I used to go to the Williamstown Train Museum as a kid. This, I remember was for birthday parties and school excursions. I recall getting bored rather quickly, as the way the museum is laid out is not very engaging. For the most part, it doesn’t really feel like a museum, more like a scrap yard. Locomotives sit exposed to the elements and generally look in poor condition. It is possible to enter the cab of most of the displays, see the controls of the trains and get a driver’s view. However, historical information feels sparse, and there really isn’t much else on offer.
Visiting the museum as an adult, I regret to say it has not changed much. While the museum does have an interesting mix of steam, diesel and suburban rolling stock, it is relatively small. A roof over some of the exhibits is a very recent addition. This, however, does not change the look of decay of most of the locomotives.
It does have some notable examples from Victoria’s railway history, such as H220. H220, or Heavy Harry, was a steam locomotive. Built in the 1940s, it was the largest train ever to operate in Australia. Whilst only one was ever built, Victorian Railways had planned to build more, but events elsewhere in the world prevented that. World War Two diverted manpower, materials and expertise away from the railways.
Heavy Harry, or H220, was originally intended for use on The Overland, the Melbourne to Adelaide passenger service, which has been in operation since 1887. It was never used for this purpose. Instead H220, had a modest seventeen-year career, becoming an exhibit at this museum in 1964.
There are a number of locomotives, from what was called Operation Phoenix. Operation Phoenix was a program by the Victorian Railways to revitalise the railways in Victoria, which was instigated after the neglect that Victorian industry had experienced. This was due to World War Two. J, as well as R class steam locomotives, are on display. The histories of these locomotive classes I have covered in previous Almanac pieces. If you want to read them, click here. Lastly, there is one B class diesel, as well as an L class Electric Locomotive. Both of these exhibits date back to Operation Phoenix.
Generally speaking, this museum does have a wide range of railway history. I visited on the same day I went to the Newport Railway Workshops Open Day, where there was all manner of railway preservation groups, locomotives doing demonstrations, model railways and merchandise. So, in comparison, Williamstown Train Museum, must have seemed quiet. Some parts of the museum may have been closed as well. I’d say Williamstown Train Museum is still worth a look, if you’ve never been.
You can read more from RagingBull (Callum Quirk) Here.
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Thanks for this, Callum.
As someone who is born and bred Williamstown, I am very familiar with the train museum. Basically, it is volunteer run, and they have been crying out for more funding for decades. A few morsels were thrown their way which enabled them to erect the covers which you mention.