This scenic railway on the Tasmanian west coast, in the Tasmanian gauge of 3'6" (1067 mm), utilises the Abt rack rack and pinion or cog wheel third rail for steep sections, despite which, tonnages were always limited when it was a working railway.
The Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company began life in November 1892. The railway officially opened in 1897, and again on 1 November 1899 when the line was extended from Teepookana to Regatta Point and Strahan.
The railway was the only way to get the copper from the mine at Queenstown, Tasmania to markets. Until 1932 when a Hobart road link was completed, it was the only access through to Queenstown. The trains had to climb 1m in 16m (6.25%), and the train had to carry many tonnes of copper and the rail line had to survive natural disasters including floods in 1906 floods.
The original line continued into the Mount Lyell mining operations area in Queenstown, and at Regatta Point the line linked around the foreshore of Strahan to link with the Government Line to Zeehan.
The railway ceased operation on 10 August 1963 due to increasing maintenance costs and the improvement of road access to the West Coast to the North with the opening of the Murchison Highway. The last train run was performed by the same engine that ran the first run (ABT 1 in 1896 was the first engine to steam into Queenstown). The rail and other movable items were lifted taken off-site, leaving most of the bridges intact.
Following the closure of the railway, the rolling stock was dispersed—carriages to the Puffing Billy Railway in Victoria and the Abt locomotives were put on static displays or in museums. With the removal of the rails the formation from Regatta Point came to be used by road vehicles for access to Lette's Bay and Lowana to the East.
Most bridges remained intact but fell into disrepair and unsuitable for vehicle access beyond Iron Bridge that crosses the King River at the location of the early port of Teepookana.
Despite various proposals after 1963, it was not until the 1990s after the demise of the main Mount Lyell Company mining operations, and the downgrading of dam building on the West Coast for hydro power, that some committed local West Coast people campaigned for the restoration of the Abt railway as an iconic heritage tourist attraction featuring the community's mining history. The restoration of the Abt Railway was made possible through the allocation of a large grant from the Australian Government Prime Minister's Federal Fund, with further funding from the State Government and some private investment.
The new railway terminal in Queenstown is on the same lands as that of the original station yard, and terminates at that point. At Regatta Point the railway station has been renovated and terminates there.
There was no attempt to vary the original alignment of the railway, except for the vicinity of the 'Quarter Mile Bridge' which is very near Teepookana. The old bridge was washed away in the floods of 1974, and the new bridge for this location is just south of the original.
A number of the original locomotives used on the line have been reconditioned into running order, but the passenger carriages are totally new, providing facilities for passenger comfort for year round operation.
There were 5 original ABT steam locomotives, with ABT 1 and ABT 3 restored in 2001, ABT 5 restored in 2005, with ABT 2 is currently on display at the Tasmanian Transport Museum, Glenorchy, Hobart and ABT 4 that after a life of poor operating performance was scrapped to provide parts for
the other Abt locomotives. (edited from wikipedia)
View Larger Map
1 comment:
Have to give this one a go next time in Tassie. Fasinating.
Post a Comment