The Queensland Rail History Podcast

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The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Queensland Rail

37 episodes

1 hour ago

In this mini Rail Tale episode, our host Annette and Queensland Rail Historian Greg Hallam take listeners on a nostalgic journey through Queensland’s rich history of seaside holidays and rail travel. From the origins of “taking the waters” in 18th-century Europe to the rise of beachside and mountain retreats in the Sunshine Coast, they explore how railways opened up access to iconic destinations like Palmwoods, Buderim, Montville, Mooloolaba, and Caloundra. If you have a railway question for ...

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Places & Travel,

Society & Culture

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In this mini Rail Tale episode, our host Annette and Queensland Rail Historian Greg Hallam take listeners on a nostalgic journey through Queensland’s rich history of seaside holidays and rail travel. From the origins of “taking the waters” in 18th-century Europe to the rise of beachside and mountain retreats in the Sunshine Coast, they explore how railways opened up access to iconic destinations like Palmwoods, Buderim, Montville, Mooloolaba, and Caloundra. If you have a railway question for ...

Show more...

Places & Travel,

Society & Culture

Episodes (20/37)

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Mini Ep 6 - Rails to Resorts: Queensland’s Coastal Getaways

In this mini Rail Tale episode, our host Annette and Queensland Rail Historian Greg Hallam take listeners on a nostalgic journey through Queensland’s rich history of seaside holidays and rail travel. From the origins of “taking the waters” in 18th-century Europe to the rise of beachside and mountain retreats in the Sunshine Coast, they explore how railways opened up access to iconic destinations like Palmwoods, Buderim, Montville, Mooloolaba, and Caloundra. If you have a railway question for ...

1 week ago

20 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Mini Ep 5 - What happened to the Kuranda Tourist and Grandstand trains?

Rail Tale Episode 5 - The Mecca of our Desires. The Tourist train, the forerunner of today’s Kuranda Scenic Railway (KSR) experience has a long history going back to very beginning of the Cairns Railway. In 1913 as a result of what was termed a “rapid increase” in tourist traffic to Barron Falls, plans were prepared for what was termed four up-to-date observation carriages. It was hoped to have the new carriages ready by the 1914 tourist season, however the outbreak of the Great War sa...

1 month ago

25 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Ep 27 - Picture Perfect! The Railway Photographers Who Sold a State

In today’s world of selfies, social media and smartphones – everyone has a camera in their pocket. But, 160 years ago, a picture told a thousand words! These were seen as living images, forming an incredible archive - created by artists – professional photographers, employed by railways across the world. And even here, in Queensland there was those travelling the vast landscapes and documenting what was happening on the ground in front of them... And just like Instagram - this was curated con...

2 months ago

40 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Ep 26 - How Did a 12-Year-Old Help Launch Queensland's First Railway?

160th Special - People, personalities and the early beginnings of our railways. On 31 July 1865, the first section of railway line opened in Queensland, between Ipswich and what was then called 'Bigges Camp' (today’s Grandchester). The story of our railway is much bigger than just a series of facts, figures, and statistics. It is more than a roll call of railway line openings, introduction of rollingstock and dates of events. The real story of the Queensland Railways was, and still is, about ...

3 months ago

1 hour 18 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Mini Ep 4 - How Did Steam Locomotives Get Their Names from Telegraph Codes?

Rail Tale Episode 4 - Telegraphically Yours When the first railway line opened in Queensland in 1865, alongside it also went the electric telegraph line. The wires that accompanied the rails would be a vital part of the connection of our communities and enable communication that was the very much at the forefront of technology in the middle 19th century. Got a question about our railway's history - send us a telegram, fax or e-mail to: history@qr.com.au

3 months ago

16 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Episode 25 - What Changed When Signalling Went Central?

Episode 25 - Signal Central - The Rail Management Centre Why do trains run late sometimes? How do you even plan a train time table? What does it take to become a train controller? What happens to the rail network during disruptions – like say, a tropical cyclone...? In today's episode we chat to someone from our Train Planning team and find out all of that, and more! We also chat with our Historian Greg Hallam about The Rail Management Centre (RMC) Project. The project...

4 months ago

59 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

What does it take to plan a train? our interview with Matt Green

Why do trains run late sometimes? How do you even plan a train time table? What does it take to become a train controller? What happens to the rail network during disruptions – like say, a tropical cyclone...? Here's our full interview with Matt Green, Senior Manager, RMC Product, Strategy and Planning and hear about his love for trains, photography and hear about his 22 year career in the railway.

4 months ago

49 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Ep 24 – The story behind our first steam loco made in QLD

Episode 24 – Made in Maryborough In 1873, Walker's Limited built Queensland's first steam engine and went on to become a major manufacturer of railway Rollingstock. The first B15 steam locomotives came from Walkers, and they built steam locomotives up until 1958. Walker's Limited built over 550 steam powered, 12 diesel electric and 144 diesel hydraulic locomotives. In today's episode we'll discuss how over 140 years this small Maryborough company grew through various name changes and ownershi...

7 months ago

43 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Ep 23 – Two Trains, One City Square: How Did It Happen?

Episode 23 - Trains in King George Square In February 1914, Queensland Railways commemorated the 50th anniversary of the beginning of construction for the first section of railway line in the state. This section of line from Ipswich to Bigges Camp (today’s Grandchester, west of Ipswich) opened on 31 July 1865. The Commissioner of the Railways had formally written to the Mayor of Brisbane, asking for permission to exhibit in Market (Albert) Square, "an example of the progress made in loc...

7 months ago

1 hour 14 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Mini Ep 3 - Could you get a filling at a train station?

