All aboard the Southern Downs Steam Railway! This Mainline Tourist Heritage Railway and rail museum was established in Warwick in 1995. Southern Downs Steam Railway has restored a Heritage C17 Steam Locomotive to operational condition. C17, is a steam locomotive with eight driving wheels and a 17″ cylinder, originally built between 1920 and 1953.

Southern Downs Steam Railway operates steam train tours from Warwick to Stanthorpe, Toowoomba and Inglewood at select times during the year – see the website for details.

You’ll find the Warwick Railway Precinct on the corner of Hamilton Street and Fitzroy Street where the old Warwick Locomotive Depot used to be, (closed in 1970). This site was chosen as the original train ‘turntable’ was still in place.

A not for profit organisation, most of the restoration work has been completed by ‘work for the dole’ participants. They have restored and re-built the locomotive sheds, workshops, water tower, repairs to the turntable, relaying of railway lines and erecting fencing. Now that the work is completed, volunteers have put up their hands to continue the restoration of the old railway carriages.

An extensive collection of railway memorabilia will also delight train buffs.