DownsSteam Tourist Railway & Museum in Toowoomba, Queensland | Travel and transport

DownsSteam Tourist Railway & Museum

Locality: Toowoomba, Queensland

Phone: +61 7 4630 2358

Address: 16 Cambooya Street 4350 Toowoomba, QLD, Australia

Website: http://www.downssteam.com/

Likes: 3379

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• Travel and transport
• History Museum
• Railway company
• Train station

25.01.2022 Volunteering is serious business at DownsSteam Tourist Railway & Museum (sometimes )! Not sure what you can do as a DownsSteam volunteer? Have a look at our volunteering page for all the info and to download a membership form https://downssteam.com/volunteering/

25.01.2022 Take an exclusive look behind the scenes at the old Toowoomba Foundry site, where a bold renovation project is celebrating its industrial history! #WINNews6pm

24.01.2022 With Carnival of Flowers soon to wrap up for another year, there's still time to visit the award-winning gardens in full bloom at DownsSteam Drayton.

23.01.2022 A visit to DownsSteam isn't complete without a guided tour of the workshop with a chance to glimpse behind the scenes of our rollingstock restorations.

23.01.2022 Thank you Pat Weir MP for your donation and your ongoing support of our organisation.

23.01.2022 Welcome to another #StationSaturday. Today we are at Stanthorpe Station on what looks like a cold wet day. Built in 1881, this lovely wooden station is now visited by special trains run by the Southern Downs Steam Railway. Bruce Buchannan c2000.

22.01.2022 Were stepping back in time this #StationSaturday to a great station of the past. Clifton Station on the Southern Line was opened in March 1869. It ceased being a passenger station in the 1970s. It is now Cliftons Tourist Information Centre. Bruce Buchannan c2000.

22.01.2022 Its not often that we ask for support, but the following petition could end up helping the 13 volunteer-based heritage railways in Queensland to gain access to funding to keep all our operations sustainable well into the future. Currently, overhauls and restorations of locomotives and carriages are not able to be covered by any Government Funding. If you can show support for this it would be great!... http://chng.it/CbyWW67Q

21.01.2022 The mornings are cool but the coffee is hot! Darling Downs Finest Dining Car is open for coffee and light snacks from 9 am today at the DownsSteam Heritage Rail Precinct. Come and say gday to our friendly volunteers!

20.01.2022 Friday Flashback: C16-106 "Pride of Toowoomba" in the yard at Drayton earlier this year with the chassis, driving wheels, cab and tender temporarily reunited before entering the next phase of the restoration. No. 106 was written off the books on 28th May 1964, having clocked up 1,134,533 miles! Join us next year as 106 makes her triumphant return to steam!

20.01.2022 Queensland Wines "Take your taste buds on a taste tour!" promotional poster in the former "Queenslander" exclusive Macrossans Lounge at the DownsSteam Drayton Railway Precinct.

20.01.2022 The DownsSteam Station Shop is freshly stocked with some new items, some old favourites and a "special" 106 display.

19.01.2022 Queensland Rail test train 4D88 passing Gowrie & Kingsthorpe heading West checking clearances for the QPB power cars and high-cube containers (08/06/2020). CONSIST: 2490H, 2414, PCUV 45250, QPB 1998, LAR 1909, LBL 1877, QPB 1997.

19.01.2022 Getting "cool" photos for social media is never worth risking someones life. Be sensible, pay attention and stand behind the yellow line on the platform at all times! The lady standing over the yellow line turned around and stepped backward with only metres to spare as the empty coal train rolled past. Lucidus fotografie #railsafe #railsafety #RSW2020

19.01.2022 1172 "Drayton Belle" & C16-106 "Pride of Toowoomba" in the shed at DownsSteam Drayton.

18.01.2022 Loughlin Crane Hire were back at the Drayton Heritage Rail Precinct again recently providing their specialised lifting services. Thanks again for a top-notch job!

