Walkers Limited
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Engineering, Shipbuilding, Locomotive manufacturing |
| Founded | 1863 |
| Founder | John Walker and associates |
| Headquarters | Maryborough , Australia |
| Products | Ships, Railway locomotives, Rolling stock |
| Parent | Downer Rail (since 2001) |
Walkers Limited was an engineering and shipbuilding firm located in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia, known for its expertise in constructing large vessels and railway locomotives. The original Walkers manufacturing site continues to produce locomotives and rolling stock today under the ownership of Downer Rail.
History
The company traces its origins to 1863 when John Walker and his associates established the Union Foundry under the name John Walker & Co in Ballarat. A branch facility was launched in Maryborough in 1867. The Ballarat operations were divested in 1879, and by 1884 the enterprise was incorporated as John Walker & Co Limited, later adopting the name Walkers Limited in 1888. The firm primarily provided machinery components for sugar mills during this period.
In 1980, Walkers Limited became part of Evans Deakin Industries through acquisition. After Evans Deakin was taken over by Downer Group in 2001, the Maryborough plant has functioned as a division of Downer Rail.
The Walkers Sugar Business was purchased by Bundaberg Foundry Engineers in 2003, which rebranded it as Bundaberg Walkers Engineering in 2008.
Ships
Starting in 1884, the company constructed five hopper barges commissioned by the Queensland Department of Harbours & Rivers; these vessels were subsequently converted into auxiliary gunboats—the largest warships manufactured within Australia before federation. During World War II, Walkers built two River-class frigates, one Bay-class frigate, seven Bathurst-class corvettes, and various smaller craft. Naval orders following the war included seven Attack-class patrol boats during the late 1960s and eight Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy in the early 1970s. The shipyard in Maryborough ceased operations in 1974 upon completing these contracts.
- 1 Bay-class frigate:
- 2 River-class frigates: and
- 7 Bathurst-class corvettes: , , , , , , and
- 7 Attack-class patrol boats: , , , , , , and
- 8 Balikpapan-class landing craft heavy: , , , , , , , and
- 9 Koala-class boom defence vessels: HMAS Kimbla
- 2 Explorer-class general-purpose vessels: HMAS Bass, HMAS Banks
Trains
The firm's inaugural locomotive was constructed at Maryborough in 1873 for William Pettigrew's Cooloola Tramway; it was named "Mary Ann" after the daughters of Pettigrew and his partner Sim. The first significant locomotive order arrived in 1896 when Queensland Railways commissioned thirty B15 class steam locomotives. In the 1960s, Walkers developed a diesel-hydraulic model aimed at sugar industry customers, selling six units to BHP Whyalla starting from 1962 despite modest market impact. More prominently, Walkers manufactured over 130 DH class shunting locomotives supplied to Queensland Rail, New South Wales Government Railways, Emu Bay Railway, and Western Australian Government Railways.
Steam locomotives
- 46 Queensland B class
- 122 Queensland PB15 class
- 45 Queensland C16 class
- 138 Queensland C17 class
- 6 Queensland C19 class
- 59 Queensland B18¼ class
- 20 Queensland BB18¼ class
- 20 Victorian DD class
- 20 Commonwealth Railways KA class
- 8 Commonwealth Railways C class
- 40 South Australian T class
- 3 Tasmanian Government Railways Q class
Diesel electric locomotives
- 12 units of the Queensland 1170 class
Diesel hydraulic locomotives
- 6 units from the BHP Whyalla DH class
- 3 units of the Emu Bay Railway 10 class
- 73 Queensland DH class locomotives
- 50 New South Wales 73 class units
- 7 Emu Bay Railway 11 class locomotives
- 5 M class units operated by Western Australian Government Railways
Electric locomotives
- 50 Queensland Rail 3500/3600 class locomotives
- 30 units of the Queensland Rail 3900 class
Electric multiple units
- 264 carriages of Queensland Rail EMU series
- 36 Queensland Rail SMU200 carriages
- 90 carriages from Queensland Rail SMU220 series
- 20 Queensland Rail ICE carriages
- 30 carriages of Queensland Rail IMU100 series
- 12 Queensland Rail IMU120 carriages
- 96 Transperth A series carriages
- 90 light rail vehicles for Kuala Lumpur Metro Lines 3 and 4
Tilt Trains
- 12 carriages belonging to the Queensland Rail Tilt Train fleet
Awards
In recognition of its 150-year contribution as a leading engineering manufacturer in Queensland, Walkers Limited was honored with induction into the Queensland Business Leaders Hall of Fame in 2017.