Power and Movement

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Powerful line shafting

Long rows of rotating line shafts mounted aloft the Workshops’ great iron beams powered much of Eveleigh’s machinery.

The Roaring Giant

Eveleigh was likened to a roaring giant by Stan Jones, Secretary of the Eveleigh Sub-Branch of the Australian Railways Union. Stan had followed his grandfather, father, uncles and cousins to Eveleigh.

Hydraulic Power

Hydraulic Power was essential to Workshop operations, and fundamental to early industrial technological advancement.
  • 1825

    World's first railway, operating with steam locomotives, opens in England.

  • 1886

    The surviving hydraulic system at Eveleigh is installed, a year before the workshops open, making it the oldest system of its kind in Australia.

  • 1899

    Eveleigh expands to meet increasing demand with new foundry and boiler shop extensions and Large Erecting Shop completed.

  • 1908

    Four M class boilers are installed in Boiler House Annexe Bay 3.

  • 1920

    Four identical C36 class locomotive boilers are installed and adapted as stationary boilers in the Boiler House Annexe Bay 3. These remain in-situ today.

  • 1924

    From 1924 to 1927 ten boilers of the C36 class are built at Eveleigh.

  • 1965

    Steam locomotion is abandoned.

  • 1966

    The two Davy Press boilers are removed and four stationary boilers in the Boiler House are converted to run on oil (and later on natural gas).

  • 2009

    On the night of the 2 July 2009, the Powerhouse Museum's restored Steam Locomotive 3265 embarks on a trial run.

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