Emu Bay Railway

The origins of the Emu Bay Railway can be traced back to February 1878 when the Van Diemen's Land Company opened a 71 kilometre, horse drawn wooden tramway line from Emu Bay (Burnie) to Rouse's Camp, near Waratah, to serve the Mount Bischoff tin mines. The line was surveyed by John C Climie.TASMANIA. HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. TRAMWAY : (No. 90.) Report on Survey of proposed by Mr. J. C. Climie, CE. laid upon the Table by the Minister of Lands, and ordered by the House to be printed, 16 August 1882{{cite book|last1=James Fenton|author-link=James Fenton (farmer)|title=The History of Tasmania From its Discovery in 1642 to the Present Time|date=1884|page=391}} In 1887, the line was taken over by the Emu Bay to Mount Bischoff Railway Company and relaid with steel rails as a {{Track gauge|1067mm|lk=on}} gauge railway line to allow steam locomotives to operate.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=18870801&id=gvtjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3ZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6237,2395785&hl=en Railway from Emu Bay to Mount Bischoff] Sydney Morning Herald 1 August 1887 In 1897 the Emu Bay Railway Company took over the line, extending it a further 60 kilometres to Zeehan on 21 December 1900.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19010330&id=vedhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g5EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4567,5745083&hl=en Emu Bay Railway Company Annual Meeting] The Age 30 March 1901{{cite book|last=Oberg|first=Leon|title=Locomotives of Australia 1850s–2010|year=2010|publisher=Rosenberg Publishing|location=Dural|isbn=9781921719011|pages=109, 209, 227, 269, 327, 330}}

There had been proposed connections to Gormanston or Queenstown in the late 1890s, however they did not eventuate.{{cite news |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9424608 |title=Tasmanian Telegrams. |newspaper=The Mercury |volume=LXXI |issue=8829 |location=Tasmania, Australia |date=18 June 1898 |accessdate=5 October 2024 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite web|url=https://librariestas.ent.sirsidynix.net.au/client/en_AU/tas/search/detailnonmodal/ent:$002f$002fARCHIVES_DIGITISED$002f0$002fARCHIVES_DIG_DIX:AF766-1-21/one|title=Map including designation of route of Emu Bay Co's branch line to Lyell|date=August 1898 }} see also {{cite web|url=https://libraries.tas.gov.au/Digital/AF766-1-21/AF766-1-21|title=Permalink|accessdate=5 October 2024}} The maps in 1898 also included the assumed route of the proposed Great Western Railway that intersected with the proposed Emu Bay branch line at Leslie Junction.{{Citation | title=Photograph - 71/133 - Murchison and Zeehan highways junction showing formation of former Dundas railway & Main St. of Leslie | publication-date=1971 | publisher=Libraries Tasmania | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/256736809 | access-date=5 October 2024}}

Following the opening of the Murchison Highway, the line was closed between Rosebery and Zeehan in August 1965.[http://www.thelaw.tas.gov.au/tocview/content.w3p;doc_id=17++1965+AT@EN+20090920000000;rec=0 Emu Bay Railway Act 1965] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010055742/http://www.thelaw.tas.gov.au/tocview/content.w3p;doc_id=17++1965+AT@EN+20090920000000;rec=0 |date=10 October 2016 }} Government of Tasmania 22 June 1965 In October 1966 EZ Industries, who were now responsible for 90% of traffic on the line, launched a takeover bid for the company.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19661020&id=7RZVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZpMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2183,3511073&hl=en EZ bids $1.7 million for Emu Bay] The Age 20 October 1966 Although rejected by the directors, it was accepted by the shareholders in early 1967.[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19661103&id=o1QVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=UeYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=903,492128&hl=en Emu Bay rejects EZ offer] Sydney Morning Herald 3 November 1966[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19671207&id=Kh1WAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K-MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4900,1199094&hl=en Annual General Meeting year ended 30 June 1967] The Age 7 December 1967[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19680823&id=eP1UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dJMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2612,3930833&hl=en Emu Bay] The Age 23 August 1968 In the late 1960s the line was upgraded to carry heavier trains and in January 1970 reopened from Rosebery to Melba Flats.

In December 1976, the company was relieved of its common carrier obligations.[http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/tas/num_act/ebra197691o1976210/ Emu Bay Railway Act 1976] Government of Tasmania 15 December 1976 Thereafter the line was basically freight only except for a twice weekly mixed train which lasted until 1977, using West Coaster carriages ABL1 and 2, which retained their two-tone blue livery. During the construction of the Pieman River hydro electric scheme in the late 1970s the line was diverted in places and new bridges were built.

