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The Tasmanian Government Railways (TGR) was the former operator of the
mainline railways Bachmann Branchline is a British OO gauge model railway brand manufactured by Bachmann Europe PLC, a subsidiary of Bachmann Industries, and is used for British outline OO scale model railways. Bachmann, a US company founded in 1835, was purchase ...
in
Tasmania Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
, Australia. Formed in 1872, the railway company was managed by the
Government of Tasmania The Tasmanian Government is the executive branch of the Australian state of Tasmania. The leader of the party or coalition with the Confidence and supply, confidence of the Tasmanian House of Assembly, House of Assembly, the lower house of the ...
, and existed until absorption into the
Australian National Railways Commission The Australian National Railways Commission was an agency of the Government of Australia that was a railway operator between 1975 and 1998. It traded as Australian National Railways (ANR) in its early years, before being rebranded as Australia ...
in 1978.


History


Precursor


Launceston & Western Railway

The early railways of Tasmania were constructed by a number of private companies, rather than owned by the Government. Proposals were considered by the Tasmanian Government for the construction of a railway 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 ...
to Launceston as early as 1856, when the colony gained
responsible government Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive br ...
. In June 1857, railway committees were formed in Deloraine, Carrick,
Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of ...
,
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
and Westbury, to lobby for the construction of a railway between Launceston and Deloraine. Delegations from these committees were successful in lobbying the Mayor of Launceston to organise a meeting on the issue on 27 August, with discussions around the need for a railway to assist farmers in getting produce to market, given the poor state of roads and the cost of transporting goods. Subsequently, a petition was organised to deliver to the Governor. In 1858, a Parliamentary Joint Committee reported in favour of railway construction within the Colony, but nothing was done until 1865 when the Prospectus of the Launceston and Western Railway Company was issued. The first Railway Act was passed later that year which provided for the construction of a railway between Launceston and Deloraine by private enterprise.''Tasmania's First Railway''
Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin ''Australian Railway History'' is a monthly magazine covering railway history in Australia, published by the New South Wales Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society on behalf of its state and territory Divisions. History and pro ...
, October 1941, pp. 41–44
The Launceston and Western Railway was a
Joint Stock Company A joint-stock company (JSC) is a business entity in which shares of the company's capital stock, stock can be bought and sold by shareholders. Each shareholder owns company stock in proportion, evidenced by their share (finance), shares (certifi ...
of £450,000 capital, chiefly borrowed in England, with the interest guaranteed by the Tasmanian Government. The land-holders, whom the line would benefit, entered into an obligation to recoup the State should the returns from the railway fall short of the interest money. The Launceston and Western Railway was formed on 9 May 1867. Surveying of the line begun almost immediately, with pegs being laid as far as Perth by July 1867. The first sod of the line was turned on 15 January 1868 by the
Duke of Edinburgh Duke of Edinburgh, named after the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, is a substantive title that has been created four times since 1726 for members of the British royal family. It does not include any territorial landholdings and does not pr ...
who was on a visit to the Colonies. On 15 July 1868 tenders were opened for the construction of the railway. Shareholders criticised the tenders for being unfair to local firms, preferring those from the other colonies rather than Tasmania. The contracts were awarded to Melbourne-based Overend and Robb, who had worked on railways in
Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...
. In August 1868, construction started at Jingler's Valley near Young Town. The undulating country presented few engineering challenges, with the only major works being a bridge over the North Esk in Launceston, cuttings and embankments climbing from St Leonards to Western Junction, a brick viaduct at Perth, and the
Longford Railway Bridge The Longford Railway Bridge is a railway bridge spanning the South Esk River, in Longford, Tasmania. The Western Railway Line travels over the bridge, enabling freight movement to/from the major Container ports of Burnie and Devonport and th ...
. Steam transport began earnestly in June 1869, when the contractors began hauling ballast from a quarry in Invermay. On 19 August 1869, the first "ride-on-rails" excursion took place between Jingler's Valley and Launceston, giving residents their first experiences with train travel. By February 1870, most of the permanent way was complete, except for areas around Westbury and the Longford bridge. New tenders were issued for the construction of station buildings, while further carriages and rolling stock were being fabricated. The date for completion as set out in the contract was 10 March 1870, but an extension was given and construction continued to a point where the opening date could be set for the following September. In July 1870, the first appointments of stationmasters and staff were made, and sidings had been completed at Perth, Longford and Westbury. Stations at Launceston, Longford, Westbury, Deloraine, and other stops were being built at this time, and the final shipment of rails from England meant completion of the line was expected by mid-August. Extensive rains resulted in further delays, with flooding in parts requiring the construction of culverts and extra drainage, and it was not until 10 February 1871 that the line was opened for traffic by the Governor. When the line was opened, a service of three double-headed trains each way per day was operated, but this proved unsatisfactory and later on one locomotive per run was used. During the construction period, the company had experienced some difficulty in raising the necessary finance to meet the cost of construction. It applied to the Government for assistance. The Government appointed two Railway Commissioners to generally supervise all railway construction and advance the company the finance to complete the building of the line. The construction contractor continued to operate the railway until November 1871, the L&WR then took over. By December 1872, it was agreed that a fifth locomotive was required and an order was placed with
Sharp, Stewart and Company Sharp, Stewart and Company was a steam locomotive manufacturer, originally based in Manchester, England. The company was established in 1843 following the dissolution of Sharp, Roberts & Co.. In 1888, it relocated to Glasgow, Scotland, where it ...
. Traffic showed an increase after the company took over the working of the line, however difficulties were experienced in continuing operations and the payment of interest on loans.


