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Charleville Train
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Reference numberMBPS-0006-098
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TitleCharleville TrainDescriptionThe photo is of a Queensland Railways B13 (originally F class of the Queensland Railways). According to John Armstrong’s ‘Locomotives in the Tropics: Volume One (Revised Second Edition 2017) there is a reference to this locomotive on p53 of John’s book. It says that in 1888, a Kitson built engine was acquired from the railway contracting firm Robertson and Haig, on completion of the Dulbydilla to Charleville section of the western railway.
“The contractors called it “Jumbo”, but it became railway No. 102”.
According to John Armstrong, this Kitson engine (Builders number 2892 was in service in 1885 – received a deep firebox boiler in 1905 and was withdrawn from service in 1937.
The locomotive in the picture doesn’t have a state classification brass number (No. 102) on the side of the boiler – so it is possible that this is not long after being acquired by the Queensland Railways, or in the timeline of the Ball photograph around 1894. The clothing of the driver and fireman might place it more in the 1890s period.
The other thing of interest is the line that the engine is photographed on – with the light ballast (sand) plus the sleepers etc. plus what sems to be some sort of ‘navvies tool’ near the tender of the locomotive. Plus, the sand on the side of the embankment appears to have been wet – given the footmarks in the sand, etc. I have wondered at times whether it also might be construction photograph? (One thought is that it might have been used on the construction of the railway as well from Westgate to Cunnamulla – however 1894 puts it before that line construction?)
Information supplied by Greg Hallam, Qld Railway Historian.
Date1894PhotographerBall, J.CollectorBancroft, T.J. & E.Record typePhotographFormat typeDigitalOriginal format colourBlack and whiteNotesDespite the connection of Charleville to Brisbane in 1888, the pastoral country to the south and west traded mostly across the intercolonial border between Queensland and New South Wales. The major inland trunk railways to Charleville, Hughenden and Longreach all terminated some 500 kms (300 miles) from the western borders of Queensland. The land grant railway scheme was again revived to encourage further construction to the west. The economic depression of the 1890’s stifled further extension and to encourage completion of the grand design for railways in Queensland[1].
The New South Wales Government Railways had reached Bourke on the Darling River in 1885, allowing for pastoralists to be able to ship the wool clip via river steamers down the Darling, or by rail direct to export in Sydney. New South Wales had also introduced a connectional freight policy to attempt to capture trade from Queensland. The Queensland Government having invested heavily in the construction of the railway to western Queensland naturally did not wish to lose trade across the border into New South Wales.
In 1893 the New South Wales Railways made further concessions on freight charges and the Queensland Parliament responded with the Railway Border Tax Act, which taxed products wool leaving Queensland at the various customs houses on the Queensland border. The act was largely responsible for halting the cross border trade. With no syndicates offering to construct land grant railways further to the west the Queensland Government opted to construct the extensions to the trunk railway system. The 195 km long extension to Cunnamulla was approved by Parliament on 3 December 1895. The line to Cunnamulla was built in two sections. Section One was awarded to G.C .Willcocks on 17 April 1896. Willcocks completed the first section as far as Wyandra on 1 July 1897. M. Donaher & Sons were awarded Section Two to Cunnamulla on 30 August 1896, and opened the line through to Cunnamulla on 10 October 1898.
“The contractors called it “Jumbo”, but it became railway No. 102”.
According to John Armstrong, this Kitson engine (Builders number 2892 was in service in 1885 – received a deep firebox boiler in 1905 and was withdrawn from service in 1937.
The locomotive in the picture doesn’t have a state classification brass number (No. 102) on the side of the boiler – so it is possible that this is not long after being acquired by the Queensland Railways, or in the timeline of the Ball photograph around 1894. The clothing of the driver and fireman might place it more in the 1890s period.
The other thing of interest is the line that the engine is photographed on – with the light ballast (sand) plus the sleepers etc. plus what sems to be some sort of ‘navvies tool’ near the tender of the locomotive. Plus, the sand on the side of the embankment appears to have been wet – given the footmarks in the sand, etc. I have wondered at times whether it also might be construction photograph? (One thought is that it might have been used on the construction of the railway as well from Westgate to Cunnamulla – however 1894 puts it before that line construction?)
Information supplied by Greg Hallam, Qld Railway Historian.
Date1894PhotographerBall, J.CollectorBancroft, T.J. & E.Record typePhotographFormat typeDigitalOriginal format colourBlack and whiteNotesDespite the connection of Charleville to Brisbane in 1888, the pastoral country to the south and west traded mostly across the intercolonial border between Queensland and New South Wales. The major inland trunk railways to Charleville, Hughenden and Longreach all terminated some 500 kms (300 miles) from the western borders of Queensland. The land grant railway scheme was again revived to encourage further construction to the west. The economic depression of the 1890’s stifled further extension and to encourage completion of the grand design for railways in Queensland[1].
The New South Wales Government Railways had reached Bourke on the Darling River in 1885, allowing for pastoralists to be able to ship the wool clip via river steamers down the Darling, or by rail direct to export in Sydney. New South Wales had also introduced a connectional freight policy to attempt to capture trade from Queensland. The Queensland Government having invested heavily in the construction of the railway to western Queensland naturally did not wish to lose trade across the border into New South Wales.
In 1893 the New South Wales Railways made further concessions on freight charges and the Queensland Parliament responded with the Railway Border Tax Act, which taxed products wool leaving Queensland at the various customs houses on the Queensland border. The act was largely responsible for halting the cross border trade. With no syndicates offering to construct land grant railways further to the west the Queensland Government opted to construct the extensions to the trunk railway system. The 195 km long extension to Cunnamulla was approved by Parliament on 3 December 1895. The line to Cunnamulla was built in two sections. Section One was awarded to G.C .Willcocks on 17 April 1896. Willcocks completed the first section as far as Wyandra on 1 July 1897. M. Donaher & Sons were awarded Section Two to Cunnamulla on 30 August 1896, and opened the line through to Cunnamulla on 10 October 1898.
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CollectionBancroft family collection
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Access restrictionsUnrestrictedRestrictions on useRestrictions varyConditions of useYou may print, copy or download images for private research. This image may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes with acknowledgement. [e.g. Image courtesy of City of Moreton Bay, reference number MBPS-0006-001] High resolution copies are unavailable for this image. For permission to use this image for commercial purposes contact local.history@moretonbay.qld.gov.au.
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Charleville Train (1894). Moreton Bay Our Story, accessed 16/06/2026, https://ourstory.moretonbay.qld.gov.au/nodes/view/25661
