DownsSteam Railway at Toowoomba

 Yes, I admit it. I love trains and it's a pleasure to visit a museum where I can view and touch old engines and carriages, particularly those I grew up with.

Drayton Station is a few miles southwest of the Toowoomba Station.

The entrance where we paid $5 each into an honor box.

A couple of old steam engines.

The first item of interest is an old Melbourne tram. Since Melbourne is in a different state, I have no idea why the tram is here.

Apparently, this type of tram was not particularly successful.

These stainless steel SX carriages were used on the Brisbane surburban network during the 60's and 70's. They were not airconditioned and it was hard work opening the doors. I hated them.

The old station.

Inside a carriage.

A wooden Guard's Van. These were always placed at the back end of each train.

When I was young and would go for a train ride, I was always intrigued by these racquet-shaped hoops that carried the authority to travel on the next stretch of railway line. The station master would hold up the racquet and the driver could easily pick it up with his arm without stopping the engine.

Wash basin. They were made to last back then.

A dining room in another carriage.

It would have been fun to travel on one of these.

First class sleeping compartment that would have been used on the Sunlander and other famous Queensland trains.

Back in September of 2011 I bought myself an Ausrail Pass and traveled on most of the long-distance trains in Australia, particularly in Queensland. From what I had read at the time, it looked likely that these services would be downgraded or cut entirely. It turned out that I was right and ten years later, most of these sleeper carriages are in museums like this. Here is a blog of one of those trips in 2011. I was in a 2nd class sleeper that had three levels.

With the advance of time and the pandemic, I was fortunate to have been able to do as much travel as I have. I wonder what will be possible in the future. 

Continue along this track and you arrive in Toowoomba.

The bar and food service area in a dining car.

Passenger lounge.

Dining car which is similar to the one in the blog of 2011. I remember sitting on the stools having a beer with some other passengers.

Made up beds. It beats sitting up all night by a long way.

Menu.

The carriages appear to have a different colour scheme from the Queensland Railways colour scheme. I believe the museum plans to run it's own trains.

A C-16 steam engine that was built locally in Toowoomba in 1914.

This one was painted green, though a brown version used to puff around in the railway yard at Maryborough when I was young. More info about the C-16 class here.

There must have been a couple of dozen men working in the shed.

In the background is a blue and white diesel-electric 1170 class engine built in Maryborough by Walkers. The rail line to the factory ran behind our house just a few yards away and I would often see new engines pass by in the 50's and 60's.

The museum has a set of railmotors that were converted into the Çommissioner's Inspection Car. The Commissioner was the title of the CEO of the Railway. Prior to 1991, they were used for normal passenger service and I traveled in them as a passenger several times back in the 60's. Back in the 60's the Commissioner had a special carriage and I got to travel on it once.

Where the driver sat. Since my father worked for the railway as a Maintenance Engineer, he occasionally took me out on the job while he did an inspection. One time, we both stood up behind the driver with a good view out the front. Thrilling times.

However, the best part of the museum was the Dreamtime Coach. Click here to get an idea of what I will be writing about.

An indigenous man, Domi, painted the inside of one of the stainless steel coaches during a 19 week period as part of his prison rehabilitation period. He had been jailed for 30 years so the crime was serious. The guide who describes the paintings is very good and shows you details that you would miss unless you know what to look for. Because of copyright issues, photography is not allowed. The paintings are absolutely amazing.

Domi has done his time and now has his own art gallery near Toowoomba Station. Here is a link to his website which shows some of his paintings.

Before my family moved to Maryborough in 1953, my father worked in the Toowoomba Station, probably on an upper floor in one of the offices. It's quite an impressive structure.

Prior to taking this photo, the last time I stood on the platform was back in 1953 when we took the train to Brisbane and then on to Maryborough. Actually, I am incorrect. My older sister remembers we took a bus down the range to Helidon from where we caught a train to Brisbane. It would have been much faster than taking the train all the way from Toowoomba.

The platform is only used four times a week when the train from Brisbane to Charleville stops. It's much quicker and cheaper to take a bus to Brisbane and there are eight buses in each direction per day.

Toowoomba suffered a major flood in 2011. I seem to remember that the station was flooded.