Beginning

The Launceston and Western Railway was struggling to pay its creditors, and it became necessary for the Government to step in. Negotiations were commenced with a view of the Government taking over the line, with legislation enacted making the L&WR hand all assets to the Government on 3 August 1873. The Government took over operation of the line from 31 October 1873, and while it was not formally organised as such, the Tasmanian Government Railways were established. The line was initially built in Broad or
Irish gauge Railways with a track gauge of fall within the category of broad-gauge railways. , they were extant in Australia, Brazil and on the island of Ireland. History ;600 BC :The Diolkos (Δίολκος) across the Isthmus of Corinth in Greece ...
. Very shortly after the Government takeover in 1873 a decision was made to convert the line to the narrow gauge as used by the newly created Tasmanian Main Line Railway. In March 1876, the Tasmanian Main Line Railway Company had completed the construction of a gauge line 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 ...
to Evandale and entered into negotiation with the Government for the construction of a third rail over the broad gauge tracks of the Launceston and Western Railway between Evandale Junction and Launceston. Approval was given and the TMLR began operating over a dual gauge line into Launceston on 1 November 1876. The Tasmanian Main Line Railway Company (TMLR) later opened their Hobart to Evandale line in 1876, to a . Because of the
break-of-gauge With railways, a break of gauge occurs where a line of one track gauge (the distance between the rails, or between the wheels of trains designed to run on those rails) meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock generally canno ...
, the TMLR laid a third rail upon the L&WR line, and operated
dual gauge Dual gauge railroad track has three or four rails, allowing vehicles of two track gauges to run on it. Signalling and sidings are more expensive to install on dual gauge tracks than on two single gauge tracks. Dual gauge is used when there i ...
for the final to Launceston. During the early 1880s, the Tasmanian Government decided upon construction of further narrow gauge lines and commenced with a line from Deloraine to Devonport which opened on 1 September 1885. In 1887, the broad gauge rolling stock of the Launceston and Western Railway consisted of 14 passenger carriages, 4 horse boxes and 84 goods vehicles. A proposal to take up the outer rail was examined and it was decided that greater economy of operation would be achieved. The last broad gauge train ran on 20 August 1888. The Government had during this time continued to take over failed railway companies across the state, and it soon became apparent that the Tasmanian Main Line Railway would suffer financial issues. With the absorption of the Hobart-Evandale line in 1890, the railway network became whole, and thus created an official public railway service in Tasmania. As a result of this takeover, all Tasmanian railways were relaid or newly constructed in gauge.


