Locomotives

The first steam locomotives

In 1888-89 the first three steam locomotives arrived by sea for the Normanton Railway. Locomotives 1, 2 and 3 were all built in England by the Vulcan Foundry in Lancashire, being supplied by the Fairlie Engine Company for what was the Central Railway. All three locomotives were built in 1877.
Originally the locomotives had been built for use on the Central Railway, which was being extended progressively from Rockhampton west towards Barcaldine in the period of the 1870s and 1880s. They were small and underpowered for their use as passenger locomotives, and were used mainly on construction trains and for shunting work. They featured a 2-4-0 wheel arrangement which was similar to the first A10 locomotives that entered service for QR in 1865.
All the locomotives were used on construction work during the building of the railway. The three locomotives were all renumbered under the QR state wide system in 1889 and became:

A10 Number 202 Vulcan 802 of 1877 / Fairlie 602 of 1877

Transferred to the Normanton-Croydon Railway in 1888, 203 was out of use after 1895. The boiler was separated from the loco at Normanton and sent to the Clarina pump, where it remains. It is thought that the 4-wheel tender was possibly used as a water cart (together with that from 204). The tenders were reunited with the engine frames at Normanton in 1985.

 

The Railmotors

After 1929, railmotors that provided the service were built on bus and truck chassis of the Associated Equipment Company (AEC). Buses in London had been built on the same type 506 chassis since 1914. Thirty-eight of the chassis were imported into Queensland from 1927-31, and fitted out with seats and bodies, and converted for rail use.

  • RM31: 45 horsepower AEC, built at Ipswich Railway Workshops 1928, in service Normanton Croydon railway 1929-1945.

  • RM32: 45 horsepower AEC, built Ipswich Railway Workshops 1929, in service Normanton-Croydon railway 1945-1960.

  • RM60: 45 horsepower AEC, built Ipswich Railway Workshops 1931, in service Normanton-Croydon railway, 1960-1964.

  • RM74: 100 horsepower AEC railmotor, built Ipswich Railway Workshops 1934, converted in 1942 to 102 horsepower Gardner diesel engine, in service Normanton-Croydon railway 1964-1982.

More modern motive power

RM93, the present Gulflander, is a 102 horsepower Gardner diesel engine railmotor built at Ipswich Railway Workshops in 1950.
It arrived in Normanton in 1982; the name Gulflander was painted on the sides by 1987.
 
DL4 (diesel locomotive): Built in 1964 by Walkers Limited, Maryborough, operated on the Etheridge railway, between Mount Surprise-Forsayth, until 1968, then transferred to Normanton 1988