Strahan-Zeehan Railway
Encyclopedia
The Strahan–Zeehan Railway, also known as the 'Government Railway', was a railway from Strahan
to Zeehan on the west coast of Tasmania
, Australia
. It linked two private railways: the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company
railway line (now known as the West Coast Wilderness Railway
) between Queenstown
and Regatta Point and the Emu Bay Railway between Zeehan
and Burnie.
Early photographs of the Strahan wharf and buildings adjacent taken from the north usually have the railway tracks in the lower section of the photograph, as the line followed the shore from Regatta Point around the bay before passing northward in what is considered to be West Strahan today.
The line ran parallel to Ocean Beach before heading towards Zeehan.
It was a critical link, due to the difficulties of Macquarie Harbour
and was essential during the 1912 North Mount Lyell Disaster
. The rail gauge of the lines between Burnie was the same all the way to Queenstown.
The line was heavily reliant upon the mining industry and its fortunes, and traffic reduced drastically at times of mining down-turns.
Strahan, Tasmania
-See also:* Convicts on the West Coast of Tasmania* Macquarie Harbour* Railways on the West Coast of Tasmania* West Coast Piners-Further reading:* *...
to Zeehan on the west coast of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It linked two private railways: the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company
Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company
Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company was a Tasmanian mining company formed on the 29 March 1893, most commonly referred to as Mount Lyell. Mount Lyell was the dominant copper mining company of the West Coast from 1893 to 1994, and was based in Queenstown, Tasmania.Following consolidation of...
railway line (now known as the West Coast Wilderness Railway
West Coast Wilderness Railway
The West Coast Wilderness Railway, Tasmania is a reconstruction of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company railway between Queenstown and Regatta Point...
) between Queenstown
Queenstown, Tasmania
Queenstown is a town in the West Coast region of the island of Tasmania. It is located in a valley on western slopes of Mount Owen on the West Coast Range.It had a population of 5,119 people . At the 2006 census, Queenstown had a population of 2,117....
and Regatta Point and the Emu Bay Railway between Zeehan
Zeehan railway station, Tasmania
Zeehan railway station, Tasmania was a major junction and railway yard for numerous different railway and tramway systems in western Tasmania in the town of Zeehan...
and Burnie.
Early photographs of the Strahan wharf and buildings adjacent taken from the north usually have the railway tracks in the lower section of the photograph, as the line followed the shore from Regatta Point around the bay before passing northward in what is considered to be West Strahan today.
The line ran parallel to Ocean Beach before heading towards Zeehan.
It was a critical link, due to the difficulties of Macquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour
Macquarie Harbour is a large, shallow, but navigable by shallow draft vessels inlet on the West Coast of Tasmania, Australia.-History:James Kelly wrote in his narrative "First Discovery of Port Davey and Macquarie Harbour" how he sailed from Hobart in a small open five-oared whaleboat to discover...
and was essential during the 1912 North Mount Lyell Disaster
1912 North Mount Lyell Disaster
The 1912 North Mount Lyell Disaster refers to a fire that broke out on 12 October 1912 at the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company operations on the West Coast of Tasmania...
. The rail gauge of the lines between Burnie was the same all the way to Queenstown.
The line was heavily reliant upon the mining industry and its fortunes, and traffic reduced drastically at times of mining down-turns.