Queensland Rail didn’t hesitate to pull out all the stops when it celebrated its 160th Anniversary at Brisbane’s Roma Street station yesterday.
The milestone also marked the first rail journey from Ipswich to Bigges Camp (now known as Grandchester) on July 31, 1865.
Two historic BB18 ¼ locomotives, the class known as “Bety”, were brought in from Ipswich to help celebrate the occasion.
On the day the steam train took a journey to Pinkeba while the other remained open to the public to admire at Roma Street.
Queensland Rail CEO Kat Stapleton said that Queensland Rail had been the backbone of the State for 160 years.
“We’re incredibly proud of our history, and we’re just as excited about what’s ahead,” Ms Stapleton said.
It comes after the Australian Railway Historical Society took ‘Bety’ out from Queensland Museum Rail Workshops to Grandchester to mark the occasion last weekend.
The steam trains will also take a run for Ekka and the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers to continue celebrations later this year.
