Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre, Goulburn, NSW

Goulburn Rail Heritage Centre, located at the roundhouse at Goulburn, was a significant locomotive depot both steam and diesel and their infancies. After its closure as a mainline depot, the roundhouse and workshops were saved from demolition by the Goulburn Locomotive Roundhouse Preservation Society, and is now a museum railway museum with preserved steam and diesel locomotives as well as many interesting examples of rolling stock. Some minor rail operators such as RailPower have used the site to restore diesel locomotives to working order for main line use. The museum is open to the public with large collection of rolling stock and various exhibits, as well as privately owned locomotives and carriages.



Following the completion of the first railway from Sydney to Parramatta Junction in 1855, proposals for the first railways to the rest of NSW included a line to the inland centre of Goulburn. A single line from Marulan to Goulburn opened on 27 May 1869. A depot was built by the New South Wales Government Railways on the southern outskirts of the town when the line from Sydney was opened to Goulburn in May 1869. In 1918, a 42 road roundhouse opened. The Roundhouse was constructed of brick and corrugated iron in 1918 with a 90-foot electrically operated turntable. Associated railway structures at Goulburn included the goods shed (1868), the carriage shed (1869), engine shed (1869), a coal stage, water pump, turntable, and the Station Master’s residence (1870).

The locomotive depot closed in July 1986 with its allocation of locomotives transferred to Junee Locomotive Depot, but remained as a stabling and refueling point for a few years. Goulburn City Council took out a lease on the roundhouse hoping to establish a national rail museum.The Goulburn Roundhouse Museum became home to several preserved locomotives with the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum transferring 2419 from Thirlmere in August 1989.

In 1980, a wagon building and maintenance facility was constructed to the north of the roundhouse. In July 2006 this was transferred to UGL Rail. Following UGL Rail deciding to close the workshop in June 2010, in September 2010 Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia signed a ten-year lease for the site to maintain both its locomotive and wagon fleets. As well as maintaining its own fleet, Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia also perform maintenance for other operators including Aurizon.