Railway records
Brief guide 3
Queensland State Archives (QSA) holds records about all aspects of government administration of
railways constructed by, or for the Queensland Colonial and state governments. Information is mainly
in the records of the Railway Department. The amount and type of information available on individual
railways varies. Some files include plans and surveys of the railway, tender documents and
correspondence about its construction and maintenance.
Unfortunately, important series of Commissioner for Railways, Chief Engineer's Branch, and the Chief
Mechanical Engineer's Branch (or Locomotive Branch) prior to 1887 have not survived. Some railway
construction and railway operations records created before 1887 are in Lands and Works Department
(1862-1866) and the Works Department (1866-1887) records. The Works Department records are
mainly correspondence between the Commissioner and the Minister for Railways on policy about
construction, changes in operations, and indents for rollingstock, rails and timber.
There is some information at QSA about private railways constructed by mining companies under
specific enabling legislation, and later owned by the government, such as Chillagoe, Etheridge and
Mount Molloy. There are private tramway records involving the government, for example, sale of
rollingstock for use on tramways and drafting of legislation for the construction of private tramways.
The main series of records about railways are described in this brief guide.
Commissioner for Railways
General Correspondence
Circa 1/1/1871–21/3/1991
Series ID 6873
Access: 30 years
The general correspondence files for business which was the responsibility of the
administrative centre of the Railways Department. Records are arranged by file number.
To find general correspondence files, search Registers of Letters Received, Series ID
10001.
Registers of Letters Received
Circa 1/1/1889–31/12/1967
Series ID 10001
These registers record general correspondence received, including the correspondence
received for various Queensland lines. These registers are used to find records in General
Correspondence, Series ID 6873 and Hard Batch Series, Series ID 9790.
Hard Batch Series
1/1/1867–31/12/1970
Series ID 9790
These batches consist of bundles of correspondence files relating to a particular subject,
which have been grouped together for convenience by the Railway Department. The
following subjects are examples of these hard batches: extension and construction of new
railway lines; railway commissions and enquiries; accidents; strikes; Executive Council
Queensland State Archives
Department of Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts
Queensland State Archives
minutes; and the involvement of the railways in World War 1 and 2. To find hard batch files,
search List of Hard Batches, and Copies of All Indexes to Batches, Series ID 6839 and the
QSA publication titled Guide to the hard batch series of correspondence 1867-1960 which
is available in the Public Search Room.
List of Hard Batches, and Copies of All Indexes to Batches
Circa 1/1/1867–31/12/1960
Series ID 6839
This list is used to find records in Hard Batch Series, Series ID 9790. Series ID 6839 is
incomplete. It is complemented by a finding aid titled Guide to the Hard Batch Series of
Correspondence 1867-1960 compiled by QSA, available in the Public Search Room.
Mail Books
10/4/1900-21/4/1965
Series ID 17461
Inwards Correspondence Registers
1/1/1888–31/5/1908
Series ID 17497
Minute Registers
Circa 1/11/1931–30/9/1964
Series ID 17503
Staff Records
Registers and indexes contain railway employee records, such as the following:
Staff Books
Circa 1/1/1875–31/12/1946
Series ID 9996
Registers of Correspondence Relating to Staff
1/1/1910–31/12/1976
Series ID 17492
Passed List Register
1/1/1908–31/12/1949
Series ID 16638
This register for the Roma district is a list of staff who passed Railway Department
examinations.
Registers of Employment Applications
Circa 1/10/1910-30/7/1956
Series ID 9986
This series of registers is of individuals applying for positions in the Railway Department.
Accident Books
12/11/1909–24/9/1936
Series ID 9982
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Brief guide 3 - Railway records
Information on individual employees may be found in:


