Strahan Village - West Coast Wilderness Railway [Federal Group]
Through the boom years of west coast mining, steam locomotives hauled a fortune in pure copper from Queenstown's Mt Lyell mine, through the rugged King River gorge and down to the Macquarie Harbour port of Strahan. From 1896 to 1963, steam billowed through the rainforest as the Swiss designed Abt West Coast rack railway dragged the train, cog by cog, up the steep 1:16 slope to Rinadeena.
Now, after 40 years, the West Coast Wilderness Railway is running again. You're able to travel through one of the world's last pristine wilderness areas crossing 40 bridges, wild rivers, and climb over 200 metres on a fascinating 35-kilometre journey from Queenstown to Strahan. You'll also have the opportunity to visit an old gold mining settlement, explore the mine by candlelight and pan for gold in the river.
History
The history of the West Coast Wilderness Railway is marked by resourcefulness and frontier spirit that continues to influence the special character of the west coast today.
The opening of the railway's full service between Queenstown and Strahan on 27 December 2002 is a landmark for the region.
"The railway has a story that inspires us today and tells us an enormous amount about the flavour of the west coast - its hardiness, the tenacity of the people, and the way they adapted to remote and harsh conditions with ingenuity,". The west coast has the potential to be one of the most fascinating and compelling tourism regions in Australia.
King River Gorge
King River Gorge provides a spectacular view across some of the most inhospitable wilderness in the world.
The gorge's steep sides rise a total of 163 metres (500 ft), with trains travelling along an embankment about 65 metres (200 ft) above the King River. Critics in the 1890s predicted that the railway would slide into the river but failed to take into account the engineering excellence achieved.
On the riverbank below is one of the most remote picnic grounds in Australia, established around 1900 but long abandoned except for century-old rhododendrons that still bloom.
The Abt Climb
The Abt rack and pinion system was cutting edge technology in its day, used on the steep railway grades between Halls Creek and Dubbil Barril. Without it the original trains would have been unable to haul large loads or maintain their traction in wet weather.
The incline from Halls Creek to the summit at Rinadeena is 1 in 16, becoming 1 in 20 for the section to Dubbil Barril. Construction of the Abt section occurred when railway grades beyond 1 in 40 had never been attempted in Australia.
These steep sections have a third rail with overlapping teeth that are gripped by a pinion wheel under the locomotive - providing a form of 4WD power!
Locomotives
Two of the railway's original five Abt locomotives operate on the restored railway.
Abt locomotives No. 1 and No. 3 are believed to be the oldest, fully restored working locomotives in the world. Loco. No.1 is the railway veteran, steaming into Queenstown for the railway's official opening on 18 March 1897.
The sturdy locomotives were purpose-built to operate on the revolutionary Abt rack and pinion system designed by Swiss engineer Dr Roman Abt.
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