Monday 25 August 2014

The Railway

The Abt. Railway in Queenstown was owned by the Mt. Lyell Company in Queenstown.

Back when I lived in Queenstown for 4 years, every Christmas we would have a school picnic and travel on the Steam train in open carriages to Strahan which is on the West Coast of Tasmania also.  It was great fun. The passage of the railway was over huge wooden bridges and with very steep mountains either side and deep drops, an absolute scenic route.
Then many years later the railway was restored as it is today.



Carriage made of Sassafras

  
Dubbil Barril a Station along the way.

In February 2013 the Federal Group who leased the railway many years later announced that it would be terminating its lease of the railway in April 2013. The company said that a downturn in business and a need for investment in infrastructure had caused the railway to no longer be viable. The Tasmanian government responded by estimating that maintaining the railway would cost $15 to $20 million, and that the government alone could not fund it.
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.

20 comments:

  1. Hello,

    There is something wonderfully romantic about steam trains. They conjure up journeys of the past to destinations strange and exotic. Somehow, diesel trains do not have the same character for us.

    This train looks to have been beautifully restored and we should certainly love to travel on it. With its wooden seats, it reminds us of the Children's Railway here in Budapest, so called as it is totally run by children. What fun a journey on this train would be!

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    1. There is just nothing that compares to a steam train ride :) The wooden inside the train is wonderful with the seats very comfortable.
      The Children's Railway sounds wonderful.

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  2. Dear Margaret - what a lovely interior the carriages of this steam train has. Steams trains have such an element excitement and nostalgia about them especially to those of us who travelled on them in our childhood.

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    1. You are definitely correct Rosemary. The Sassafras wood is a lovely wood and our eldest son used to make Pens/Biro's out of it.

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  3. What a beautiful train .
    I am glad to hear they have restored it to working order and funded it's continuance.

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    1. I hope the funding continues, as it's a joy to ride in the steam train as an adult as well as when I was very much younger.

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  4. Steam trains are my favourite and open carriages what a great opportunity to get fresh air.

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    1. Nothing like clean fresh air in the steam train and you get that if the breeze is blowing the other way.

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  5. Love the trains, and this one would be so much fun!

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    1. It is fun and was fun. Can't put the fingers out either because of the mountain. The men that built the train line sure did have a difficult job.

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  6. the train interior is really nice looking

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  7. It sounds like a nice day out and a historic tourist attraction . It must have brought back memories of fun times. I hope the funding is found to continue with the restoration.

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    1. I hope the money can be found to finished the journey too, be a great shame if it folded.

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  8. This is really beautiful! We don't have wooden seats like that in my area, they are cushioned, but the wood looks so warm and attractive! Love it!

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  9. Was back when I was much younger that the carriages had wooden seats, these days they are padded.

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  10. What a wonderful school girl memory! The wooden seats are beautiful and it's great that the maintenance of the railroad has been divided up and it can continue to run.

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  11. It is high on my list for when we return to Tassie.

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