Full steam ahead at Sulphide Street Station Railway and Historical Museum

Railway enthusiasts and history buffs can now get even more from a visit to the Sulphide Street Station Railway and Historical Museum Trust at Broken Hill following the opening of a new transport pavilion.

The pavilion, which was opened in August, has been named after Ron Carter in recognition of his continuing volunteer service to the museum which began 38 years ago.

Christine Adams, the trust’s secretary/treasurer, said: “Large transport memorabilia has been re-located from the platform to the new building for conservation purposes and a workshop for volunteers has been included in the building.

“The project has already had a positive effect with visitors staying longer and enjoying the ‘open’ platform, and more local people visiting the museum – which is just what we wanted to see.”

The Sulphide Street Railway and Historical Museum immortalises the history of the Silverton Tramway Company (STC), so named because it was privately owned by a group of local businessmen and could not be registered as a railway company because railways were controlled by relevant state governments.

The STC operated a narrow gauge railway between the South Australian border and the Broken Hill mines 35 miles inland from 1888 to 1970 when a new standard gauge railway was introduced.

The company hauled 57 million tons of freight, carried nearly three million passengers and helped to greatly reduce the isolation of Broken Hill.

In 1975 the Board of the STC donated the Sulphide Street Railway Station and three acres of land, plus all books and records, rolling stock and surplus equipment to the then NSW Department of Lands for museum purposes only.

In 1981 the Sulphide Street Railway and Historical Museum was opened. The museum’s collection is unique as it displays the only private railway common carrier equipment in operation in Australia at that time.

The trust was created in 1981 and the trustees, a number of whom have been in their roles since its inception, and a team of volunteers ensure the museum is open to the public every day except Christmas Day and Good Friday.

A number of the volunteers are ex-STC employees who are happy to share their wealth of information with visitors.

Christine said: “The Sulphide Street Railway Station is a magnificent example of Victorian architecture. It was constructed as a passenger terminal in 1904 and is now one of the few physical reminders of the colourful early boom days of the STC and an important part of Broken Hill’s transport and social history.

“The museum is very much a ‘living museum’ with the station and locomotives transporting visitors back in time.

“The Y and W Class locomotives delivered iron ore to the smelters and ports of South Australia, ensuring the wealth of a city, and miners and their families were transported in their thousands to picnic and holiday destinations. You can feel the anticipation of these long ago holiday-makers as you walk through the carriages of these grand old trains.”