Freight traffic through Mt Isa in the early 1980's was; coal , cement and reagents for MIM's mine , smelters and power station, zinc concentrates to Townsville, copper anodes to Copper Refineries in Townsville, lead ingots to Townsville and cattle to Cape River Meat Works.
Passenger trains were the daily "goods train with passenger accomodation" and the twice weekly airconditioned "Inlander"
1550 class 1567 on the head of an east bound Inlander in 1981.
1461 "Centenial" was painted in a gold version of the standard blue colour scheme to celibrate the centenery of Queensland Railways.
Wide cab hood units are not new. QR's English Electric 1500 hp 1250 class were built from 1959 to 1963. 1256 was a rare visitor to Mt Isa. This photo was taken in 1981.