North Mount Lyell Railway
Encyclopedia
The North Mount Lyell Railway was built to service the North Mount Lyell
mine in West Coast
Tasmania
at the start of the Twentieth century to take ore from Gormanston
east of the West Coast Range to the Crotty
smelters, and then on to Pillinger
in the Kelly Basin of Macquarie Harbour
, from where it was shipped out.
The North Mount Lyell Railway had exceptionally easy grades compared to its competitor the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company
which ran its Abt rack system railway through very steep grades from Queenstown
to Regatta Point
.
terrain in the area near the current Darwin Dam - and the engineers of the 1890's were possibly the first in Australia to have to design for the possibility of designing for sinkholes when planning the route .
on 16 July 1903. The line was serviced by a small rail motor similar to that on the Lake Margaret Tram
in the last years of operation. Due to failure of the Crotty smelters and the North Mount Lyell operations in general, and the amalgamation of the Mount Lyell and North Mount Lyell mines and companies, the railway had a short operational life. It closed to passengers in July 1924 and closed in 1929.
and the old rail formation were utilised right up to the damming of the River and the creation of Lake Burbury
by the Hydro Electric Commission
in the 1980s. The railway formation between the Linda Valley and the old locality of Darwin
is now under water.
The railway formation between Mount Owen and Mount Jukes was known as the Kelly Basin Road during the No Dams
campaign of December 1982 - and was a location of interaction between members of the Tasmanian Police and protesters.
Kelly Basin Road is accessed from Jukes Highway, at one point on the left (gated and locked) a track to one of the sites related to the Franklin Dam
is located. Kelly Basin Road (the old formation) reaches a bridge, where access is by foot is needed to complete the journey to Kelly Basin. Walking time is 3 to 4 hours one way, but an easy grade.
North Mount Lyell
North Mount Lyell was the name of a mine, mining company, locality and former railway near Gormanston on the West Coast of Tasmania...
mine in West Coast
West Coast, Tasmania
The West Coast of Tasmania is the part of the state that is strongly associated with wilderness, mining and tourism, rough country and isolation...
Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
at the start of the Twentieth century to take ore from Gormanston
Gormanston, Tasmania
Gormanston is a town in Tasmania on the slopes of Mount Owen, above the town of Queenstown in Tasmania's West Coast. At the 2006 census, Gormanston had a population of 167....
east of the West Coast Range to the Crotty
Crotty, Tasmania
Crotty was a gazetted townsite in Western Tasmania, which had a smelter and railway connection with the North Mount Lyell mine in the very early twentieth century. The North Mount Lyell smelters failed, and the company was absorbed by the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company...
smelters, and then on to Pillinger
Pillinger, Tasmania
Pillinger, Tasmania is an abandoned port and townsite in Kelly Basin, on the south eastern side of Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania....
in the Kelly Basin of Macquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour is a large, shallow, but navigable by shallow draft vessels inlet on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.-History:James Kelly wrote in his narrative "First Discovery of Port Davey and Macquarie Harbour" how he sailed from Hobart in a small open five-oared whaleboat to discover...
, from where it was shipped out.
The North Mount Lyell Railway had exceptionally easy grades compared to its competitor the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company
Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company
Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company was a Tasmanian mining company formed on the 29 March 1893, most commonly referred to as Mount Lyell. Mount Lyell was the dominant copper mining company of the West Coast from 1893 to 1994, and was based in Queenstown, Tasmania.Following consolidation of...
which ran its Abt rack system railway through very steep grades from Queenstown
Queenstown, Tasmania
Queenstown is a town in the West Coast region of the island of Tasmania. It is located in a valley on western slopes of Mount Owen on the West Coast Range.It had a population of 5,119 people . At the 2006 census, Queenstown had a population of 2,117....
to Regatta Point
Regatta Point, Tasmania
Regatta Point is the location of a port and rail terminus in West Coast Tasmania, Australia- Port :Regatta Point is often assumed into the name of the locality across the bay in Macquarie Harbour, Strahan, Tasmania...
