Rosewood Railway Museum
In late 1984 members of the Queensland Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society Queensland Division began work rehabilitating some 3km of track on the former Marburg Branch in South East Queensland to establish a working railway museum. Construction of this branch line began in 1910 from Rosewood, which is 58km west of Brisbane on the mainline to Toowoomba. Suburban electric trains now terminate at Rosewood.
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The steeply graded branch was opened to the terminus at Marburg, 14.5km to the north, in 1912 and was closed in sections from 1964 as the need for locomotive coal decreased. The much-truncated line continued to be operated as a 4km siding to Perrys Nob but this final section was closed in 1995.
Four years after starting work the Society held its first open day in 1988 and the Railway was officially opened on Australia Day 1993. Since then steam trains operated by PB15 Class No 738 have operated on the isolated section of track between Cabanda (Rosemount Lane) and Kunkala (Freeman Road) on the last Sunday of the month. Vintage rail motor, RM 55D, Red Fred, continues to handle mid-week charter work. Two 60-ton branch line diesel electric locomotives, a diesel hydraulic and a diesel mechanical locomotive are also available as well as six carriages and numerous goods wagons.
Presently steam locomotive PB15 738 is out of service with a boiler leak. Steam locomotive C17 720 is under restoration with a plan to have the locomotive in steam by the end of July 2007. This loco had been on display in a park in Goondiwindi. An additional Guard's Van is also approaching completion of a major restoration program.
Acknowledgements
Until it is modified, the foregoing text is taken from http://www.arhs-qld.org.au/ whose copyright is acknowledged