Rail Tale Episode 3 - ‘Filling’ in time: The School Rail Dental Clinics Did you know one of the first travelling dental clinics in Queensland was a railway carriage? The school dental scheme was developed by the Department of Public Instruction in the late 1920s. The Rail Dental Clinic ensured people from the country received the same level of care as those living in the city. Operating for half a century, the Rail Dental Clinic service was discontinued in the early 1980s, but helped sa...

8 months ago

5 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Ep 22 – Why Is Peter Obsessed with Concrete Culverts?

Episode 22 - Not quite set in concrete? Today on our podcast, we will go on a journey, and look at when things were not set in stone, but, rather, poured in concrete. Queensland Railways was a pioneer in the early use of concrete, where remarkable structures, bridges, dams, and buildings sprang up all over the state using this innovative building material. We will also talk about getting the mix correct with Peter Osborne, Heritage Strategist in Queensland Rail and here ...

9 months ago

1 hour 6 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Mini Ep 2 - How Did a Train Carriage Escape with the Premier Onboard?

Rail Tale Episode 2 - A Runaway Premier (or a runaway Premiers’ carriage?) In 1931, the then Queensland Premier Arthur Moore travelled to Monto and opened Monto's Third Annual Show on Friday, 1 May 1931. Monto was a "new town" to which rail connection had been opened via Gayndah on 15th September 1928. The official party comprised the Premier, Arthur Moore, his wife, and Mr. R. L. Boyd, Country Party M.L.A. for Burnett from 1928 to 1932, who had a dairy farm near Wetheron in the Burnett distr...

10 months ago

4 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Ep 21 - Why did it take 100 years to build this vital bridge?

Episode 21 - The Merivale Bridge On Saturday, 18 November 1978, the Merivale Railway Bridge, connecting Roma Street and South Brisbane Railway Stations was officially opened in the presence of 850 official guests. Crossing the Brisbane River, the bridge was constructed over a period of three years and three months and reported to have cost $20.6 million. In today's episode we discuss why the Merivale Bridge is still so important for Brisbane train travellers. We also chat with Brad Sutton,...

11 months ago

36 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Ep 20 - The one bridge that united an entire state

Episode 20 - The North Coast Railway In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries most of the travel between the isolated railway systems, and towns of Queensland was carried out by coastal shipping. By the end of the nineteenth century there were eleven of these isolated systems of the Queensland Railways and most of them ran from a coastal point towards the bush – the closest port was considered a good enough place to start from. Or finish? However, it was these far-flung line...

12 months ago

53 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Mini Ep 1 - Who was Queensland's first Station Master??

Our first rail tale about Queensland’s first Station Master… Sir Charles Fox and Son, Agents for the Queensland Government based in London, were appointed as consulting engineers to the colony of Queensland and were given the job to find administrative staff for the Southern and Western Railway, then under construction between Ipswich and Grandchester (Bigges Camp). On 12 January 1865, the agents distributed the copy for an advertisement to seek men to fill the following positions: ”Traffic M...

1 year ago

3 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Ep 19 – Could Cobb & Co Coaches Keep Up with the Iron Horse?

Episode 19 - Cobb & Co and the Queensland Railways - A long lasting shared journey From the mid-1860s until 1924, travel in Australia involved trains hauled by steam locomotives, sailing and steam ships, paddle steamers, cable cars in the big cities, bicycles, and later the motor car. Plus, one of the great icons of transport in Australia - the horse-drawn coach services called Cobb & Co. As the railways grew, and other transport evolved, the legendary coaches and their magnific...

1 year ago

1 hour 9 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Ep 18 – What Makes the Tilt Train So Iconic to Queenslanders?

Episode 18 - The Tilt Train In today's episode we look at how over 25 years ago, Queensland Rail began its ‘tilt to the future’ with an innovative technology and a number of Australian rail firsts, and how two trains revolutionised the train service between Brisbane and Rockhampton. We also chat with Jack, one of our Regional Rollingstock Project Delivery Managers involved in a recent traction package upgrade for the ETTs (Electric Tilt Trains). Here's a collection of images looking...

1 year ago

47 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Ep 17 – What Was It Like Fixing Trains by Candlelight?

Episode 17 - Electrifying Times There were two events in the 1960s and early 1970s that led to a massive change in South East Queensland’s passenger railways. The first was the replacement of steam with diesel-electric locomotives by 1969. This inevitably led to faster and cleaner trains. The next big step forward was the introduction of modern electric trains for the suburban system in Brisbane with the first services in November, 1979. On 8 May 1979, the first section of the new syst...

1 year ago

56 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Ep 16 – What Made the Gulflander a Bucket List Experience?

Episode 16 - Rail Motors Christmas time and the school holidays would bring back memories of long train journeys to far flung parts of Queensland, for many people. The link between country and regional towns, and the smaller townships, was the railmotor. For many decades in Queensland, the small red painted 45 horsepower AEC motors (based on a London bus design), ‘red rattlers’, or the later incarnations of the ‘Tin Hares’, through to the streamlined 2000 class ‘Silver Bullets’ provided an im...

1 year ago

58 minutes

The Queensland Rail History Podcast

Ep 15 - What happened to the original Gold Coast railway?

Today, we’ll be looking at the era in the late 1880s and into the early 20th century, when many towns close to the South Coast (now known as the Gold Coast) all wanted their own railway to their own ‘slice of paradise’. When taking the train to your favourite holiday spot on the beach, or the bay was all part of the adventure. We’ll also chat with special guest, Deni, Assistant Station Master at Varsity Lakes station and hear about how the Gold Coast line was renewed as a modern, world ...

2 years ago

53 minutes