Railways of Tasmania
Hobart's Lost Railways
The story of Hobart's railway and tram history.
Burnie's Railway History
Burnie Railway Station was the terminus for a regional railway network for both commercial and passenger trade.
The Tasman Limited
The Story of Tasmania's Inter City rail service.
Don - Melrose Railway
To get the timber out of the bush, a tramway was built up the Don valley, and from 1862, the line also served a small coal mine, situated about 3km above the mill.
North East Railway
The Launceston-Scottsdale line was opened in February 1889 and passed through twelve stations along the way. The railway was extended to Branxholm in 1911, and later, Herrick. The last operational section was closed in 2004.
The Tasman Limited
Though there are no passenger sevices on the line today - in fact the line now stops at Burnie - there was once a passenger train which ran from Wynyard to Launceston, and then on to Hobart.
Scottsdale Station, 1907
The North East Railway
From 1882, the Tasmanian government constructed numerous branch lines including the Launceston-Scottsdale line as well as extending the Western Line along the North-West Coast. The Launceston-Scottsdale line was opened in February 1889 and passed through twelve stations along the way. The railway was extended to Branxholm in 1911, and later, Herrick.
Scottsdale Station today
Train travel was slow by contemporary standards. In 1923, a ‘modern’ motor train was trialled between Launceston and Scottsdale. While the journey took over 3 hours, it was deemed a success having shaved 23 minutes off the usual time. Due to increased competition from road transport, sluggish commute times threatened the future of rail. At the time, the fastest service to Launceston occupied 2 hours and 45 minutes compared to just 2 hours by motor car.
Railway alignment near Lilydale Falls
The shift away from rail, including trams, was a widespread phenomenon in the post war years across Australia and the English speaking world. Urban and state planners anticipated savings and greater flexibility from promoting road and personal motor car use. By 1978, the last passenger trains closed down in Tasmania and the rail network, including the Launceston-Scottsdale line, focused on carrying freight. By the early 1980s there were just three daily services between Scottsdale and Launceston transporting logs, woodchips and other goods however, by 2005, the line was closed. Enthusiasts still hope that a passenger service might be revived as a result of the increased popularity of heritage railways.
Tunnel
When you see a place called Tunnel on the map, it's not hard to imagine what you'll find there. Tunnel sits near of Lebrina, just a few kilometres past Lilydale. The tunnel itself is little known and well hidden. It was part of the north eastern Launceston to Herrick railway line. Work on building the structure’s approaches began in late 1885. It would be a further two years, Mr Dix said, until the two headings met. It was another 12 months until the 700 metre tunnel ras completed. The first passenger train to run through the tunnel did so on February 2, 1889, with the state's Governor on board, but initially the line only went as far as Scottsdale.
At the time, the tunnel was a rare feature of Tasmanian railways. So rare, in fact, that the accompanying railway station was named Tunnel Station – hence, the tunnel at Tunnel. The last train to pass through the tunnel did so, carry freight, from Tonganah to Launceston, on October 1, 2004.
Moss now grows over the tracks, and blackberry shrubs edge further down the banks each season, but otherwise the tunnel is in good condition. Work on a 26 km long rail trail from Scottsdale to Tulendeena along the former railway line has been in progress for several years, and the trail sits at 26 kilometres in length. As progress continues on the trail, it is planned that it will be expanded to pass through the tunnel. Location: off Tunnel Road, Tunnel, Tas.
North East Rail Trail
This is a spectacular rail trail with lush forest vegetation that still provides views of the surrounding mountains. The trail has a good gravel surface, suitable for all weather and best either walked or ridden on a mountain bike. The trail starts at the old Scottsdale Railway Station in Ellenor St (accessed between the Mitre 10 Store and the railway crossing on the road). Also Kings St (which is the main street) though no car parking. There are numerous interpretive signs to provide a background on the area and the railway. Bikes can be hires from Scottsdale Art Gallery Café and Bike Hire, and the Red Dirt Cycle Company in Scottsdale which has bikes for sale and hire.
The Scottsdale to Tonganah section (10km) descends through picturesque farmland to the Great Forester River at Tonganah. The Tonganah to Tulendeena (Billycock Hill) section (16km) is a gentle but steady climb almost all the way from Tonganah up to the former station of Tullendeena then to Snake Track, a few km short of Legerwood. This section of the rail trail winds through beautiful tall forests with spectacular tree fern-lined cuttings and huge embankments across gullies, well away from any roads.
The rail trail follows a section of the 124 km railway to Herrick, which branched off the Bell Bay railway line at Coldwater Creek Junction, 13km north of Launceston. It reached Branxholm in 1911 and finally Herrick in 1919. It was closed back to Tonganah in 1992, the rails in this section were removed around 1996 and the land returned to the Crown.
Rail Trail Notes and Map