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Railway engineering

City Underground

The creation of a city railway was a central concern for town planners in Sydney from almost the moment that the first railway was opened in 1855. Initially the main terminus was in Cleveland Paddocks on the outskirts of the city, meaning commuters coming into town were required to alight from the train and transfer to trams, hansom cabs or omnibuses to continue into the city. The underground City Circle, and the city as we know it, took one hundred years to be completed.

Commonwealth Engineering

Engineering firm, known as Comeng, in Granville that was responsible for building many of Sydney's buses, trams and trains, including Australia's first stainless steel railcars in 1954. Originally founded as private company Smith & Waddington in Camperdown, the firm moved to Granville after the Depression and was subsequently used by the Australian government to produce materials during World War 2. The name was changed to Commonwealth Engineering when the government purchased a controlling interest in the company in 1946. This interest was sold in 1957.

The Granville factory closed in 1989 and has since been demolished.

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Barton, Edwin

Engineer and surveyor who was appointed in 1859 as second in charge of railway surveys to find a route across the Blue Mountains. He worked for the colonial government from 1856 until 1867.

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Byles, Cyril Beuzeville

Railway signal engineer father of Marie Byles.

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Deane, Henry

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Engineer-in-chief for railway construction from 1891 and an accomplished botanist.

Thow, William

Railway engineer who worked for the South Australian Railways and became chief mechanical engineer of the New South Wales Railways. He was involved in two royal commissions in 1892. Thow was accused of belonging to a 'ring' with Edward Eddy, Sir John Fowler and the English locomotive manufacturers, Beyer, Peacock and Company, but the charges were eventually dismissed. His overall influence on locomotive development was considerable; his designs operating on five Australian systems. He died leaving an estate valued at 15,962 pounds.

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Wallace, James

Scottish civil engineer who became a leader in railway construction in England and the rest of Europe before coming to Sydney to oversee its first railway construction. He was the second Engineer-in-Chief of the NSW Government Railway.

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Walsh, John

Building and railway contractor who built railways in Queensland, became Cooktown's first mayor in 1876 and was also the member for Cook in the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 1878-83. He also worked on the Goulburn to Cooma railway in New South Wales in 1887. Shortly after this project he built Avonmore Terrace in Randwick and lived there until his death.

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Chullora Railway Workshops

Repair facility for the maintenance of locomotives and rolling stock for the New South Wales Government Railways.

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Eveleigh railway workshops

Industrial complex which contains some of the earliest engineering technologies in Australia. Built to service and build steam locomotives, it became a munitions factory during both world wars and now houses arts, theatre and conference facilities, restaurants, markets and technology industries.

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Zig Zag Railway

Railway which required four large cuttings and three stone viaducts to overcome an otherwise insurmountable climb up the eastern side of the Blue Mountains. Closed as a commercial line in 1910 it re-opened as a tourist railway in 1975.

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