Carrying Away the Carriages

To be sold through a public process by RailCorp are 134 locomotives, carriages and passenger cars, self-propelled vehicles and associated freight and other vehicles.

Ruby Matthews was one of the volunteers who helped restore a lounge car that has since become a centrepiece of the shop.

Operated by not-for-profit group 3801 Limited, Lounge Car CPJ 924 was painstakingly restored for 18 months by 12 volunteers.

Since then, it has been used for weddings, photo shoots, movies, public heritage tours - and RailCorp corporate trips.

"We flourished until RailCorp decided they wanted the building," said Ms Matthews.

"This carriage had thousands of hours put in to it, all volunteer," she said, adding that there was concern the carriages would not be looked after by their new owners.

A spokesperson for RailCorp said the 134 pieces of non-operational rolling stock were duplicates of other items already held and that their future conservation would be taken into account when sold.

"RailCorp recognises the importance of railway heritage conservation," the spokesperson said.

"So the Office of Rail Heritage has invited groups and individuals to apply for a selection of these moveable heritage items, provided recipients can demonstrate their capability to conserve and display the items."

Photos: Phil Rogers - The Large Erecting Shop will lose restored items and, (inset) Anthony Graham and Ruby Matthews