Railways and Tramways of Australia

The first train to Canberra, hauled by engine no. 120 (later 1210), 25 May 1914. Photo: NSW State Archives, NRS-21573-2-7-PR4252.

Train to the capital

The first train reached Canberra on 25 May 1914.

Canberra was selected as the site for Australia’s capital in 1909. The railway from Goulburn had reached Queanbeyan in 1887 and was later extended to Cooma and Bombala. Only a short distance of railway was required to connect Canberra to the existing New South Wales railway network at Queanbeyan.

The railway from Queanbeyan was built by the Construction Branch of the Public Works Department of New South Wales, with work beginning in 1913. It was 8.5 km in length and extended to the site of the Kingston power house, which became one of the first permanent public buildings in Canberra. The initial purpose of the railway was to transport building materials for the new city of Canberra. An agreement was made for the New South Wales Railways to operate the line.

On 25 May 1914 a goods train hauled by C Class 4-4-0 locomotive no. 120 became the first train to reach Canberra. There was no official ceremony to mark the opening of the railway. Although a small platform was built with the line, no passenger services operated. Initial services on the line consisted of infrequent goods and military trains. Mixed trains began running to Canberra in 1923 and passenger trains in 1926.

Locomotive no. 120 was renumbered as Z12 Class engine 1210 in 1924. Following its withdrawal from regular service in 1958 it was used for hauling the Vintage Train and other special services. No. 1210 was handed over to the National Capital Development Commission to be preserved in 1962. It was placed on display outside Canberra station, remaining there until 1984. It is now an exhibit at Canberra Rail Museum.

No. 1210 has special significance as the first locomotive to reach Australia’s capital.

Bibliography

CC Singleton, ‘Railways in the Australian Capital Territory’, Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, no. 361, November 1967, pp 244–52.

HJW Stokes, Railways of the Canberra and Monaro districts, Australian Railway Historical Society (ACT Division), Canberra, 1984.

RKE Woodhouse, ‘Preservation of locomotive No. 1210 at Canberra’, Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, no. 293, March 1952, pp 33–5.

1210, railway museum, Canberra, 27 September 2009.