The Emu Bay Railway was included in the October 1984 sale of EZ Industries to North Broken Hill Peko, which in 1988 merged with CRA Limited to form Pasminco. In 1989, an 11 kilometre branch from Moorey Junction opened to serve Aberfoyle's Hellyer Mine. On 22 May 1998, the company was purchased from Pasminco by the Australian Transport Network and integrated into its Tasrail business.[https://www.examiner.com.au/story/640181/atn-grabs-emu-bay-rail/ ATN grabs Emu Bay] The Examiner 7 April 1998"Tasrail to take over Emu Bay Railway" Railway Digest May 1998 page 16[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atn-officially-adds-emu-bay-rail-operation-to-its-tasrail-business-77967017.html ATN Officially Adds Emu Bay Rail Operation to Its Tasrail Business] Tranz Rail Holdings 22 May 1998{{Excessive citations inline|date=September 2021}}

The Emu Bay Railway operated passenger services for its employees and, later, tourists. In 1921, it began operating two railmotors, a 12-seat Berliet and a 16-seat Argyle, between Guildford and Waratah. In 1940, a double bogie railcar was delivered by Walker Brothers of Wigan.

Due to an increase in tourist traffic, a service named The West Coaster was introduced between Burnie and Rosebery in October 1960. It was operated by two previously-stored Dübs and Company-built 4-8-0 steam locomotives, given the names Murchison and Heemskirk. They were converted to oil burners and repainted in two-tone blue livery, along with three former Tasmanian Government Railways carriages. Following the opening of the Murchison Highway, the West Coaster last ran on 2 January 1964.

File:Emu Bay Railway Bo-Bo no. 1004.jpg on the Zig Zag Railway in July 2011]]

The Emu Bay Railway operated steam locomotives built by British manufacturers.[http://www.railtasmania.com/info/ebrloco.htm Emu Bay Railway Locomotives] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161103192646/http://www.railtasmania.com/info/ebrloco.htm |date=3 November 2016 }} Rail Tasmania Notable were three Beyer, Peacock and Company built Garratts delivered in 1930, that were augmented in the 1950s by five Australian Standard Garratts purchased from the Queensland Railways and Tasmanian Government Railways.[https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/84922075 Giant Garratt Locomotive Imported by Emu Bay] Burnie Advocate 19 February 1930"The Australian Standard Garratt on the Emu Bay Railway" Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin March 1995 pages 59–66

In 1953, a North British Locomotive Company 0-8-0 diesel-hydraulic locomotive entered service. In 1963 the remaining steam locomotives were withdrawn after three 10 class diesel-hydraulics were delivered by Walkers Limited. A fourth was later assembled by the Tasmanian Government Railways' Launceston workshops. With a large increase in traffic forecast, in 1970/71 seven 11 class diesel-hydraulics entered service. The latter two classes operated in multiples of up to eight.

The two steam locomotives that operated the West Coaster in the 1960s have been preserved; no.6 Murchison at the West Coast Pioneers Museum, Zeehan and no.8 Heemskirk by the Don River Railway, the latter being restored to service in October 1997.{{cite book|last1=Clark|first1=Peter|title=The Australian Locomotive Guide|date=2012|publisher=Rosenberg Publishing|location=Dural|isbn=9781922013682|page=67}}

The North British Locomotive Company diesel has been preserved by the Derwent Valley Railway, while the 10 class have been preserved by the Don River, Walhalla Goldfields (Victoria) and Zig Zag Railways (New South Wales).[http://www.railtasmania.com/loco/loco.php?id=10 10 Class] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110216085448/http://www.railtasmania.com/loco/loco.php?id=10 |date=16 February 2011 }} Rail Tasmania The 11 class were all sold to Far North Queensland.[http://www.railtasmania.com/loco/loco.php?id=11 11 Class] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219064027/http://railtasmania.com/loco/loco.php?id=11 |date=19 February 2014 }} Rail Tasmania

• Railways on the West Coast of Tasmania

{{Reflist}}

• {{cite book| publisher=Traction Publications| title=Along the Line in Tasmania. Book 2. Private Lines| year=1972| isbn=0-85829-003-0}}
• {{cite book| author=Atkinson, H.K.| title=Railway Tickets of Tasmania| year=1991| publisher=Regal Publications| isbn=0-9598718-7-X}}
• {{cite book| author-link=Geoffrey Blainey|last=Blainey|first=Geoffrey| title= The Peaks of Lyell | edition=6th | publisher=St. David's Park Publishing | location=Hobart| year=2000| isbn=0-7246-2265-9}}
• Manny, L.B. (1961) The Emu Bay Railway. Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, November 1961
• {{cite book| author-link=Lou Rae|last=Rae |first=Lou | title=The Emu Bay Railway| year=1997| isbn=0-9592098-6-7}}
• {{cite book| author-link = Charles Whitham|last=Whitham|first= Charles| title=Western Tasmania - A land of riches and beauty| edition=Reprint 2003| publisher=Municipality of Queenstown| location=Queenstown| year = 2003}}

• Listen to Michael Cannon's song [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoOZ61ekS84 100 Miles (Emu Bay)] about the building of the Emu Bay Railway on the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia's [https://www.youtube.com/user/nfsaaust YouTube Channel]
• [https://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/emubayrailway/ Flickr gallery]

{{Authority control}}

Category:Companies based in Tasmania

Category:Companies formerly listed on the Australian Securities Exchange

Category:Defunct railway companies of Australia

Category:Railway companies established in 1897

Category:Railway companies disestablished in 1998

Category:Zeehan

Category:Australian companies established in 1897

Category:Australian companies disestablished in 1998