Locomotive 1107 –  From Hauling Ore to Hauling Fine Dining

If you’ve ever joined us for a journey aboard The Q Train, chances are you’ve been pulled along the Bellarine Peninsula by a locomotive with a story far bigger than our 32km round trip. Meet 1107, our hardworking diesel‑hydraulic engine with a history carved into some of Australia’s and Tasmania’s toughest rail terrain.
A Proud Tasmanian Beginning
Locomotive 1107 began life in 1971, when Walkers Limited in Maryborough built seven Emu Bay Railway 11-class locomotives to support the booming mineral industry on Tasmania’s rugged West Coast. Built to a similar design as Queensland Railways’ DH class, these locomotives were powerful, compact, and ready for hard work.
  • Builder: Walkers Limited, Maryborough
  • Type: Diesel‑hydraulic
  • Power: 522 kW (700 hp)
  • Prime mover: Caterpillar D398B
  • Weight: 54 tonnes
  • Gauge: 1067 mm
These locomotives arrived to support the establishment of a sulphuric acid plant in Burnie, and they worked tirelessly for decades.
Across Owners and Railways

After the Emu Bay Railway was sold in 1998, the 11-class locomotives continued operating with TasRail until vacuum-braked trains ended in 2002. They were then dispersed across Queensland, with 1107 eventually finding itself far from home in Cairns, until we found her.

In 2019, 1107 became part of The Q Train’s story.

Joining The Q Train Family

In our first year of operation, The Q Train used the Bellarine Railway–owned QR1604 as our sole locomotive. As our reputation grew, and our guest numbers rose, we knew we needed our own motive power to ensure reliable year-round service.

So began a search through the heritage railway world… and that’s when we found 1107.

1107 was available for lease, and although it needed significant restoration, we saw its potential. Under The Q Train’s care, a meticulous, months-long refurbishment returned this locomotive to a new chapter.

A New Kind of Service

1107, once pushing ore across the remote Tasmanian wilderness, now leads a very different life: pulling Australia’s premier rail restaurant.

She hauls up to 116 guests between Drysdale and Queenscliff, providing the steady, smooth ride The Q Train is famous for.

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