Railways and Trams, Published 8 April 2026
The Engine That Proved Queensland Could Build Its Own!
In the late 1870s, Queensland’s rails were dominated by giants shipped across the ocean from British factories. But in 1877, a small team at the North Ipswich Workshops decided to make history. Using a clever mix of spare parts from imported Neilson and Avonside engines, they engineered and assembled the very first locomotive ever built in-house. Originally numbered No. 36, this 2-4-0 tank engine became known as the "A10 Ipswich" class - a local hero that proved we didn’t need to wait for a ship from Glasgow to keep the colony moving.
The life of No. 36 was as adventurous as its origin. In 1880, it was "exiled" to the then-isolated Bundaberg line. Because those tracks weren't yet connected to the main southern network, the engine was renumbered to No. 3 for the local register. It spent years chuffing through burgeoning sugar country, and by the time the 1890 statewide renumbering unified all lines, it earned a new identity: No. 132. It was a true survivor, adapting to every change the young railway system threw its way.
As heavier engines took over the main lines in the 1890s, No. 36 found a second calling in the Sugar Industry. Sold in 1892 to the Fairymead Sugar Mill near Bundaberg, it swapped passenger carriages for heavy cane bins. It became a legendary workhorse, serving the mill for an incredible 43 years! Even after a dramatic boiler explosion during its "Avondale" years, the engine was patched up and returned to the fields, working until 1935 - a grand total of 58 years of active service.
Today, No. 36 is a symbol of Queensland’s industrial independence. It paved the way for the massive expansion of the North Ipswich Workshops, proving local hands could build world-class machinery. This single "spare parts" engine was the ancestor of 218 locomotives that eventually rolled out of Ipswich. It’s a legacy of grit and ingenuity that started right here in the SEQ region!
Images colourised from public domain images - Loco ca. Late 1870s - Workshops ca. Early 1900s. While care has been taken to preserve the original details, the result is an artistic interpretation and may not accurately represent the scene as it originally appeared.
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