The Margate Train is a tourist attraction and shopping area located adjacent to the

Channel Highway The Channel Highway is a regional highway that travels south from Hobart To Huonville, Tasmania, Australia. The Channel Highway starts from the end of Sandy Bay Road and travels south toward Huonville via Taroona, Kingston, Huntingfield, Ma ...

Margate, Tasmania Margate is a coastal town and locality in southern Tasmania, Australia, situated on the Channel Highway between the D'Entrecasteaux Channel and the Snug Tiers, approximately south of Kingston, Tasmania, Kingston and south of the Hobart CBD. I ...

, and includes a number of shops and outlets housed within former

Tasmanian Government Railways The Tasmanian Government Railways (TGR) was the former operator of the mainline railways in Tasmania, Australia. Formed in 1872, the railway company was managed by the Government of Tasmania, and existed until absorption into the Australian Nat ...

rolling stock The term rolling stock in the rail transport industry refers to railway vehicles, including both powered and unpowered vehicles: for example, locomotives, Railroad car#Freight cars, freight and Passenger railroad car, passenger cars (or coaches) ...

. It is located approximately 18 kilometres from

Hobart Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...

Train

The Margate Train site consists of a plinthed

steam locomotive A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, Fuel oil, oil or, rarely, Wood fuel, wood) to heat ...

, carriages, and two sheds. The locomotive is MA3, a Tasmanian Government Railways MA Class from 1952. The carriages consist of Articulated Country Saloon (ACS) carriage #1, an SS class suburban carriage, and a DP Class railmotor. Following the cessation of passenger

rail transport in Tasmania Rail transport in Tasmania consists of a network of narrow gauge track of reaching virtually all cities and major towns in the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Today, rail services are focused primarily on bulk freight, with no passenger se ...

, the vehicles were sold to private buyers. The train was originally a roadside park, and was retained in original red livery. Sometime after 1987, the locomotive and carriages were painted black and brown respectively. None of the rolling stock operated in such livery. Contrary to some tourist information, the steam engine never hauled the ''

Tasman Limited The ''Tasman Limited'' was a passenger train operated by Tasmanian Government Railways (TGR) on the South Line, Tasmania, Main and Western Line, Tasmania, Western lines between Hobart, Launceston, Tasmania, Launceston and Wynyard, Tasmania, Wy ...

'' service, but ACS carriage #1 was purpose-built for this task which operated until 1978. MA3 was one of four M Class locomotives converted for better operation on steeply graded sections by fitting surplus

Australian Standard Garratt The Australian Standard Garratt (ASG) was a Garratt articulated steam locomotive designed and built in Australia during World War II for use on the narrow-gauge railway systems owned by the Australian states of Queensland, South Australia, Tas ...

4'0" driving wheels.

Retail destination

The Margate Train currently houses a variety of retail businesses including arts and crafts, bric-a-brac, a specialist book exchange, a collectible toys carriage and a buffet car specialising in pancakes, hence the Margate Train's local nickname, the Pancake Train. Nearby is a large antiques and second hand warehouse, located in an old

Henry Jones IXL Henry Jones IXL was a company primarily known as a manufacturer of jams, conserves and sauces in Australia. The brand was owned and its products manufactured by SPC Ardmona from 2004, which was itself owned by Coca-Cola Amatil from February 2 ...

apple packing shed.

References

{{reflist Rail transport in Tasmania