"Peter Ford"

"Peter Ford"

BB18¼ No.1037 “Peter Ford” Back in Steam at DownsSteam

No.1037 was built by Vulcan Foundry and entered service in 1951. It spent much of its working life in Central and North Queensland and was one of the last steam locomotives to run on the QR system, retiring in March 1970 from Mackay.

After retirement, 1037 spent around 30 years on static display in Mackay. A dedicated volunteer group the Mackay Heritage Railway later took on the enormous task of restoring it to working order. The project was led for many years by the late Peter Ford, in whose honour the locomotive now carries the name “Peter Ford”.

Following decades of volunteer effort, 1037 was finally steamed again and moved to DownsSteam in Toowoomba, where its restoration and commissioning were completed. In 2024, it hauled its first passenger train on the Darling Downs, the first time in more than half a century it had worked under its own power.

Today, BB18¼ 1037 “Peter Ford”:

• Operates tourist steam trips from DownsSteam
• Showcases Queensland’s steam heritage in live operation
• Stands as a tribute to community passion and long-term volunteer dedication
   

No. 1037 - Vulcan Foundry 5963

No. 1037, built by the Vulcan Foundry in Lancashire, began service with Queensland Railways in July 1951.

It was the last QR steam engine in the Mackay region, retiring in March 1970. Withdrawn from service, Queensland Rail displayed No. 1037 at the old Mackay railway station. Around 2000, Queensland Rail donated the locomotive to Mackay Heritage Railway Inc., a local group of enthusiasts, for operational restoration.  

BB18 1/4 Class Background

The Queensland Railways operated the BB18 1/4 class locomotive, a 4-6-2 steam locomotive that was an improved version of the B18 1/4 class.

From the outset these locomotives performed similar duties throughout their operational lives as the B18 1/4 class, as goods, mixed, surburban and long distance passenger trains.

The first 35 BB18 1/4 class locomotives were manufactured by the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows, England, between 1950 and 1951. An additional 20 were built by Walker Limited in Maryborough from 1955 to 1958. Notably, No. 1089 was the final steam engine to be commissioned for service on a mainline Australian railway. 

A Little Bit of History

The BB18¼ class were the last steam passenger locomotives designed for Queensland’s narrow-gauge railways and the final word in QR mainline steam. Built between 1950 and 1958, these 4-6-2 “Pacific” types were modern, capable engines that worked right across the state until the end of steam in the late 1960s.

They were developed as an improved version of the earlier B18¼ class, with better performance, reliability and crew comfort. In total, 55 locomotives were built:

• 35 by Vulcan Foundry (England) delivered 1950–51
• 20 by Walkers Limited (Maryborough) delivered 1955–58
   

The final member of the class, No.1089, holds a special place in history as the last new steam locomotive ever built for an Australian mainline railway.

Design & Features

 A Modern Queensland “Pacific”

The BB18¼s combined proven Queensland steam practice with modern improvements suggested by Vulcan Foundry engineers. Key features included:

• 4-6-2 “Pacific” wheel arrangement ideal for passenger and mixed traffic work
• All axles on roller bearings reduced friction and maintenance, improved reliability
• Larger tenders more coal and water for longer runs between stops
• Improved piston valves and steam passages better power and efficiency at speed
• Lightweight SCOA-P driving wheels hollow-section spokes to reduce rotating mass
• Revised layout of equipment including relocated air pumps for easier access
   

The locomotives also carried distinctive multi-tone chime whistles, quickly becoming a signature sound of Queensland steam in the 1950s and 60s.

Lighting and appearance:

• Early Vulcan-built engines were fitted with oil lamps
• Later Walkers-built engines introduced electric lighting (tender rear, side and motion lights) a first for Queensland steam
• All were turned out in smart green liveries darker “Hawthorn Green” on the Vulcan engines, and a brighter green on the Walkers batch

In Service The Last Mainline Steam Workhorses

Entering service from 1951, the BB18¼s quickly proved themselves as versatile, go-anywhere locomotives.

They worked:

• Express and mail trains on main lines
• Suburban and regional passenger services
• Mixed and goods trains, and even shunting when required
   

Allocated over time to depots including Mayne (Brisbane), Ipswich, Toowoomba, Maryborough, Rockhampton, Mackay and Townsville, they eventually ranged:

• North to Cairns
• West to Emerald, Charters Towers and Hughenden
• Across South East Queensland and the coastal routes
   

As diesel-electric locomotives arrived in the 1960s, the BB18¼s were progressively pushed off front-line work, but they remained among the last steam engines in service on Queensland Rail. Most were withdrawn by 1969–1970, marking the end of Queensland’s steam era.

Surviving BB18¼ Locomotives

Of the original 55 locomotives, six BB18¼s are known to survive in preservation, either as static exhibits or operational engines:

• No.1037 Restored to full operation and now based at DownsSteam Tourist Railway & Museum (Toowoomba)
• No.1072 “City of Lithgow” Preserved at Zig Zag Railway, Lithgow (NSW), currently awaiting further restoration
• No.1077 Static display at the Waltzing Matilda Centre, Winton (cosmetically renumbered as “1015”)
• No.1079 Preserved by Queensland Rail at The Workshops Rail Museum, Ipswich
• No.1086 Ex “Spirit of Emerald” plinthed loco, now at DownsSteam for restoration
• No.1089 The last steam locomotive built for an Australian mainline, preserved at The Workshops Rail Museum (Ipswich)
   

Each survivor represents a different chapter of the BB18¼ story from park display to fully operational heritage engine.

BB18¼ No.1086 “Project Emerald”

No.1086 was built by Walkers Limited in 1957 and served until the end of the steam era, before being placed on display in Emerald as the “Spirit of Emerald”.

Later acquired by the Mackay Heritage Railway as a future restoration project, 1086 remained stored while work focused on 1037. In 2025, it was transported to DownsSteam to begin its own restoration journey.

At DownsSteam, plans for 1086 include:

• Full mechanical overhaul and boiler restoration
• Return to operational condition alongside 1037
• Use on tourist and heritage services, potentially double-heading with 1037 on special events
   

Having two operational BB18¼ locomotives will be a major boost for heritage steam on the Darling Downs, and will firmly cement DownsSteam as a key custodian of Queensland’s steam legacy.

Why the BB18¼ Class Matters

The BB18¼s represent:

• The final development of Queensland’s mainline steam
• A blend of British design input and local QR innovation
• The engines that worked right up to the end of steam in Queensland
   

Thanks to preservation efforts especially the operational return of No.1037 and the ongoing work on No.1086 visitors today can do more than just read about these locomotives: they can see, hear and feel a BB18¼ at work.

At DownsSteam, the BB18¼ story is kept alive not just as static history, but as living, breathing steam, honouring the crews, engineers and volunteers who have cared for these remarkable locomotives across generations.