Following the completion of the first railway from Sydney to Parramatta Junction in 1855, proposals for the first railways to the rest of NSW included a line to the inland centre of Goulburn. A single line from Marulan to Goulburn opened on 27 May 1869. A depot was built by the
New South Wales Government Railways on the southern outskirts of the town when the line from
Sydney was opened to
Goulburn in May 1869. In 1918, a 42 road
roundhouse opened. Associated railway structures at Goulburn included the goods shed (1868), carriage shed (1869), engine shed (1869), a coal stage, water pump, turntable, and the station master’s residence (1870). The roundhouse was constructed of brick and corrugated iron in 1918 around a electric-powered turntable. The locomotive depot closed in July 1986 with its allocation of locomotives transferred to
Junee Locomotive Depot, but remained as a stabling and refueling point for a few years. Goulburn City Council took out a lease on the roundhouse hoping to establish a national rail museum. The Goulburn Roundhouse Museum became home to several preserved locomotives with the
New South Wales Rail Transport Museum transferring
2419 from
Thirlmere in August 1989. In 1980, a wagon building and maintenance facility was constructed to the north of the roundhouse. In July 2006 this was transferred to
UGL Rail. Following UGL Rail deciding to close the workshop in June 2010, in September 2010
Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia signed a ten-year lease for the site to maintain both its locomotive and wagon fleets. As well as maintaining its own fleet, Chicago Freight Car Leasing Australia also perform maintenance for other operators including
Aurizon. ==Museum exhibits==