The North East Dundas Tramway was a narrow gauge tramway, that ran between Zeehan and Deep Lead (now Williamsford) on the West Coast of Tasmania. Opening in 1896 and closing in 1932, it was part of the Tasmanian Government Railways network. The world's first Garratt locomotives, the K class, were used on the line.
History Construction of the line to carry ore from the Williamsford mines to Zeehan, where it was loaded onto another train for shipment to Burnie commenced in January 1896, with the first section opened in December 1896. It opened in full on 18 June 1898.The Construction of the North-East Tramway Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 190 August 1953 page 92Railway of the Zeehan District Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 312 October 1963 pages 153-155
The narrow-gauge (2 ft) was chosen because of the extremely difficult terrain that the railway crossed, requiring several big trestle bridges, including one at the foot of Montezuma Falls. After some rain the engine and carriages would get soaked by spray from the falls. A detailed description of conditions along the line is included in a report of a journey undertaken in 1900 by the Fitzroy Australian rules football team. During their journey down the mountain to Zeehan, one of the carriages left the rails on a tight bend and the players lifted it back on the rails. There was a break-of-gauge with the mainline system at Zeehan. The tramway was closed on 5 July 1932, although regular services had ceased three years earlier.Early days of Mount Read, Willamsford and Rosebery Light Railways issue 261 June 2018 pages 9-14
After closure some of the assets were sold; for instance a point lever was sighted on a private siding connecting to the Walhalla railway line at Erica railway station, Victoria in 1954.
Locomotives
Several tight-radius curves required careful consideration of the locomotives that were suitable to run on them. Operations commenced with two G class 0-4-2T locomotives. Shortly after entering service, G1 was destroyed in May 1899 after the boiler exploded. The crew were killed and the boiler flung 30 metres into the air landing 230 metres away. A replacement arrived in 1900, assuming G1's identity. After the tramway closed, both were sold to the Isis Sugar Mill in Cordalba, Queensland and converted to tender locomotives.Steam Locomotives of the Tasmanian Government Railways and its Constituents Australian Railway History issue 917 March 2014 pages 18, 19
In 1901, a J class 2-6-4-0T was delivered. see also: 2nd Edition: It was the first articulated locomotive to run on the line and was, at the time, the heaviest narrow gauge locomotive in the southern hemisphere, weighing 42 tonnes. It was more powerful than its gauge counterparts. Its weight played havoc with the light rails it ran over and in 1910 it was replaced by the K class Garratt locomotives.The Railways of Tasmania Locomotive, Railway Carriage & Wagon Review issue 363 November 1922 page 326 The J class languished in the Zeehan locomotive shed until 1949, when it was scrapped.
K1 was presented back to its manufacturer, Beyer, Peacock & Company of Manchester and repatriated to England in 1947.Largest Beyer-Garratt Locomotives on View Railway Gazette 12 September 1952 page 301 After the closure of Beyer, Peacock & Company, K1 was sold in 1966 to the Ffestiniog Railway.Festiniog acquires first Garratt Modern Railways issue 216 September 1966 page 508 Since 2020, it has been based at the Statfold Barn Railway.Pioneer Garratt set for steam return in 2020 Narrow Gauge World issue 146 March 2020 page 13
Stopping places
(distances from Walch's Tasmanian Almanac 1915 p. 237) Zeehan Wilson Street Zeehan Racecourse King's Hastings Nickel Junction – also known as Nickel Show (4.5 miles) North Dundas Road Melba Flats Commonwealth Japi Confidence Saddle Good Intent Great Northern Fraser's—also known as Fraser's Mine Montezuma (14.5 miles) Fahl Ore Conliffe Williamsford—opened as Deep Lead—renamed by 1898 (18 miles) Connected to Hercules Mine on Mount Read by a narrow gauge Hercules Haulage incline
Accidents In May 1899, a locomotive boiler exploded in the Zeehan yard, killing the driver and fireman. The G class locomotive was destroyed.
References
Further reading
Further literature William Prior Hales: The North East Dundas Tramway, Tasmania. The Institution of Civil Engineers-Minutes of Proceedings, Volume 140, 1899-1900 Session. In: Greg Stephenson: The North East Dundas Tram - An Engineering Account. 1 February 1997. Retrieved on 13 June 2018. North East Dundas Tramway, Tasmania. Light Railways No. 91, January 1986. Retrieved on 13 June 2018.
External links