Where:
West Coast Wilderness Railway
Tasmania, Australia
Travels between Strahan and Queenstown.
Last Visited:
Last visited in October 2006
Why Go:
- Not just for the railway buffs, take a trip back in time on this spectacular railway that required a unique rack and pinion system to get over the steep grades.
Highlights:
- Spectacular views: rainforest, tight cuttings, narrow bridges and plunging banks of the King River Gorges
- Luxury: the padded seats are much better than the wooden ones of the orginal trains
- Commentary: you will get a live commentary as you pass over the hills, you will learn a lot about the very tough early pioneer life in this part of the world and the specifics of the unique track system.
Eating & Drinking:
- Food is provided as part of the travel fee for both classes of travel. Snacks and tea and coffee is also available at the stops for a charge.
- Travelling from Strahan in the morning, the train stops for morning tea to sample some local honey, and stops for lunch for an hour.
- You may also take your own snacks and drinks.
Other things you should know about:
- There are trains going in either direction each day, with an optional bus return.
- The train travels some 35 km through some of Tasmania's wilderness.
- You don't have to buy a return ticket, there is a bus coach available to return you to your departure point by road. The train from Strahan left us with half an hour to explore some of Queenstown before heading back to Strahan on the coach.
- The original track was built in 1896 and was used by the Mt Lyell Mining Company to transport copper from Queenstown to the port in Strahan.
- To get over the top of the steep hills which are up to 1 in 20 grade, it required a unique rack-and-pinion (ABT) system.
More information:
- see the photo gallery from the West Coast Wilderness Railway
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