The Oatlands Railway was a short branch of the Main Line

South Line, Tasmania

The South Line, also known as the Main Line and sometimes the North/South Line or the North–South Line, is a freight rail corridor connecting Hobart to the northern ports of Tasmania. The Railway Line was built by the Tasmanian Main Line Company...

 from Launceston

Launceston, Tasmania

Launceston is a city in the north of the state of Tasmania, Australia at the junction of the North Esk and South Esk rivers where they become the Tamar River. Launceston is the second largest city in Tasmania after the state capital Hobart...

 to Hobart

Hobart

Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...

 in 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...

, which was built to give rail access to the town of Oatlands

Oatlands, Tasmania

Oatlands is an important historical village built on the shores of Lake Dulverton in the centre of Tasmania, Australia. Oatlands is located 84 km north of Hobart and 115 km south of Launceston on the Midland Highway...

. The railway opened on 13 May 1885 and it closed on 10 June 1949.
The line branched off of the Main Line in Parattah

Parattah, Tasmania

Parattah is a small township in Tasmania, located about 6 kilometres southeast of the town of Oatlands. At the 2006 census, Parattah had a population of 105....

 outside the Tudor style Parattah Hotel and followed parallel to the Main Line for approximately 700m before branching off in a north west direction towards Lake Dulverton

Lake Dulverton

Lake Dulverton is a large shallow lake/lagoon associated with the town of Oatlands in Southern Midlands of Tasmania. The lake has an uneven shoreline with many low sandstone cliffs and overhangs. The only island in the lake, Mary's Island, is a small sandstone rock roughly 80 m long with...

. From there, the railway followed the lake's shoreline before turning in on Wellington Street and ending where it intersects with High Street. The original station building is now used as a child care centre. Much of the former route is now used as a bike trail, a section of it is clearly visible as a terrace like formation at Mahers Point and part of an embankment and small bridge runs along side the road to Parattah, where it crosses Parattah Creek. The locomotive "Big Ben

Big Ben (locomotive)

The locomotive locally known as "Big Ben" was built by Baldwin Locomotive Works as an 0-6-0 ST type in 1919 as their works number 5212. The locomotive was exported in a new condition on a steamer from New York to Tasmania, Australia were it was used by the Public Works Departent on the Marrawah...

" used to operate the line from 1948 until the line closed a year later in 1949.