This engine sat in Emerald Rotary Park for many years.
Following withdrawal from service, Queensland Railways donated No.1086 to the Emerald Chamber of Commerce and it was plinthed in a park at Emerald.
No.1086 was one of the final twenty BB181/4 Class 4-6-2 passenger locomotives constructed by Walkers Ltd, Maryborough between 1955 and 1958, among the last new steam locomotives to enter service in Australia. No.1086 carries Walkers Ltd builder's number 554 of 1957. It entered service with Queensland Railways in October 1957 and was retired in October 1969 after a working life of only 12 years.
Following withdrawal from service, Queensland Railways donated No.1086 to the Emerald Chamber of Commerce and it was plinthed in a park at Emerald.
No.1086 was acquired by Mackay Heritage Railway Inc. circa 2000 for intended restoration to operation (together with sister No.1037) and transferred to Mackay for storage. I believe it remains in covered storage at Mackay; further information about the Mackay Heritage Railway group and their progress is welcome.
An excellent reference for further information about the BB181/4 Class locomotives is "Locomotives in the Tropics, Volume 2, Queensland Railways 1910 - 1958" by John Armstrong.
The President of the Emerald Chamber of
Commerce, Victor Cominos recently recalled the joy in the local community when
it was announced that the steam locomotive had been donated to the Emerald
Chamber of Commerce and that it was going to be prominently located in Rotary
Park.
Mr. Cominos said, “The effort put into
the relocation project by members of the Emerald Rotary Club and local Railway
Workers should be recorded for all time, a plaque should be erected on the site
where the steam locomotive stood for all of those years, future generations need to know the story”.
This story has been brought to you by the Emerald Chamber of Commerce Inc.
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