Travel Australia

West Coast Wilderness Railway, Queenstown, Tasmania

The immensely popular West Coast Wilderness Railway runs daily through World Heritage listed rainforest between Strahan and Queenstown. The railway is significant because of its Abt system to conquer the mountainous terrain through rainforest, with original locomotives still operating on the railway today. Now operating as a tourist experience with a focus on sharing the history of the Tasmania's West Coast, the original railway began operations in 1897 as the only link between Queenstown and the port of Strahan.



The railway was the only way to get the copper from the Mount Lyell mine at Queenstown to markets. Until 1932, when a Hobart road link was completed, it was the only access through to Queenstown. The railway utilised the Abt rack and pinion system for steep sections. Because of the gradients, tonnages were always limited on the railway. The gauge is 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm). The railway ceased operation on 10 August 1963 due to increasing maintenance costs and the improvement of road access to the West Coast from 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.



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 Hydro Tasmania's activities of dam building on the West Coast, that some very committed local West Coast people campaigned for the restoration of the Abt Railway as an iconic heritage tourist attraction featuring the unique rail system and the community's mining history. The restoration of the Abt Railway was made possible through the Australian Government Prime Minister's Federal Fund, with further funding from the State Government and some private investment.



The restored railway commenced operations on 27 December 2002 as 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 terminus in Queenstown is on the site of the original station yard. The station at Regatta Point terminus has been renovated. The railway follows its original alignment except for the 'Quarter Mile Bridge' near Teepookana. The toursit railway closed in April 2013 as the need for investment in infrastructure had caused the railway to no longer be viable. Following track rehabilitation work, the railway re-opened between Queenstown and Dubbil Barril on 6 January 2014, while rehabilitation of the section through to Strahan continues.