West Coast Wilderness Railway

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Mount Lyell No. 5 was one of the original steam Abt locomotives on the line

The West Coast Wilderness Railway, Tasmania is a reconstruction of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company railway between Queenstown and Regatta Point.

Original operation

Abt rack railway showing the dual racks ensuring one is always positively engaged

The Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company began on 29 March 1893. The railway was completed on 1 November 1899.

The railway utilised the Abt rack system of cog railway for steep sections. Because of the gradients, tonnages were always limited on the railway. The gauge is 3 ft 6 in (1067 mm).

The railway ceased operation on 10 August 1963. The line and most removable constructions were lifted however most of the bridges were left intact.

The formation and some of the bridges remained intact for decades after closure, however when reconstruction was a reality in the late 1990s most required replacement.

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.

Following the closure of the railway - rolling stock was dispersed - carriages to the Puffing Billy Railway in Victoria - and the Abt locomotives were put on static displays or in musuems.

Reconstruction

Diesel Abt locomotive at Teepookana

Despite various proposals post 1963, it was not until the 1990s after the demise of the main Mount Lyell Company mining operations, and the downgrading of The Hydro activities of dam building on the West Coast, that some very committed local West Coast people campaigned for the re-instatement of the railway.

It was made possible from moneys that were negotiated between the Federal Government and State Government over the fallout after the Franklin Dam issue.

During the reconstruction project the line was given various names, but a common usage was the 'Abt railway' due to the cogs in the centre of the line used to assist the engines up the steep inclines; this is a common feature on many mountain railways.

New Railway

It recommenced operations on 27 December 2002 under the name of the Abt Wilderness Railway, and was officially re-opened by the Prime Minister of Australia John Howard and the Premier of Tasmania Jim Bacon in 2003.

The new railway terminal in Queenstown is in the vicinity of the original station yard, and terminates at that point. At Regatta Point the railway station has been renovated and is the terminal at that point. There has been 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 engines used on the line had been reconditioned into running order, but rolling stock was totally new and oriented towards providing facilities for year round tourist operations.

Stopping Places and Named Features

Most of the historical stopping places and named locations of the original railway line have been kept. The following list is made for the journey from Queenstown, and can be read in reverse for the trip from Regatta Point

  • Queenstown (terminus)
  • Lynchford
  • Halls Creek
  • Rinadeena
  • Dubbill Barrill ("double barrel")
  • "Quarter Mile Bridge" (original destroyed by floods in 1974, reconstruction much shorter)
    • - crosses the King River for the first time
  • Teepookana
  • "Steel Bridge"
    • - crosses the King River for the second time
    • - line closest to the King River between thesee points
    • - leaves the King River near its entry into Macquarie Harbour and moves north towards Regatta Point and Strahan
  • Lowana
  • Regatta Point (terminus)

The current owners and operators of the Railway are the Federal Hotels group which also owns and operates other tourist operations in Strahan.

Further information

Federal Hotels produce unattributed materials about the railway and its history for travellers on the line, and users of its shops.

The most accessible recent writer regarding this railway is Lou Rae, as he has written a number of books about West Coast railways.

  • Rae, Lou (2001). The Abt Railway and Railways of the Lyell region. ISBN 0-9592098-7-5. 
  • Jehan, David (2003). Rack Railways of Australia. The Author. ISBN 0-9750452-0-2. 

Some earlier writers on the Mount Lyell Railway were :-

  • Atkinson, H.K. (1991). Railway Tickets of Tasmania. ISBN 0-9598718-7-X. 
  • Whitham, Charles. Western Tasmania - A land of riches and beauty, Reprint 2003, Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown. 
2003 edition - Queenstown: Municipality of Queenstown.
1949 edition - Hobart: Davies Brothers. OCLC 48825404; ASIN B000FMPZ80
1924 edition - Queenstown: Mount Lyell Tourist Association. OCLC 35070001; ASIN B0008BM4XC

The Australian Railway Historical Society Tasmanian Branch has a web page regarding railways in Tasmania and the West Coast.

See also

External links

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