17.01.2022 M "Lander" and SX "Suburban" coaches at DownsSteam Drayton.

16.01.2022 DownsSteam is back! Our Drayton Museum & Workshop Precinct will be reopening from 9am on Saturday 20 June 2020. Further details, revised opening hours and COVID-19 conditions of entry will be available soon.

16.01.2022 One of our volunteers recently machined & fitted a new stay for our friends at Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway (QPSR) to replace a defective one on their smallest steam loco "Kilrie". We cant wait to see the final reveal after her overhaul!

15.01.2022 DownsSteam is a great volunteer organisation that welcomes everyone, no matter their background or previous experience. Our members come from all walks of life and have a huge variety of skills. You don't need specialist railway knowledge, just a willingness to help out. You can begin your volunteering path immediately with no prerequisites as we have many ’entry level’ jobs and tasks that need to be done, whilst making some great friends along the way. Our management and tea...m leader’s do their utmost to link activities to a volunteer’s own individual intrinsic passions and drives to fulfil a prospective volunteer’s sense of purpose and belonging in our organisation. We offer valuable in-house training to any volunteers interested in furthering their progress in our organisation, which may also assist with their study or work opportunity pathways. Professional and trade volunteers are encouraged and welcomed to join our innovative technical volunteer teams as their valuable skills are critical to our projects progress. So, if you can assist around our office, are handy with the tools, a keen gardener, into marketing and publicity, or would love to join our very active catering section you'd be more than welcomed. If you’re looking for an opportunity to make new friends and to be part of an organisation that is really going to benefit the region, why not come and see us? All volunteers must be current financial members to be covered for insurance For more information please leave a comment below or send us a private message.

15.01.2022 Project 106 - the restoration of Toowoombas own steam locomotive is steaming ahead with some significant jobs being recently completed including having the boiler sandblasted & painted ready for the pipework, steam fittings & boiler tubes. Stay tuned as we prepare to achieve some major milestones over the next 6 weeks. Here are some cryptic hints!!! and

15.01.2022 Can you guess where these photos were taken? The refurbished Railway Goods Shed, built in 1896 may look a little different today, but it’s walls tell the same s...tories. 110, 850 goods were loaded and unloaded in this shed in 1910. Now it serves as a community space, but these photos are a reminder of what once was. . #toowoombatrails #toowoombaregion #darlingdowns #goods #toowoombaliving #toowoombalife #brisbane #goldcoast #love #toowoombalocal #visittoowoomba #ourtoowoomba #queensland #shed #building #photography #toowoombaphotography See more

15.01.2022 DownsSteam recently installed Queensland Rail/Private Siding change of safeworking signage at Drayton in preparation for the first train services to officially cross the interface boundary.

15.01.2022 Entry to the DownsSteam Drayton Rail Precinct is now $5/adult (children under 16 free). Additional donations are welcomed & appreciated. Payment can be made by cash at the gate, EFTPOS at the Station Shop or online at https://downssteam.com/product/enter/ Thank you to all of our visitors for their generous support in these tough times.

15.01.2022 Wow! Our page has just reached 3000 likes! We can't thank you enough for liking this page THANK YOU for supporting DownsSteam Tourist Railway & Museum and for being a part of our little community!

15.01.2022 Todays historic photo of the day: The interior of a first class seating section on Queensland Railways Winton-bound Midlander train near Dillcar, Qld, 34 ye...ars ago today, July 19 1986. The Midlander was one of QRs fleet of air-conditioned Lander trains introduced in the 1950s to modernise the former non air-conditioned wooden-bodied mail trains. Comprising sitting, sleeping and dining cars, the Midlander ran twice weekly from Rockhampton to the central Queensland outback towns of Longreach and Winton. Curiously, despite having been named The Midlander since 1954, when I made this trip in 1986, I regularly overheard references to the train as being The Mail. This carriage was one of Queensland Railways M series cars built between 1953 and 1955. Used on all Lander trains, the last of these carriages remained in service on the Sunlander until that trains replacement in December 2014. My recollection is that the section photographed was almost the entire first class seating section of the train and that it did not take up the entire carriage. If that is so, then this may have been one of the three MCL class composite sitting cars that provided 18 first class and 24 second class seats. The Midlander ran until 1993 when it was replaced by the Spirit of the Outback - a twice weekly train that runs from Brisbane to Longreach via Rockhampton. Whilst the Midlander was very much a train for locals, todays Spirit is targeted at tourists. Although the Spirit of the Outback is certainly a great train, it terminates at Longreach, whereas the old Midlander in 1986 continued on to Winton, so its no longer possible to travel through Dillcar.