Transport Commission

On 1 July 1939, the railway administration was absorbed into the newly created Transport Commission and became its Railway Branch. The commission was empowered to co-ordinate and improve land transport within the State, and one of its policies was to encourage the use of the railway wherever possible. Consequently, to aid the railway, Tasmania's road network was divided into nine road transport zones, with levies instituted against trucks which crossed between zones if they were in competition with the railways.


Centenary

From 7–14 February 1971, the TGR celebrated its centenary of operations, with special trains scheduled during this time for trips between Launceston and Deloraine with intermediate stops. Special fares were arranged for these trips, with return tickets between the two termini priced at $1.00 (approximately $9.74 in 2012). Trains were arranged with either single, double or triple-headed steam locomotives, depending on the type of stock and number of passengers carried. On 10 February, the official ceremony was held at Launceston Railway Station, with addresses from the Transport Commissione
George Webb
and Minister for Transport Leonard Bessell, as well as the unveiling of a commemorative plaque by the then-
Premier of Tasmania The premier of Tasmania is the head of the Government of Tasmania, executive government in the Australian state of Tasmania. By convention, the leader of the party or political grouping which has majority support in the Tasmanian House of Assem ...
William Angus Bethune. Richard Green, the Mayor of Launceston, also presented the Guard of the centenary train with "Scrolls of Greetings", which were presented to the Wardens of the Municipalities of Evandale,
Longford Longford () is the county town of County Longford in Ireland. It had a population of 10,952 at the 2022 census. It is the biggest town in the county and about one third of the county's population lives there. Longford lies at the meeting of ...
, Westbury and Deloraine. The Centenary Train also conveyed special mail from the Launceston Post Office, as well as politicians and invited guests. After the Centenary train, further special trains were run through to St Marys on the Fingal Line, south down to
Ross Ross may refer to: People and fictional characters * Ross (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Ross, as well as the meaning * Clan Ross, a Highland Scottish clan Places Antarctica * Ross Sea ...
on the Main Line, and as far up as Railton on the Western line. Several trains were also timetabled to pick up passengers flown from Melbourne to Western Junction. The centenary celebrations were overall viewed as an astounding success, with most seats booked on each special train. Aside from the use of one Y Class diesel locomotive on a train for "special guests", every train scheduled as part of the centenary used well-maintained steam locomotives that were still in use on Tasmanian main lines.


Absorption

In 1975, the Federal
Whitlam government The Whitlam government was the federal executive government of Australia led by Prime Minister Gough Whitlam of the Australian Labor Party. The government commenced when Labor defeated the McMahon government at the 1972 Australian federal elect ...
sought to nationalise and take control of ailing state rail systems in a bid to revitalise them. Tasmania accepted the proposed
Australian National Railways Commission The Australian National Railways Commission was an agency of the Government of Australia that was a railway operator between 1975 and 1998. It traded as Australian National Railways (ANR) in its early years, before being rebranded as Australia ...
on 23 May 1975, and the ''Railways (Tasmania) Act 1975'' was passed. The Commission took control from the Transport Commission on 1 July 1975. As a result of the transfer, the Tasmanian Government ceased claimancy for funds from the Commonwealth Grants Commission, and was relieved of its debt obligations and interest payments incurred for money borrowed from the Commonwealth in construction of the Bell Bay Line in 1971.


