Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Goulburn Railway Workshops

Goulburn locomotive depot
Location
Location	12 Braidwood Road Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia
Coordinates	34°46′16″S 149°42′41″E / 34.7711564°S 149.7114792°E / -34.7711564; 149.7114792
History
Opened	1869
Closed	1986

The Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre is a cool museum located in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia. It sits right on the Main Southern railway line. This special place used to be a big workshop where trains were fixed and built. It's also known as the Goulburn Rail Workshop or the Goulburn Roundhouse.

This important site was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register in 1999. A group called the Goulburn Locomotive Roundhouse Preservation Society saved it from being torn down. Now, it's a museum open to everyone. You can see a large collection of old trains and railway items here. Some private train owners also keep their locomotives and carriages here. Plus, some repair work still happens on site!

History of the Goulburn Rail Workshops

After the first railway opened in Sydney in 1855, people wanted a train line to Goulburn. A single railway line from Marulan to Goulburn opened on May 27, 1869.

Building the Train Depot

The New South Wales Government Railways built a train depot in Goulburn in May 1869. This happened when the railway line from Sydney reached Goulburn. A "depot" is a place where trains are stored and maintained.

In 1918, a very large "roundhouse" opened. A roundhouse is a special circular building for trains. This one had 42 "roads," which are like parking spots for locomotives.

Important Railway Buildings

Many other railway buildings were built in Goulburn around the same time. These included a goods shed from 1868 and a carriage shed from 1869. There was also an engine shed from 1869, a coal stage, and a water pump. A turntable helped turn the trains around. The station master's house was built in 1870.

The roundhouse itself was made of brick and corrugated iron. It was built around a large electric-powered turntable. This turntable was about 27.4 meters (90 feet) long.

Changes Over Time

The Goulburn locomotive depot officially closed in July 1986. Its trains were moved to the Junee Locomotive Depot. However, Goulburn still served as a place for trains to stop and refuel for a few more years.

The Goulburn City Council then leased the roundhouse. They hoped to create a national rail museum there. The Goulburn Roundhouse Museum soon became home to several preserved trains. For example, the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum moved locomotive 2419 here in August 1989.

In 1980, a facility for building and fixing train wagons was added. This was located north of the roundhouse. In 2006, this facility was taken over by UGL Rail. When UGL Rail decided to close the workshop in 2010, another company stepped in. In September 2010, Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia signed a ten-year lease for the site. They use it to maintain their own trains and wagons. They also do maintenance work for other train companies like Aurizon.

Museum Exhibits

The Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre has a great collection of railway items. You can see different types of locomotives (train engines), carriages (passenger cars), and wagons (freight cars). They also have other railway equipment.

Here are some of the steam locomotives you can see:

Other Locomotives at the Museum:

• 48 Class diesel locomotive 4821 (This one can still run!)
• General Electric Bo-Bo L80T diesel locomotive D1 (Being fixed up)
• Clyde Engineering Co-Co GM12 Class diesel locomotive GM19 (Owned by RailPower)
• Beyer, Peacock & Co 4-6-0 C32 class steam locomotive 3237 (This one can also run, owned by Lachlan Valley Railway)

Gallery

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  Locomotive 4821

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  Wheel Lathe

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  Locomotive 3085

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  Signalling Display

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  General Electric Bo-Bo L80T

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  Telegraphy

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  Breakdown Crane 1072

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  Carriages

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  Entrance

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  Carriage under restoration

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  Heritage boundaries