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The Mount Lyell railway line was a railway operated by the
Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Company Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company was a Tasmanian mining company formed on 29 March 1893, most commonly referred to as ''Mount Lyell''. Mount Lyell was the dominant copper mining company of the West Coast, Tasmania, West Coast from 1893 to 1 ...
between 1899 and 1963. Many name variations were used for identifying the line, the most common being the ''Abt railway''. After closing of the railway, most of the railway infrastructure was removed, except for a few buildings and bridges.


History

Surveying for the railway line began in 1892. A bill for construction of the railway was introduced into the Tasmanian House of Assembly in November 1892. A further survey was undertaken in March 1893 to determine the best route and in June the same year preparations were made to float the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company to undertake the work.


Services

The line was primarily the only transport service out of Queenstown prior to roads being constructed. Passenger and freight services were consistent over the duration of the operation of the railway. In the 1920s as typical passenger service was the daily mail train that left Queenstown at 8 am for 10 am arrival at Regatta Point. The return trip being 4.30 pm from Regatta Point to 6.30 pm arrival in Queenstown.


Mine lease railways

Mount Lyell company had railways on its lease that were separate from the mainline between Queenstown and Strahan. The company constructed a haulage line to the mining operations on the ridge between Mount Owen and Mount Lyell in the early decades of operations. The company had small gauge lines to move materials on the lease. In later stages of operations, the mine had an underground railway to haul ore to the processing facilities on the lease.


2000s

The reconstructed railway runs over most of the original formation with some variations: :2002 operated under the name of the Abt Wilderness Railway. :2013
Federal Hotels Federal Group is a privately owned family company which operates tourism, hospitality, retail, and a national sensitive freight company but is primarily known for their casino and gaming assets in Tasmania which is described as "a licence to print ...
withdrew from operations :2014 reopened as the
West Coast Wilderness Railway The West Coast Wilderness Railway is a reconstruction of the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company Mount Lyell railway in Western Tasmania between Queenstown and Regatta Point, Strahan. The railway is significant because of its Abt rack ...


References

{{reflist Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company 1899 establishments in Australia 1963 disestablishments in Australia