Introduction

In 1865 the first train in Queensland set out on an inaugural journey between Ipswich and Grandchester (Bigges Camp). From that beginning the Queensland Railways grew to cover much of the state with a railway network that has changed greatly over the past 145 years. Many people have a connection to our uniquely "Queensland" railway story.

At one time over 1900 carriages existed in the passenger fleet of the Queensland Railway’s. These varied from ordinary carriages for country service on “mixed trains”, (combined goods and passenger trains) through to the luxury carriages used on Queensland express trains, such as the Sydney and Townsville Mail.

The Mail Trains which were the fastest and most comfortable trains on the network, were in many ways the Station Hotel’s of country Queensland on rails. They offered an exceptional standard of comfort and service for the traveller over the long journeys of Queensland. Trains such as the Western Mail, Longreach Mail, Mount Isa Mail, Townsville Mail the Sydney Mail, and the Sunshine Express between Brisbane and Cairns were the preferred way to travel between regional towns, and cities, until the middle years of the twentieth century. 

In the early 1950s Queensland Railways introduced its first air-conditioned trains for use in regional Queensland. The ‘Lander name had been adopted in 1952, with the western services being commissioned as the Westlander, Midlander, and Inlander. The Brisbane-Cairns service became the Sunlander, replacing the 1935 Sunshine Express. The first air-conditioned train introduced was the Inlander, on the Townsville-Mount Isa line (Great Northern Railway), entering service in February 1953.

The Sunlander was introduced with great fanfare in June 1953, Midlander in May 1954 and the Westlander August 1954. All the trains were built by Commonwealth-Engineering (Com-eng) and were in service by 1956. The popularity of the new services meant that here were only enough carriages for four Sunlanders, offering five services per week. Ipswich Workshops constructed new carriages in May 1961 to complete a sixth train. Other services were introduced over time such as "The Capricornian", (overnight service between Rockhampton and Brisbane),  and in the 1980s "The Queenslander", to offer a first class service between Brisbane and Cairns.

In 1989, the first all electric service was introduced between Brisbane and Rockhampton "The Spirit of Capricorn", and in 1993 another entirely new themed train experience made its first run between Brisbane and Longreach- "The Spirit of the Outback." In 1998, an entirely new rail service for customers was introduced between Brisbane and Rockhampton with the electric Tilt Train, that cut travel times. This was expanded to also cater for a Bundaberg Tilt service. In 2003 the Cairns Tilt Train was introduced to provide for a daylight service in north Queensland, and a journey of around 26 hours, nearly half the time of the steam hauled Sunshine Express of the 1930s.

-- Story by Greg Hallam - Historian, Queensland Rail