14.01.2022 Vote in the Royal Australian Mint rail themed coins survey to help choose the next theme for Australian Rail commemorations. Lets see some Queensland locomotives and journeys represented!

14.01.2022 Did you know that trains have axles, just like a car! The axle is a part of the Bogie, and keeps the wheels moving together as the train runs. Bogies are mounte...d under the carriage to guide it along the track. Come and have a closer look in our Diesel Revolution exhibition to learn more https://bit.ly/300MMIc See more

14.01.2022 Did you know that we can accommodate buses at DownsSteam Drayton? A wide shoulder with paved access makes set-down & pickup a breeze. Contact us to make a group booking for a meal in our dining car and a guided site tour.

14.01.2022 With the Drayton yard needing to be rearranged recently it was fantastic to see 1172 shunting around with a set of stainless steel suburban coaches in tow.

13.01.2022 Thank you to everyone who turned out today to support us for our public reopening! We had a gentle stream of visitors wandering through most of the day with quite a few opting to stop by our dining car for a hot drink and a quick bite to eat or picking-up souvenirs from our gift shop. Opening hours will remain Saturdays (only) 9am-3pm with tea, coffee & light snacks available (menu may vary, kitchen closes after lunch), until further notice. Whos visiting us next Saturday?

13.01.2022 Think it’s okay to trespass? We have 12,000 CCTV cameras situated around the rail network, so the chances of getting caught and handed a fine are high. Hard Pass to Trespass. Learn more: queenslandrail.com.au/trespass

13.01.2022 Vintage rollingstock isn't always easily accessible for passengers with reduced mobility. With some creative thinking and a community giving grant from Aurizon, last year we were able to retrofit two wheelchair lifts to one of our suburban coaches.

11.01.2022 The view from the rear coach of the Stainless Steel Suburban set at Drayton with 1172 on duty as yard shunt loco.

11.01.2022 A massive thanks again to Loughlin Crane Hire for providing us with specialised lifting and transportation services. Our latest job involved the relocation of our two tanker wagons - OLO 44344 "Golden Fleece" & OCEM 44040 from our Drayton East site to our Drayton West site ready to be worked on in conjunction with the C16-106 restoration. The 40,000-litre OLO tanker will be converted into dedicated onsite water storage for the steam loco and the 24,400-litre OCEM will be converted into a water wagon for longer tours.

11.01.2022 When Platform 10 became Platform 9 3/4!

10.01.2022 Our Drayton site is currently closed for the Christmas/New Year break and will reopen on Tuesday 12th of January 2021. Happy New Year from all the volunteers at DownsSteam!

10.01.2022 Its time for another installment of #StationSaturday. A little bit New South Wales, a little bit Queensland. A passenger train hauled by a BB18 steam locomotive arrives on the Queensland Platform at Wallangarra. RG Henderson, c1965. QMN Collection. #qldcultureathome #museumathome

09.01.2022 Our site will close for our annual volunteers break on Saturday 19th of December and reopen on Tuesday 12th of January 2021. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from all the volunteers at DownsSteam!

09.01.2022 You deserve to be spoilt! Try our vintage dining car experience for your next small group outing or Christmas Party. Book now by contacting 07 4630 2358 or visit downssteam.com.

