Railways on the West Coast of Tasmania
Encyclopedia
The history of the Railways on the West Coast of Tasmania has fascinated enthusiasts from around the world, because of the combination of the harsh terrain in which the railways were created, and the unique nature of most of the lines. The Mount Lyell
rack railway
which has an Abt rack system, the presence of the world's first Garratt
locomotive on the North East Dundas Tramway
, and the collection of narrow-gauge lines as the only links to the outside world for a number of the communities for over fifty years.
The haulage railways at Mount Read
, and at the Mount Lyell
mining lease - were also significant in their use in moving both people and metal ore
.
A number of proposed railway lines that were proposed in the late nineteenth century, and early twentieth century - but never appeared - are not listed here.
The main mining towns during their boom times were connected with the outside world by railway as the main form of transport into their communities and also out to the outside world.
Most lines were 3' 6" (1067mm) gauge, or 2'0" (610mm) gauge
.
The following list is of most of the significant named lines but it is not a complete list. There have also been haulage lines, and other tramlines within small areas that existed in mining leases and forest areas.
Following the closures of most railways in the early 1960s, rolling stock was dispersed but engines were fortuitously retained on the west coast, in most cases at the museum in Zeehan. Some of these have returned to service on the West Coast Wilderness Railway.
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...
rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
which has an Abt rack system, the presence of the world's first Garratt
Garratt
A Garratt is a type of steam locomotive that is articulated in three parts. Its boiler is mounted on the centre frame, and two steam engines are mounted on separate frames, one on each end of the boiler. Articulation permits larger locomotives to negotiate curves and lighter rails that might...
locomotive on the North East Dundas Tramway
North East Dundas Tramway
The North East Dundas Tramway was a gauge tramway on West Coast Tasmania that ran between Zeehan and Deep Lead . It was part of Tasmanian Government Railways...
, and the collection of narrow-gauge lines as the only links to the outside world for a number of the communities for over fifty years.
The haulage railways at Mount Read
Mount Read (Tasmania)
Mount Read is a mountain in Tasmania, Australia, that is at the north west edge of what is known as the West Coast RangeAs colourful a history as that of Mount Lyell, Mount Read has had mines, settlements and other activities on its slopes for over a hundred years.The main copper and gold ore...
, and at the Mount Lyell
Mount Lyell (Tasmania)
Mount Lyell is a mountain in the West Coast Range, Tasmania, named by Charles Gould in 1863 Charles Lyell was named during the nineteenth century controversy about the theory of evolution put forward by Charles Darwin, Lyell was a supporter of Darwin's....
mining lease - were also significant in their use in moving both people and metal ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
.
A number of proposed railway lines that were proposed in the late nineteenth century, and early twentieth century - but never appeared - are not listed here.
The main mining towns during their boom times were connected with the outside world by railway as the main form of transport into their communities and also out to the outside world.
Railways and Tramways
Rail gauge
Track gauge or rail gauge is the distance between the inner sides of the heads of the two load bearing rails that make up a single railway line. Sixty percent of the world's railways use a standard gauge of . Wider gauges are called broad gauge; smaller gauges, narrow gauge. Break-of-gauge refers...
.
- See also ZeehanZeehan railway station, TasmaniaZeehan railway station, Tasmania was a major junction and railway yard for numerous different railway and tramway systems in western Tasmania in the town of Zeehan...
for tramways that centred on that location
The following list is of most of the significant named lines but it is not a complete list. There have also been haulage lines, and other tramlines within small areas that existed in mining leases and forest areas.
- Comstock Tramway, Zeehan
- ZeehanZeehan railway station, TasmaniaZeehan railway station, Tasmania was a major junction and railway yard for numerous different railway and tramway systems in western Tasmania in the town of Zeehan...
to Comstock - 610mm / 2'0
- Zeehan
- Comstock Tramway, Mount Lyell
- Queenstown to Comstock Mine - 610mm / 2'0
- Emu Bay Railway
- Burnie to ZeehanZeehan railway station, TasmaniaZeehan railway station, Tasmania was a major junction and railway yard for numerous different railway and tramway systems in western Tasmania in the town of Zeehan...
- 1067mm / 3'6
- Burnie to Zeehan
- Lake Margaret TramLake Margaret TramThe 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 :...
- Howards Plains to Lake Margaret power station and community - 610mm / 2'0
- Macquarie Heads breakwater railwayMacquarie Heads breakwater railwayThe Macquarie Heads Breakwater was a project of the Strahan Marine Board in Western Tasmania to sustain a reasonable depth to the Hells Gates and Macquarie Heads of the Macquarie Harbour area to allow for shipping of limited tonnage to serve Regatta Point while the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway...
