The Magnet Tramway, often found referred to as the Magnet Tram, was a gauge railway in north west

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

.It ran between Magnet Junction on the

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...

Mount Bischoff Mount Bischoff is a mountain and former tin mine in the north-western region of Tasmania, Australia. The mountain is situated adjacent to Savage River National Park near the town of Waratah. Location and features Tin was discovered at Mount B ...

railway line, and the Magnet mine.

History

The track was being constructed in 1901. The construction was led by B.F. Waller, who started to work as managing director and responsible engineer in January 1901. Previously, the route had been roughly surveyed by the former mine manager T.H. Jones. Although the destination was only 6.5 km (4 miles) from the interchange in

Waratah Waratah (''Telopea'') is an Australian-endemic genus of five species of large shrubs or small trees, native to the southeastern parts of Australia (New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania). The best-known species in this genus is ''Telopea speci ...

, the route had a total of 194 bends and a length of 16 km (10 miles) due to the difference in altitude of 183 m (600 feet). The climb for the first 13 km (8 miles) was 1.9‰ (100 feet per mile) and then it was then less steep. The light rail profiles weighing 15 kg/m (30 lb per yard) were laid on 22,000 sleepers, most of which were made of

Huon Pine ''Lagarostrobos franklinii'' is a species of conifer native to the wet southwestern corner of Tasmania, Australia. It is often known as the Huon pine or Macquarie pine, although it is actually a podocarp (Podocarpaceae), not a true pine (Pinaceae ...

.Paul Ledger
''Magnet. The Rise & Fall of A Tarkine Mining Town.''
2017. Retrieved 10 June 2018. The tramway included the following rolling stock: *

Orenstein & Koppel Orenstein & Koppel (normally abbreviated to "O&K") was a major Germany, German engineering company specialising in railway vehicles, escalators, and heavy equipment. It was founded on April 1, 1876 in Berlin by Benno Orenstein and Arthur Koppel. ...

0-4-4-0T

Mallet A mallet is a tool used for imparting force on another object, often made of rubber or sometimes wood, that is smaller than a maul or beetle, and usually has a relatively large head. The term is descriptive of the overall size and proport ...

locomotives No 1-3 *

Ford Model T The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relati ...

railmotor In 1941

Mount Magnet silver mine Mount Magnet silver mine, also known as the Magnet Silver Mining Company operated between 1902 and 1941. The former locality and mine site that supported the mine in the years of its operation lies about 20 km out of Waratah. In the 1890s the op ...

closed, the railway and locomotive were bought by sawmiller R.J. Howard of

Zeehan Zeehan is a town on the west coast of Tasmania, Australia south-west of Burnie. It is part of the West Coast Council, along with the seaport Strahan, and neighbouring mining towns of Dundas, Rosebery and Queenstown. History The greater ...

External links

Bennet Brook Railway: Magnet Silver Mining Co. Orenstein & Koppel, Mallet, Magnet No.3

References

{{Commonscat 2 ft gauge railways in Australia Railway lines in Western Tasmania 1902 establishments in Australia Mount Bischoff