09.01.2022 It's a year since we lost Tim Fischer - Regional and rural advocate, politician, train enthusiast and country music lover! His wife Judy Brewer has spent ...the last year donating to the countless charities, foundations and museums Tim wanted to share his legacy with. Judy says Tim loved 'Spirit of the Bush' by Lee Kernaghan and 'Tenterfield Saddler' by Peter Allen. To honour the date, tell us your favourite country song

08.01.2022 Its a year since we lost Tim Fischer - Regional and rural advocate, politician, train enthusiast and country music lover! His wife Judy Brewer has spent ...the last year donating to the countless charities, foundations and museums Tim wanted to share his legacy with. Judy says Tim loved Spirit of the Bush by Lee Kernaghan and Tenterfield Saddler by Peter Allen. To honour the date, tell us your favourite country song

08.01.2022 Railway enthusiasts - we need your help! A very poignant video about the current crisis facing tourist and heritage railways around the world. We will be opening the main gates to our Drayton Museum & Workshop Precinct at 9am this Saturday for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic! Come on down and say Gday to our friendly volunteers (from a socially appropriate distance).... Site entry is by donation and every dollar counts as we continue forging ahead towards achieving our goal of operating mainline tourist & heritage passenger services from Drayton. Cant make it to our precinct? Donations can be made online anytime at https://downssteam.com/donate/ Maybe you have some spare time up your sleeve and are interested in volunteering with us, more info at https://downssteam.com/volunteering/

08.01.2022 DownsSteam Drayton is looking blooming gorgeous ahead of Toowoombas annual Carnival of Flowers. @ DownsSteam Tourist Railway & Museum

08.01.2022 The last station on the Millmerran Branch Line, c2000, brings us to the end of September's #StationSaturday. Don't worry though, we'll be back next week with a new batch! Bruce Buchannan.

08.01.2022 Restored 60t diesel-electric locomotive 1172 on display at the Drayton Rail Precinct for Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.

07.01.2022 Behind the scenes at DownsSteam Drayton for filming of the new SS.Sebastian music clip. We cant wait to see the final cut! Compadre Picture Co. @samscoufos @danicabs @katherinecooke @mrjameslees #downssteam #compadrefilms #toowoomba #filmshoot

07.01.2022 C16-106 "The Pride of Toowoomba" has reached another exciting milestone with the chassis, wheels, boiler and cab all now reunited!

07.01.2022 Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers Week - Drayton Rail Precinct opening hours Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday 9 am till 3 pm. Entry fee $5/adults. Cafe Loco opening hours - 9 am till 1:30 pm for barista coffee, morning tea & light lunches. Souvenirs are available at the Drayton Station Shop. A selection of plants are also available for purchase. Live steam display of Robey traction engine. Note: section car rides will not be operating. We look forward to seeing you at DownsSteam!

06.01.2022 Loughlin Crane Hire are once again back at DownsSteam Drayton for more heavy lifting!

06.01.2022 Visitors to the DownsSteam Drayton site please be advised of the following key information and COVID-19 terms/conditions (effective immediately and in place until further notice).

05.01.2022 C16-106 "Pride of Toowoomba" built by the Toowoomba Foundry in 1914 as Southern Cross Works Build No. 28. Join us in 2021 as 106 makes her triumphant return to steam! Image: Redbank Railway Museum locomotive postcard.

05.01.2022 DownsSteam Drayton is looking blooming gorgeous ahead of Toowoomba's annual Carnival of Flowers. @ DownsSteam Tourist Railway & Museum

05.01.2022 Getting "cool" photos for social media is never worth risking someone's life. Be sensible, pay attention and stand behind the yellow line on the platform at all times! The lady standing over the yellow line turned around and stepped backward with only metres to spare as the empty coal train rolled past. Lucidus fotografie #railsafe #railsafety #RSW2020

05.01.2022 It's not often that we ask for support, but the following petition could end up helping the 13 volunteer-based heritage railways in Queensland to gain access to funding to keep all our operations sustainable well into the future. Currently, overhauls and restorations of locomotives and carriages are not able to be covered by any Government Funding. If you can show support for this it would be great!... http://chng.it/CbyWW67Q

05.01.2022 The Drayton Platform is starting to look like a trans-shipping dock with the number of palletised boxes being delivered recently. Whats in the boxes? All will be revealed soon!

