Other Railways

Explore the network of Other Railways and tramways built by individuals, companies and local authorities to support the movement of Queensland goods.

Railways in Queensland extended well beyond the government rail network.

Individuals, companies and local authorities built railways for various users to haul logs of timber out of forests, to carry minerals, and to take sugar cane to the mill.

Queensland today has an extensive network of private railways hauling millions of tonnes of sugar cane each year.

Things to see and do:

• Learn about local government lines that were built to satisfy local demand such as the Aramac Tramway in Central-West Queensland, and others such as the Proserpine to Bowen, Ayr to Townsville, and Cairns to Babinda that later became part of the state network.
• See locomotive No3 Flash built by the Perry Engineering Company in 1948 and learn about its story.
• Find out about cane railways in Queensland with more than 4,100 kilometres of privately owned railways using 250 diesel locomotives and 50,000 cane trains.
• Read about street tramways in Brisbane from 1897 until they were phased out from 1969, and the trams in Rockhampton which ran from 1909 to 1939.
• Learn about other short tramways built for specific industries such as mining, timber, salt works and meatworks.
• See Hunslet 327 and learn its story from moving ammunition, supplies and soldiers on the Western Front during the First World War, to the sugarcane fields of North Queensland and its restoration.