Downs Explorer turns heads in Toowoomba as hundreds climb aboard a piece of history

‘It’s one thing to look at it in a museum, but to see a steam locomotive on the tracks, or to be on-board one of the carriages, that’s something else.’

With thick white steam billowing out and its piercing whistle reverberating through the streets, the Downs Explorer C17 steam locomotive did more than turn a few heads when it pulled in and out of Toowoomba over the weekend.

Hundreds of passengers flocked to the heritage-listed railway station to be transported back in time aboard the Downs Explorer for a day trip to Wyreema and back.

The Downs Explorer operated by the Southern Downs Steam Railway took passengers on return trips to Wyreema. Saturday, June 26, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Operated by the Southern Downs Steam Railway Association out of Warwick, the restored 1951 C17 steam locomotive built in Maryborough was the main attraction, and secretary Kevin Patterson know why.

“Everybody wants to take a look at the steam locomotive, it’s an impressive piece of machinery,” he said.

“It’s one thing to look at it in a museum, but to see a steam locomotive on the tracks, or to be on-board one of the carriages, that’s something else.

Kevin Patterson, SDSR secretary. The Downs Explorer operated by the Southern Downs Steam Railway took passengers on return trips to Wyreema. Saturday, June 26, 2021. Picture: Nev Madsen.

“We didn’t go anywhere last year, due to Covid we had to shut the trains down but since we got cracking again in January this year we’ve had maximum capacity crowds.

“One weekend we had 164 people on a Sunday afternoon trip to Goondiwindi, there wasn’t much room in the carriages that day.”

To learn more about the Downs Explorer, visit their website.