The Oatlands Railway was a short

branch A branch, sometimes called a ramus in botany, is a woody structural member connected to the central trunk of a tree (or sometimes a shrub). Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs. The term ''twig'' usually ...

of the Main Line from Launceston to Hobart in

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, which was built to give rail access to the town of Oatlands. The railway opened on 13 May 1885 and it closed on 10 June 1949. The line branched off of the Main Line in

Parattah Parattah is a small township in Tasmania, located approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) southeast of the town of Oatlands. At the 2011 census, Parattah had a population of 360. The area is home to about 100 families, and contains many histo ...

outside the Tudor style Parattah Hotel and followed parallel to the Main Line for approximately before branching off in a north west direction towards Lake Dulverton. From there, the railway followed the lake's shoreline before turning in on Wellington Street and ending where it intersects with High Street. The original station building is now used as a child care centre. Much of the former route is now used as a bike trail, a section of it is clearly visible as a terrace like formation at Mahers Point and part of an embankment and small bridge runs alongside the road to Parattah, where it crosses Parattah Creek. The locomotive " Big Ben" used to operate the line from 1948 until the line closed a year later in 1949.

References

{{Reflist Railway lines in Tasmania Railway lines opened in 1885 Railway lines closed in 1949 3 ft 6 in gauge railways in Australia 1885 establishments in Australia 1949 disestablishments in Australia

See also

References