.
Design challenge
The railway route ran across a belt of karstKARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
terrain in the area near the current Darwin Dam - and the engineers of the 1890's were possibly the first in Australia to have to design for the possibility of designing for sinkholes when planning the route .
Operation
The line was opened for passengers 15 December 1900, and was taken over by the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway CompanyMount Lyell Mining and Railway Company
Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company was a Tasmanian mining company formed on the 29 March 1893, most commonly referred to as Mount Lyell. Mount Lyell was the dominant copper mining company of the West Coast from 1893 to 1994, and was based in Queenstown, Tasmania.Following consolidation of...
on 16 July 1903. The line was serviced by a small rail motor similar to that on the Lake Margaret Tram
Lake Margaret Tram
The Lake Margaret Tram was located on the western side of Mount Sedgwick in the West Coast Range on the West Coast of Tasmania in service for the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company to the Lake Margaret community .- Construction :...
in the last years of operation. Due to failure of the Crotty smelters and the North Mount Lyell operations in general, and the amalgamation of the Mount Lyell and North Mount Lyell mines and companies, the railway had a short operational life. It closed to passengers in July 1924 and closed in 1929.
After closure
The railway bridge at the King RiverKing River (Tasmania)
- Upper reaches :It rises in the vicinity of the Eldon Range, passes through the West Coast Range between Mount Huxley and Mount Jukes and empties in Macquarie Harbour near Strahan....
and the old rail formation were utilised right up to the damming of the River and the creation of Lake Burbury
Lake Burbury
Lake Burbury is a man-made lake created by the Crotty Dam made by Hydro Tasmania inundating the upper King River valley that lies east of the West Coast Range. It has a surface area of 54 square kilometres....
by the Hydro Electric Commission
Hydro Tasmania
Hydro Tasmania, known for most of its history as The HEC, is the government owned enterprise which is the predominant electricity generator in the state of Tasmania, Australia...
in the 1980s. The railway formation between the Linda Valley and the old locality of Darwin
Darwin Townsite, Tasmania
Darwin Townsite, TasmaniaLocation: 42° 14' S 145° 36'EA surveyed and short lived community at the eastern side of Mount Darwin on theWest Coast Range....
is now under water.
The railway formation between Mount Owen and Mount Jukes was known as the Kelly Basin Road during the No Dams
Franklin Dam
The Franklin Dam or Gordon-below-Franklin Dam project was a proposed dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, Australia, that was never constructed. The movement that eventually led to the project's cancellation became one of most significant environmental campaigns in Australian history.The dam was...
campaign of December 1982 - and was a location of interaction between members of the Tasmanian Police and protesters.
Access
Considerable parts of the old railway line alignment are now under Lake Burbury or destroyed by the related works.Kelly Basin Road is accessed from Jukes Highway, at one point on the left (gated and locked) a track to one of the sites related to the Franklin Dam
Franklin Dam
The Franklin Dam or Gordon-below-Franklin Dam project was a proposed dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania, Australia, that was never constructed. The movement that eventually led to the project's cancellation became one of most significant environmental campaigns in Australian history.The dam was...
is located. Kelly Basin Road (the old formation) reaches a bridge, where access is by foot is needed to complete the journey to Kelly Basin. Walking time is 3 to 4 hours one way, but an easy grade.
Stopping Places
- Gormanston (branch from Linda 1900-1903 only)
- Linda (also known as North Lyell)
- CrottyCrotty, TasmaniaCrotty was a gazetted townsite in Western Tasmania, which had a smelter and railway connection with the North Mount Lyell mine in the very early twentieth century. The North Mount Lyell smelters failed, and the company was absorbed by the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company...
-- previous name King River until 1902 - Crotty Smelters (siding)
- Darwin
- Ten Mile
- PillingerPillinger, TasmaniaPillinger, Tasmania is an abandoned port and townsite in Kelly Basin, on the south eastern side of Macquarie Harbour on the West Coast of Tasmania....
(Kelly Basin)