Operations

With around 16 lines across the state, the TGR operated a combination of approximately 275 stations, halts and junctions (as of 1949). Large stations were located at Hobart,
Derwent Park Derwent Park is a Rugby League Stadium and former motorcycle speedway in Workington, England situated beside the Cumbrian River Derwent. It is used mostly for rugby league matches and is the home stadium of Workington Town who play in Leagu ...
,
New Norfolk New Norfolk ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#Big River, Leenowwenne/palawa kani: ''Wulawali'') is a river bank, riverside town located on the Derwent River (Tasmania), River Derwent in southeastern Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1807, it is Tasm ...
,
Parattah Parattah is a small township in Tasmania, located approximately 6 kilometres (4 mi) southeast of the town of Oatlands, Tasmania, Oatlands. At the Census in Australia#2021, 2021 census, Parattah had a population of 147. The area is home to ...
, Launceston,
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 Rosebery and Queenstown. History The greater Zeehan a ...
,
Burnie Burnie ( ; Aboriginal Tasmanians#North, pirinilaplu/palawa kani: ''Pataway'') is a port city located on the North West Tasmania, north-west coast of Tasmania, Australia. It is the fourth largest city on the island, located approximately north ...
and Devonport. On Hobart's suburban branch spurs, the TGR operated workers trains and freight for the Electrolytic Zinc Company and its zinc works in
Lutana Lutana is a residential locality in the local government area (LGA) of Glenorchy in the Hobart LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about south-east of the town of Glenorchy. Th2021 censusrecorded a population of 2,616 for the state suburb ...
, as well as the Cadbury's Chocolate Factory in nearby
Claremont Claremont may refer to: Places Australia *Claremont, Ipswich, a heritage-listed house in Queensland * Claremont, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart * Claremont, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth * Town of Claremont, Perth * Claremont Airbase, an ...
. Special trains were also conveyed on Hobart's suburban network, with trains operating to
Elwick Racecourse Elwick Racecourse, known for naming rights reasons as Ladbrokes Park Elwick, is a thoroughbred horse-racing venue located on Goodwood Road, Glenorchy, Tasmania, Australia. It is located in close proximity to the Brooker Highway, Hobart Showgro ...
for the Hobart Cup, and to the
Royal Hobart Showground The Royal Hobart Showgrounds are the site of the Royal Hobart Show and many other smaller events including a market on the grounds every Sunday. The Royal Hobart Showground is located 10 km north of Hobart, between the junction to Brooke ...
s for the
Royal Hobart Show The Royal Hobart Show is an annual event held in October at the Royal Showgrounds in Glenorchy, Tasmania, Australia. It is the largest of the Royal Shows held in cities and towns around the state by the Royal Agricultural Society of Tasmania ...
. The special show trains to the Showgrounds ended in 1978, and were the last TGR passenger trains to be run in Tasmania. In the 1970s, with the increase in car ownership, funding for highways and the loss of goods consignments, the TGR's operations suffered, and passenger services were eventually ceased across the network. Hobart suburban services ended in 1974, with passenger services ending entirely in 1978. TGR introduced in 1954 some containers for bulk goods such as cement, sand, gravel and superphosphate.


Network

* Main Line – Running north/south between Hobart and Launceston. * Western Line – Running from Launceston to Wiltshire Junction. * Derwent Valley Line – Running from Bridgewater Junction to logging areas in Florentine. * Fingal Line – Branching from
Conara Junction Conara is a rural locality in the local government area (LGA) of Northern Midlands in the Central LGA region of Tasmania. The locality is about south-east of the town of Longford. The 2016 census recorded a population of 130 for the state subu ...
, south of Launceston, to St Marys on the East Coast.
Irishtown-Trowutta Line
– A short line from Irishtown Junction (outside Smithton) to rural areas southwards. * Bell Bay Line – Opened in the early 1970s, this line connected Launceston to its northern port at Bell Bay.
Apsley Line
– Branching from Brighton Junction north into rural farmlands. Closed in 1947.
Mole Creek Line
– Branching from Lemana Junction south from the Western Line into logging areas. Closed 1985. *
Strahan–Zeehan Railway The Strahan–Zeehan Railway, also known as the "Government Railway", was a railway from Strahan to Zeehan on the west coast of Tasmania. It linked two private railways: the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company railway line (now known as the ...
Line – An isolated line joined to private railways, that linked the Queenstown to Strahan Mount Lyell railway line to the Emu Bay Railway line and as a result to Burnie and the rest of the Tasmanian railway system. . * BelleriveSorell Line – An isolated and short-lived line that joined the Hobart suburb to the rural communities in the East. Closed in 1926.


