restore one of the state's most iconic steam locomotives.

Member for Ipswich Jennifer Howard said that Ipswich had a special place in Queensland's rail history, with the first rail line in Queensland constructed from Ipswich to Bigges Camp (Grandchester) and the first Queensland Rail workshops built at North Ipswich.

"Essential works can now be undertaken on the Bremer River rail bridge, which has connected the workshops with the Queensland Rail network since its inception," Ms Howard said.

"Queensland Rail will invest $1.3 million to replace the transoms* on the Bremer River Bridge to keep the Ipswich Workshops connected to the main rail network to protect the movement of heritage trains in and out of the facility long term.

"With the Ipswich Workshops being the best place to maintain the much loved heritage rail fleet, this investment will help keep that story alive."

Member for Ipswich West Jim Madden said an investment of $1.2 million will be injected into the rail yard for essential maintenance.

"This will mean the heritage rail fleet can maintain its connection to the Queensland Rail network, which is great news for the well patronised heritage services for Toowoomba's Carnival of Flowers and the Brisbane Ekka," Mr Madden said.

"The Palaszczuk Government wants to maintain a critical base of infrastructure and expertise at the Ipswich Rail Workshops to support the heritage fleet".

Member for Bundamba Lance McCallum was delighted that the investment would see a much-loved locomotive restored to its former glory.

"$250,000 will see the restoration of the iconic AC16 No. 221A locomotive restored to operation at the facility," Mr McCallum said.

"AC16 locomotives were commissioned by Queensland Railways in the 1940s and transported troops and equipment in support of the war effort.

"They were later allocated to communities throughout the state including Alpha, Ipswich, Mackay, Rockhampton, and Roma. They also hauled services for the Midlander and Westlander through until the late 1960s.

"I can't wait to see the iconic AC16 loco in operation again and ride on a service with it."

Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey acknowledged the century and a half history of rail in Ipswich, which extends back to 1865.

"Queensland Rail leases part of the site to the Ipswich Workshop Rail Museum, which has become a landmark tourist attraction, attracting close to 100,000 visitors to Ipswich in the last full operating year pre-COVID," Mr Bailey said.

"We want to continue to protect that rail heritage so that it can be enjoyed for many generations to come."

For more information on the history of Queensland railways, tune into Queensland Rail's history podcast.

ENDS

*transoms are large sleepers used on railway bridges to transfer the loads from the rails to bridge girders where there is no ballast.

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1462997019862069253

[Stillwater]

Wonderful!  Ipswich has such a strong connection to the rail history of Queensland.

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

[ozbob]

Book in for our facilitated school program Then & Now: Rail in Queensland where students explore how our state's...

Posted by The Workshops Rail Museum on Saturday, 27 May 2023