05.01.2022 A stop at Drayton Station isn't complete without a visit to the DownsSteam Station Shop.

04.01.2022 One of our volunteer drivers showing off restored vintage diesel locomotive '1172' to visitors. Interested in volunteering at DownsSteam Tourist Railway & Museum? Have a look at our volunteering page for all the info and to download a membership form https://downssteam.com/volunteering/

04.01.2022 A milestone 20 years in the making as Project 106 Major Sponsor - Clive Berghofer AM lit the first fire in 106's boiler since April 1964! The day that loco 106 is steaming across the Downs draws ever closer.

04.01.2022 A Very Merry Christmas And a Happy and Healthy New Year To all DownsSteam Members and friends! The Christmas Edition of "On-Track" is attached as images or a pdf version can be viewed at https://downssteam.com/ontrack1220/

04.01.2022 Former "Sunlander" coaches repainted for Great Divide Scenic Railway on display at the DownsSteam Drayton Railway Precinct.

04.01.2022 DP13 at Wiltshire on an ARHS tour. This was the last passenger train to go beyond Wynyard.

04.01.2022 Another milestone towards commencing railway operations at DownsSteam was achieved today with the Australian Society of Section Car Operators (ASSCO) operating the first official train service out of the DownsSteam Drayton Private Siding!!! Regular visitors to DownsSteam may recognise a couple of cars in the consist owned by DownsSteam members as visiting rollingstock to the precinct when section car rides are operating. ASSCO is an accredited Rollingstock Operator dedicated to providing safe access to operating railways for section car owners & enthusiasts and regularly runs on tracks owned by Queensland Rail. Learn more at https://assco.com.au/

03.01.2022 Our resident train photographer was out and about on the Western Line over the weekend and got some great shots of the Aurizon coal trains! Corbin Pratt Lucidus fotografie

03.01.2022 The Australian Society of Section Car Operators (ASSCO) operating the first official train service out of the DownsSteam Drayton Private Siding - attached article by the Pittsworth Sentinel.

03.01.2022 Drayton Station platform double stacked with suburban and long-distance coach sets under restoration.

03.01.2022 Rail Safety Week is held every year in August to raise awareness of rail safety within the community. This year its running from Monday 10 August until Sunday 16 August. Coordinated by organisations across Australia and New Zealand and supported by Tracksafe, it aims to engage and educate the community of the importance of rail safety which includes being safe and acting responsibly on and around the rail network. For more information, visit www.tracksafefoundation.com.au/rail-safety-week #RSW2020 #TrackSAFE #RailSAFE #RailSafety

03.01.2022 That doesn't look right! C16 106's tender is temporarily sitting on transfer wheels ready for the water tank to be worked on. Restoration Project 106 is steaming ahead thanks to our major sponsor Clive Berghofer AM and our amazing team of volunteers.

03.01.2022 Some of the rails at Drayton are well over 100 years old! This section is dated 1881 from Moss Bay Steel in England.

02.01.2022 Lady MacGregor Lounge inside SX1647 Darling Downs Finest Dining Car.

02.01.2022 Unfortunately we have had to make the tough decision due to ongoing Covid restrictions to cancel our annual Fathers Day buffet Breakfast at Drayton. Thank you for your understanding and hopefully we can back on track for a bigger and better 2021.

02.01.2022 Can you tell what year this Sunlander Dining Car photo was taken? The trendy threads of this waitress and her passengers give a clue!

02.01.2022 ***Update: Our office phone lines are now back in service.*** It seems that our Station Office phone line has stopped working! We apologise for any inconvenience!!! If you need to contact us please either leave a voicemail on the office number or send us a private message/email. Our IT volunteer is aiming to have the phones repaired as soon as possible.

01.01.2022 Robey & Co. 3hp Class A SC Portable delivered to Sydney from the UK on 10-4-1911 & currently drives a water pump & generator as a steam power display on open days.