Moving Goods

Moving goods is one of the main functions of rail. Queensland railways were built primarily to carry goods, especially exports.

Before motor vehicles arrived, rail was the main form of transport for freight. Rail continues to haul goods of all kinds. It is the most efficient land transport for bulk goods or for large quantities over long distances.

The display includes a typical mixed good train from the 1950s, hauled by a PB15 Class, 444 locomotive. It carries a mix of goods - coal, timber, sheep, farm machinery, farm produce - and passengers. Mixed goods trains operated for many years on Queensland's rail network.

Trains like this one, with a steam locomotive, different type of wagons and a composite brake van, were a common sight until the 1960s.

Today, most trains carry only one type of freight, either coal, grain, cattle or containers.

Many kinds of wagons

The first railway wagons in Queensland were a mixture of low sided, open wagons, covered wagons, platform wagons and timber wagons.

Over time other kinds of wagons were built for specific purposes. The mixed goods train on display contains just a few of the types of wagons used throughout Queensland.