General Correspondence 1876-1991, Series ID 6873
Registers of letters received 1889-1967, Series ID 10001
No name index exists for these series. The correspondence covers a wide range of staff issues
and appointments.
Chief Engineer’s Office
Plans and Sections of various Queensland Railway Lines (A535-Z529)
1/1/1865 – 31/12/1934
Series ID 4593
These plans show the routes and grades taken by the railway lines, as well as surrounding
topographical features and details of settlement, e.g. main line to Toowoomba. These
plans are unindexed. To search by specific alpha codes, use ArchivesSearch Advanced
Search. Enter the alpha code in the Search for field, and limit to Series ID 4593.
Plans and Sections of various Queensland Railway Lines (AA21-YB24)
1/1/1864 – 31/12/1983
Series ID 4611
These plans show the routes and grades taken by the railway lines, as well as surrounding
topographical features and details of settlement, e.g. Southern line to Stanthorpe and
Wallangarra. The plans are controlled by Original Trial Survey Registers, 1870-1953
Series ID 7696, and Trial survey book of identification letters, Series ID 7695.
To search by specific alpha codes, use ArchivesSearch Advanced Search. Enter the alpha
code in the Search for field, and limit to Series ID 4611. Examples of the rail line alpha
codes assigned to the records in this series are BCF – Bowen to Coalfields, AG – Atherton
to Mt Garnet.
Plans and Sections of various Queensland Railway Lines (C22-C5475, N19-N4010,
S66-S10977)
1/1/1865 – 31/12/1970
Series ID 4595
These plans show the routes and grades taken by the railway lines, as well as surrounding
topographical features and details of settlement. They include a large number of station
yard plans. This series is arranged by Division (Southern, Central and Northern) and is
controlled by the following registers the registers are indexed by name of railway.
Registers of Southern Division Plans
1/1/1863-31/12/1970
Series ID 7698
There is also an Index to Southern Division plans, Series ID 7697
Register of Central Division Plans
1/1/1895-31/12/1976
Series ID 7699
Register of Northern Division Plans
1/1/1908-31/12/1978
Series ID 7700
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Queensland State Archives
There is a card index titled Railway Plans in the Public Search Room. Cards are arranged
alphabetically by geographical name of the railway line. A User's Guide to Railway Maps
in the Public Search Room will assist when the name of the railway line is not known.
Plans of Queensland Railway Station Buildings, Residences, Bridges and Station
Equipment (by code)
1/1/1866 – 31/12/1919
Series ID 17687
This series comprises plans of Queensland Railway station buildings, residences, bridges,
livestock yards, turntables, footbridges, gates, grids, office furniture, tanks, boilers and
pumps, wharves, gates for level crossings: and, among the Z - numbered plans some
drawings of rollingstock and signalling equipment.
Plans of Queensland Railway Station Buildings, Residences, Bridges and Station
Equipment
1/1/1865 – 28/4/1999
Series ID 17692
Access: 30 years
These are original drawings used for tender purposes and maintenance of, or alterations
to, the original structures. They are scale drawings showing elevations and often the type
of building materials used. They are arranged by Division (Southern, Central and
Northern). To find plans, search the Registers of Division Plans (Southern, Central and
Northern) listed on page 3 of this brief guide.
Railway Plans and Sections - presented to Parliament
1/1/1876 – 31/12/1954
Series ID 17676
This series is final plans and sections, presented to Parliament. The plans and sections
show routes and grades taken by the line. They are unindexed.
Locomotive Branch
General Correspondence
1/1/1883 – 24/6/1997
Series ID 6440
Files of the administration of the Branch, construction and repair of rollingstock
(locomotives, rail motors, carriages and wagons), installation of machinery, and general
staffing matters. To find files, from 1886 to 1930, use Item ID 275586, Register –
correspondence. Other years are unindexed.
Railway Rollingstock Drawings
1/1/1867 – 31/12/1954
Series ID 17732
This is the major series of Queensland Railways rollingstock drawings with approximately
1,000 drawings mostly on tracing linen to ISO A0 size. Included are drawings of
rollingstock supplied by contractors such as Charles Fox of London, as well as those
constructed by Ipswich railway workshops. All types of coaching, goods and departmental
stock are represented in this series, for example, 1st, 2nd class and composite passenger
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Brief guide 3 - Railway records
carriages, saloons and parlour cars, passenger and composite brake vans, Vice-Regal
saloon, mortuary car, travelling post office, covered wagons, open wagons, refrigerated
wagons, livestock wagons, elephant wagons, fruit wagons, tank wagons, timber wagons,
coal/ballast hoppers, etc. Detail drawings for each class of vehicle include brake gear,
bogies or wheel sets, buffing and draw gear, underframes, bodies, carriage windows and
doors, lighting, fittings and furnishings. Item ID 282292, Index. This index of drawings is a
numerical list of rollingstock drawings with the notation ‘A’ for drawings held at QSA.
Steam Locomotive Drawings
1/1/1864 – 31/12/1966
Series ID 17695
Drawings of steam locomotives arranged alphabetically by the name of the locomotive.
Rail Motor Drawings
1/1/1916 – 31/12/1951
Series ID 17703
General arrangement drawings of rail motors and trailers, in operation until 1951.
Register of Rollingstock
1/1/1890 – 31/12/1915
Item ID 292715
This register lists rollingstock (locomotives, wagons and carriages) operating on
Queensland railways, including some wagons from 1864. It includes original rollingstock
list for wagons with class; number; description; dimensions of body/under frame, and
materials used in construction of rollingstock with remarks about write-off dates, details of
modifications, and transfers to other divisions. There are separate registers for Southern
Division, 1890-1916 Item ID 289868 and Central Division, 1890-1929 Item ID 289869.
Locomotive History Cards
1/1/1866 – 31/12/1969
Series ID 17520
These cards provide information about alterations and repairs made to the locomotive, as
well as engineering specifications. These cards are arranged in numerical order.
Steam Locomotive Boiler History Cards
1/1/1915 – 30/6/1969
Series ID 17518
These cards list mileage performed by locomotives, and details of boiler inspections and
the eventual disposal of the locomotive. They are arranged by locomotive number.
Rail Motor History Cards
1/1/1913 – 31/12/1971
Series ID 17523
Cards record manufacturing, alteration and repair details for rail motors.
Rail Motor Trailer History Cards
1/1/1918 – 31/12/1971
Series ID 17524
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Queensland State Archives
These cards list manufacturing details, repairs, alterations and dates condemned.
Finding aids

ArchivesSearch (the Queensland State Archives catalogue) to search for public records.
To find information on a particular railway, an agency search under Railway Department in
ArchivesSearch is also recommended to find all series of records

Image Queensland (part of ArchivesSearch) enables users to search and view digital
copies of public records. The example below is a Locomotive Class BB18 and a quarter,
circa 1936
Queensland State Archives, Digital Image ID 2179
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
Brief Guide 41: Railway locomotives and rollingstock drawings which is available on the QSA
website, and available in the Public Search Room

the Departmental Guide: Railway Department 1863-1991 available in the Public Search
Room

the Guide to the Hard Batch Series of Correspondence 1867-1960 available in the Public
Search Room

the Queensland Government Railway indexes to staff records, 1878-1946. This consists
of two CD-ROM indexes created from Series ID 9996, Staff registers (staff books) by the
Caloundra Family History Research group on the Public Search Room computers

lists of Queensland Government Railway Employees which were published in the
Queensland Government Gazette between 1889 and 1941 are available in the Public
Search Room. (Queensland Government Gazettes are on microfilm in the Public Search
Room

Nomenclature of Queensland railway stations which provided the meaning of the names of
stations is available in the Public Search Room.
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