Railways and Tramways of Australia

Rugged rack railway

 

The last spike on the railway between Queenstown and Teepookana in Tasmania’s west coast region was driven on 29 March 1897.

 

The rugged terrain of Tasmania’s west coast made transport difficult. When a railway line between Queenstown and the port at Strahan was planned, it was decided to use the Abt rack and pinion system to enable the steep gradients to be negotiated. The Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company built and operated the railway.

 

Construction work commenced in November 1894. The first train ran in 1896, and an official opening was scheduled for 18 March 1897 but was postponed. Finally, the official opening of the line came when a ceremonial last spike was driven on 29 March 1897.

 

The line included 4.5 miles (7.2 km) of rack railway to assist trains over 1 in 16 and 1 in 20 gradients. Rack railways use a toothed rail laid between the regular rails, and the vehicles that run on the railway have one or more cog wheels. The toothed rail is referred to as the rack and the cog wheel is referred to as the pinion. In operation the cog wheel meshes with the rack rail, enabling the train to operate on much steeper gradients than conventional railways.

 

The railway was extended from Teepookana to Regatta Point, near Strahan, in 1899, completing the line between Queenstown and Regatta Point, which had a total length of 21.5 miles (34.6 km). The Tasmanian Government Railways line between Regatta Point and Strahan opened in 1900, completing the link between Queenstown and Strahan.

 

The railway between Queenstown and Regatta Point closed in 1963. It later re-opened as a tourist railway. A journey on the West Coast Wilderness Railway is a scenic delight through Tasmania’s rugged west coast.

 

Bibliography

I Cooper, Mount Lyell Abt Railway Tasmania: Nomination for Engineers Australia Engineering Heritage Recognition, Abt Railway Ministerial

     Corporation & Engineering Heritage Tasmania, 2015.

L Rae, The Abt railway: Tasmania’s West Coast Wilderness Railway, Lou Rae, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, 2008.

L Rae & T Coen, 150 years of railways in Tasmania, Lou Rae and Tony Coen, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, 2021.