Queensland has realised the importance of railway heritage. The Workshops at the North Ipswich rail yards with $15 million in funding from the Queensland Heritage Trails Network was revived and developed into a living history experience. Now as part of the Queensland Museum, visitors can watch workers as they restore parts of Queensland 's Heritage Fleet of steam locomotives and rollingstock.

Victoria is still looking at a proposal for a Railway Heritage Centre at the historic Newport Workshops while Seymor and other regional depots have been funded. Newport is being proposed because of its closeness to many of Melbourne 's other fine museums.

South Australia has its inner city National Rail Museum at Port Adelaide. It has been classed as one of Australia 's top railway attractions.

Heritage Management

The following are extracts from State Rail's Annual Reports - State Rail is the owner of the largest collection of heritage assets of any Government agency and is one of the leaders in heritage management. These assets include structures, disused (non-essential infrastructure, rollingstock and track vehicles, machinery and equipment, antique furniture and clocks, artworks, small artefacts, historical records and archaeology. State Rail acknowledges its legal obligations towards its heritage and appreciates many of the assets are held in high regard by the public, employees and former employees, preservation groups and historical societies.

State Rail's Annual Reports 2000-2001 showed that $169,000 was paid to heritage consultants for the Rollingstock Conservation Management Plan. These two very large heritage reports were produced to locate and identify State Rail's heritage rollingstock – one for locomotives and the other for carriages and wagons.

Many of the items in these reports are in the possession of, and/or deeded to, accredited heritage groups or societies but in what condition? -the reports tell it all. While a concerted effort is being made by many societies, money is short, quality volunteer labour is difficult to source and retain while suitable large undercover storage and workshop areas have not been made available.

So what is the position with Staterail's heritage? Let us look firstly at Rail Estate and secondly at the rollingstock.

Rail Estate

Rail Estate has identified what is left of their heritage real estate and heritage infrastructure – that, which hasn’t been sold off or transferred to other State Government Authorities. This brings us to the Eveleigh Railway Workshops, a property which is listed on the registers of the National Trust, State Rail and on the State Heritage Register.

The Carriage Workshops section is being converted for non-railway purposes but what about other items that have disappeared. Gone are The Boiler Shop, The Tinsmiths Shop, The Pattern Shop, The Plumbers Shop, The Coppersmiths Shop, The Iron Steel and Brass Foundry, The Welders Shop, The Wheelwrights Shop, The First Aid Centre, The Potash Cleaning Plant, The Paint Shop and the Transverser between Bay 15 and the Large Erecting Shed. These, all from a multi listed Heritage Site.

Only the Large Erecting Shed has remained in continual use for its original purpose, dismantling, repairing and reconstructing locomotives. Work has been made more difficult by the inability of authorities to allow any of the four large overhead cranes to be used. Two of these cranes between them are capable of lifting a 200 ton locomotive or a quick lift of 1 ton kibbels to re-coal a locomotive. These cranes are the most important piece of equipment in this complex and without them large sums of 3801 Limited’s maintenance money is being used to hire mobile cranes. This is State Rail’s heritage assets that are being maintained.

The Railway Museum?

The Large Erecting Shed was built in 1898. It is 44 meters wide by 183 meters long with 6 railway tracks running the full length. It has recently been re-roofed and doors and windows repaired.

Shouldn’t this be the location for The Eveleigh Railway Museum. Only 15 minutes from any CBD station, on a regular and reliable rail service. How many more visitors would you attract here without the 3 hour round trip to Picton plus the bus trip.

Use half the Large Erecting Shed as it is being used today but with the other half a semi-static museum exhibiting special carriages like the Commissioners Set, the State Governor ’s Car, or a Running Train not being used that day on excursions. Yes, continue to run heritage trips out of Eveleigh.

The major problem is that State Rail appears to be making it more difficult for societies to run steam on the systems mainlines. State Rail is forcing heritage rail operations out of their traditional homes with locomotives like 3801 and 3830 destined for a country paddock.

The Large Erecting Shed is a far better site than the Carriage Works Paint Shop mentioned briefly in the 2003-2004 State Rail Annual Report. The height in the Large is ideal for adding a mezzanine floor in various sections for fixed display and administration purposes.

Selected heritage items could be restored here by a team of experts. There are no trade courses available, these skills have been passed down to the selected few by long retired tradesmen and personal hands on experience. Assistance could also come from museum volunteer s and State Rail apprentices who really appreciate the heritage training they receive with 3801 Limited. And timber working machinery being dumped by State Rail was saved and installed in the Large Erecting Shed where it is being used for restoration of State Rail’s assets.

The National Trust has long supported the Heritage Trades Training Program and this could be a key element. The potential employment opportunities are well in accord with the Redfern/Waterloo Authorities’ objectives of providing better employment opportunities in the area.

Yes a huge tourist complex could be created - where?, Right here beside the Sydney CBD.

Rollingstock

Some of Australia ’s finest carriages are stored in the Eveleigh complex. Timber carriages constructed with only the best selected Australian timbers including Red Cedar. An elite heritage collection of carriages is hidden away and rarely if ever placed on public display. This is State Rail’s and Australia ’s heritage saved for all to see and enjoy but is it also destined to that same country paddock?

What do you think - is State Rail being one of the State’s leading heritage managers?