- The main access between Cape Sorell lighthouse and the local jetty and wharf
- Magnet Tramway
- Magnet Junction to Magnet Mine - 610mm / 2'0
- Mount Dundas- Zeehan RailwayMount Dundas- Zeehan RailwayMount Dundas- Zeehan RailwayThe Dundas to Zeehan railway line was a seven mile long railway line on the West Coast of Tasmania.- Operation :...
- ZeehanZeehan railway station, TasmaniaZeehan railway station, Tasmania was a major junction and railway yard for numerous different railway and tramway systems in western Tasmania in the town of Zeehan...
to Maestris 1067mm / 3'6
- Zeehan
- Mount Lyell Haulage
- Howards Plains to Queenstown - 610mm / 3'6
- Mount Lyell Quarry Railway
- 610mm
- Mount Lyell Underground Railway
- 610mm
- Mount Read Haulage
- Williamsford to Mount Read - 610mm / 2'0
- North Mount Farrell TramwayWee Georgie Wood RailwayThe Wee Georgie Wood Railway is a narrow gauge tourist tramway that runs from Tullah to near the Melba Line on the West Coast of Tasmania. It is named after its narrow gauge steam engine, which was named the Wee Georgie Wood due to its diminutive size...
- Farrell Siding to Tullah - 610mm / 2'0
- North Mount Lyell RailwayNorth Mount Lyell RailwayThe 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...
- Gormanston and Linda to Pillinger/Kelly Basin - 1067mm / 3'6
- North East Dundas TramwayNorth East Dundas TramwayThe North East Dundas Tramway was a gauge tramway on West Coast Tasmania that ran between Zeehan and Deep Lead . It was part of Tasmanian Government Railways...
- ZeehanZeehan railway station, TasmaniaZeehan railway station, Tasmania was a major junction and railway yard for numerous different railway and tramway systems in western Tasmania in the town of Zeehan...
to Williamsford - 610mm / 2'0
- Zeehan
- Strahan-Zeehan RailwayStrahan-Zeehan RailwayThe Strahan–Zeehan Railway, also known as the 'Government Railway', was a railway from Strahan to Zeehan on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia...
- Regatta Point to Zeehan - 1067mm / 3'6
- West Coast Wilderness RailwayWest Coast Wilderness RailwayThe West Coast Wilderness Railway, Tasmania is a reconstruction of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company railway between Queenstown and Regatta Point...
- Formerly Mount Lyell Railway- Queenstown to Regatta Point - 1067mm / 3'6 (Abt)
- Tasmanian Metals Extraction Company
- Zeehan - Granville
Proposed but not constructed
- Great Western Railway (Tasmania)Great Western Railway (Tasmania)The Tasmanian Great Western Railway was a proposed railway that was never built to connect Hobart with the west coast during the 1890s mining boom in Tasmania...
discussed and spent money upon approximately in the era 1890 - 1908
- Chudleigh Zeehan Railway - debated in parliament; stillborn?
West Coast Railways Timeline
- 04.02.1892 Strahan to Zeehan line opened
- 25.04.1892 Zeehan to Mount Dundas line opened
- 18.03.1897 Mount Lyell line to Teepookana opened
- 01.11.1899 Mount Lyell line to Regatta Point opened
- 15.12.1900 North Mount Lyell line opened
- 21.12.1900 Emu Bay line Guildford Junction to Zeehan opened
- 23.01.1902 Magnet Tramway opened
- 26.11.1902 North Mount Farrell tramway opened
- 05.07.1932 Mount Dundas and North East Dundas lines closed
- 08.10.1933 Comstock Tram closed
- 02.06.1960 Strahan-Zeehan line closed
- 22.12.1961 Tullah Tram closed
- 10.08.1963 Mount Lyell line closed
- 27.12.2002 First day of operation of rebuilt Mount Lyell line
- 03.04.2003 Official opening of Mount Lyell line as West Coast Wilderness Railway
Dispersal of Rolling Stock
Following closing of various lines, engines and carriages were often re-located on other working railways. Ex Mount Lyell passenger stock can be found on the Puffing Billy Railway in Victoria, while by serendipity the West Coast Wilderness Railway has seen the return of reconditioned engines that used to work on the original Mount Lyell lines. A number of steam engines are held at the West Coast Pioneers Museum in Zeehan.Following the closures of most railways in the early 1960s, rolling stock was dispersed but engines were fortuitously retained on the west coast, in most cases at the museum in Zeehan. Some of these have returned to service on the West Coast Wilderness Railway.