Railways on the West Coast of Tasmania facts for kids

The history of the railways on the West Coast of Tasmania is a fascinating story. People from all over the world find these railways interesting. This is because they were built in very tough mountains and forests. Also, many of these train lines were very special and different.

Some cool things about these railways include:

• The Mount Lyell rack railway, which used a special gear system called an Abt rack system to climb steep hills.
• The North East Dundas Tramway had the world's first Garratt locomotive and a unique Hagans articulated locomotive. These were very special types of steam engines.
• Many of the lines were narrow-gauge. This meant their tracks were closer together than usual. For over 50 years, these narrow tracks were the only way for some towns to connect with the rest of the world.

Trains that pulled heavy loads, called haulage railways, were also important. They moved people and metal ore around places like Mount Read and the Mount Lyell mining area. Even aerial ropeways (like cable cars for cargo) were used in the region until the late 1900s.

Many railway lines were planned a long time ago, but not all of them were built. During their busiest times, the main mining towns relied on railways as their main way to get people and goods in and out.

West Coast Railways: Tracks and Trains

Emu Bay railway connected with most lines on the West Coast directly or indirectly

Most of the train lines on the West Coast used 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) or 2 ft (610 mm) track gauges. This means the distance between the rails was either 3 feet 6 inches or 2 feet.

Here is a list of some important railway lines. This list does not include every small track used in mining or forests.

• Comstock Tramway, Zeehan
  • This 2 ft (610 mm) line went from Zeehan to Comstock.
• Comstock Tramway, Mount Lyell
  • This 2 ft (610 mm) line went from Queenstown to the Comstock Mine.
• Emu Bay Railway
  • This 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) line connected Burnie to Zeehan.
• Lake Margaret Tram
  • This 2 ft (610 mm) line ran from Howards Plains to the Lake Margaret power station and community.
• Macquarie Heads breakwater railway
  • This line was the main way to get between the Cape Sorell lighthouse and the local jetty.
• Magnet Tramway
  • This 2 ft (610 mm) line went from Magnet Junction to the Magnet Mine.
• Mount Dundas – Zeehan Railway
  • This 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) line connected Zeehan to Maestris.
• Mount Lyell Aerial Trams
  • These were cable car systems that carried things through the air.
  • The Lyell-Tharsis Aerial Tram went from Lyell Tharsis Mine to the main Mt Lyell Aerial Tram.
  • The Mount Lyell Aerial Tram went from the Mount Lyell Mine to the Queenstown Smelters.
  • The North Lyell Aerial Tram connected to the Linda Railway Station.
• Mount Lyell Haulage
  • This was a special railway on Philosophers Ridge that went down to the Mt Lyell smelters.
• Mount Lyell Quarry Railway
  • This line used a 2 ft (610 mm) track.
• Mount Lyell Underground Railway (also called the North Lyell Tunnel)
  • This was an underground line with a 2 ft track.
• Mount Read Haulage (also known as the Hercules Haulage)
  • This 2 ft (610 mm) line went from Williamsford to Mount Read.
• North Mount Farrell Tramway
  • This 2 ft (610 mm) line connected Farrell Siding to Tullah.
• North Mount Lyell Railway
  • This 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) line went from Gormanston and Linda to Pillinger/Kelly Basin.
• North Lyell Tram
  • This line connected the North Lyell Mine to the Mount Lyell Haulage.
• North East Dundas Tramway
  • This 2 ft (610 mm) line went from Zeehan to Williamsford.
• Strahan–Zeehan Railway
  • This 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) line connected Regatta Point to Zeehan.
• Tasmanian Metals Extraction Company
  • This line connected Zeehan to Granville.
• West Coast Wilderness Railway – Formerly Mount Lyell Railway
  • This 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) line (using the Abt system) goes from Queenstown to Regatta Point.
• Williamsford to Rosebery (Hercules ropeway) Aerial ropeway

West Coast Railways: Key Dates

• February 4, 1892: The Strahan to Zeehan line opened.
• April 25, 1892: The Zeehan to Mount Dundas line opened.
• March 18, 1897: The Mount Lyell line to Teepookana opened.
• November 1, 1899: The Mount Lyell line to Regatta Point opened.
• December 15, 1900: The North Mount Lyell line opened.
• December 21, 1900: The Emu Bay line from Guildford Junction to Zeehan opened.
• January 23, 1902: The Magnet Tramway opened.
• November 26, 1902: The North Mount Farrell tramway opened.
• July 5, 1932: The Mount Dundas and North East Dundas lines closed.
• October 8, 1933: The Comstock Tram closed.
• June 2, 1960: The Strahan–Zeehan line closed.
• December 22, 1961: The Tullah Tram closed.
• August 10, 1963: The Mount Lyell line closed.
• December 27, 2002: The rebuilt Mount Lyell line began operating again.
• April 3, 2003: The Mount Lyell line officially opened as the West Coast Wilderness Railway.

West Coast Railways: Where Did the Trains Go?

When different railway lines closed, their engines and carriages were often moved to other working railways. For example, some old passenger cars from the Mount Lyell line can now be found on the Puffing Billy Railway in Victoria.

The West Coast Wilderness Railway now has some of the original Mount Lyell engines back in service. These engines have been fixed up and look great! Many old steam engines are also kept at the West Coast Pioneers Museum in Zeehan.

After most railways closed in the early 1960s, the trains were spread out. But luckily, many engines stayed on the West Coast, mostly at the museum in Zeehan. Some of these have even returned to work on the West Coast Wilderness Railway.

Images for kids

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  Emu Bay railway connected with most lines on the West Coast directly or indirectly