Hobart Railway Station

Hobart railway station 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 half ...
was the largest terminus in the state. Originally constructed in 1871 by the Tasmanian Main Line Company, the station was further expanded in the 20th century, with the station reconstructed and modernised in 1950. After the completion of construction works, the station had four platforms and a large concourse, as well as shopping stalls and food vendors. In the 1960s and early 1970s the railway station saw more than 70 trains a day come and go. With the gradual cessation of passenger services in the latter half of the 1970s and the takeover by Australian National Railways in 1978, the railway station was sold and redeveloped in the 1980s. Sections of track that went into the station were demolished for the extension of the
Tasman Highway The Tasman Highway (or A3) is a highway in Tasmania, Australia. Like the Midland Highway (Tasmania), Midland Highway, it connects the major cities of Hobart and Launceston, Tasmania, Launceston – however it takes a different route, via the no ...
onto
Davey Street Davey Street is a major one way street passing through the outskirts of the Hobart central business district in Tasmania, Australia. Davey street is named after Thomas Davey, the first Governor of Van Diemen's Land. The street forms a one-way ...
and Macquarie Street, and today, the redeveloped site houses the studios of the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...
and the
Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...
Centre of Learning, with the only remaining part of the rail terminal the original sandstone TMLR station building from 1871.


''Tasman Limited''

The ''Tasman Limited'' was the only
named train In the history of rail transport, dating back to the 19th century, there have been hundreds of named passenger trains. The following is a list of named trains. Lists of these have been organized into geographical regions. Trains with numeric na ...
operated by TGR ( ''The West Coaster'' was operated by the private
Emu Bay Railway The Emu Bay Railway was a Tasmania, Australian railway company. The railway was significant during full operation, in that it linked the Tasmanian Government Railways system at Burnie with that at Zeehan that further linked to the Mount Lye ...
). Inaugurated in April 1954, the train originally began as an express railcar service; however, later became a first-class luxury passenger service, operated with special articulated coaching stock, buffet service and modern X class diesel locomotives. Seating was reserved, and the service ran from Hobart to Wynyard with connections to Launceston, every day of the week except Sundays. The ''Tasman'', as it was colloquially known, outlasted all other TGR passenger services, and was officially the last regular scheduled government passenger train to operate on the Tasmanian rail network
departing Hobart at 9.20am on Friday 28 July 1978


Tasmanian Railway Institute

In the 1930s, the TGR formed the Railway Institute as a social and recreational branch for employees of the TGR and their families. Staffed by railway personnel, the TGR provided facilities to the institute; with recreation halls and branches founded in Hobart, Launceston, Conara, Devonport and Wynyard. These halls contained offices, libraries, billiards rooms, a kitchen and other sporting and social facilities. The Launceston branch was unique, in that it also held a Commonwealth-recognised indoor small-bore rifle range, and boxing stadium. The institute was tasked with training and certifying employees who were to be in charge of railway station accounts. The institute also formed an intrastate sporting events calendar, with teams from each branch participating. More central branches (e.g. Hobart), because of the higher number of members, often fielded two or more teams. As well as providing hall facilities, the Institute purchased several holiday homes located across Tasmania, as a way of providing members and their families with affordable holidays. A two-bedroom home at
Scamander Scamander (), also Skamandros () or Xanthos (), was a river god in Greek mythology. Etymology The meaning of this name is uncertain. The second element looks as though it is derived from Greek (), meaning "of a man", but there are sources w ...
and a three-bedroom former
station master The station master (or stationmaster) is the person in charge of a Train station, railway station, particularly in the United Kingdom and many other countries outside North America. In the United Kingdom, where the term originated, it is now lar ...
's house at
Claremont Claremont may refer to: Places Australia *Claremont, Ipswich, a heritage-listed house in Queensland * Claremont, Tasmania, a suburb of Hobart * Claremont, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth * Town of Claremont, Perth * Claremont Airbase, an ...
were initially acquired. The TGR also provided a six-bedroom house in both Stanley and Devonport, and later a house in Wynyard and South Burnie were also requisitioned. In 1978 when passenger services and the TGR ceased, employee numbers fell and subsequently the houses in Stanley, Wynyard and South Burnie were abandoned. Railway Institute facilities were also sold off, and the halls in Devonport and Wynyard were the last to be sold; with Devonport selling just prior to the sale of
AN Tasrail AN Tasrail was an Australian railway operator that operated the Rail transport in Tasmania, Tasmanian rail network from March 1978 until November 2004. Originally a subsidiary of the Australian Government, federal government's Australian Nationa ...
to the private consortium ATN TasRail. Today, the Railway Institute still remains, but is now known as the ''AN (Railway) Institute of Tasmania Inc.''. Several holiday homes also still exist and are in use, with the house in Devonport having been retained from TGR days. Two units in St Helens and two units in Claremont are also available, as well as a three-bedroom house in Launceston which was attained from AN Tasrail after they vacated offices there. These are owned outright by the institute, after in the 1980s during the time of the
Australian National Railways Commission The Australian National Railways Commission was an agency of the Government of Australia that was a railway operator between 1975 and 1998. It traded as Australian National Railways (ANR) in its early years, before being rebranded as Australia ...
's ownership, a Master of Operating lease was created to prevent future railway administrations from taking away Institute facilities. Due to legal threats from the state government, however; the institute was made to purchase the outstanding equity in the holiday homes of the TGR, to become completely separate to the railway administration. The Tasmanian membership paid $100,000 and the national administration of the ANR Railway Institute borrowed some more to buy the railway's equity in St Helens, Launceston, Devonport and Hobart. In 1997, the Institute in Tasmania became almost autonomous and became administered by volunteers. The Institute in Tasmania is assisted in administration by the board of AN Institute Inc. and its staff in
Port Augusta Port Augusta (''Goordnada'' in the revived indigenous Barngarla language) is a coastal city in South Australia about by road from the state capital, Adelaide. Most of the city is on the eastern shores of Spencer Gulf, immediately south of the ...
, South Australia.


Rolling stock

The Tasmanian Government Railways had a vast range of motive power and rolling stock, including many steam and latterly diesel locomotives and railmotors. Throughout the history of the TGR, the company set a number of milestones in railways, including being the first operator of mainline diesel locomotives in Australia, and being the first in the world to operate a
Garratt locomotive A Garratt locomotive is a type of articulated steam locomotive invented by the engineer Herbert William Garratt that is articulated into three parts. Its boiler, firebox, and cab are mounted on a centre frame or "bridge". The two other p ...
. In 1936, the TGR owned 92 locomotives, 13 railcars, 143 carriages, 52 brake vans and 2.048 goods wagons. The passenger rolling stock of the TGR included the 1955–58 series ACS class 'articulated country saloons', 76-seat first class with air suspended reclining seats, tray tables, state-of-the-art lighting and heating, and buffet service with hostesses. To the end in 1978, the TGR still used AAL class first class saloons with leather seats and maple panelling, as well as SP class brake and 2nd class passenger carriages, converted from Sentinel steam railcars. When TGR was abolished in 1978, most rollingstock was transferred onto the register of Australian National Railways (with the exception of all passenger stock other than that kept for departmental use).


Locomotives

The TGR had a large and varying fleet of both steam (and diesel in 1950) locomotives, and many served a multi-purpose position in the system; hauling freight, passenger, and mixed trains. The company also had a fleet of
railcar A railcar (not to be confused with the generic term railroad car or railway car) is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coa ...
s used for inter-suburban commuter services. Diesel * V class * X class (introduced 1950, first mainline diesel locomotive in Australia) * Y class (introduced 1961) * Z class (introduced 1973) * Za class (introduced 1973) ''Railcars''
TGR DP class
(introduced 1939) These railcars were built by
Waddingtons Waddingtons was a British manufacturer of card and board games. The company was founded by John Waddington of Leeds, England and the manager, actor and playwright Wilson Barrett, under the name ''Waddingtons Limited''. The name was changed i ...
and served the Hobart-Parattah regional and suburban services up until 1974. Steam * M/MA class (introduced 1952/1957) * H class (introduced 1951)
F class
(introduced 1949) *
G class G class or Class G may refer to: Railways * NZR G class (1928), a type of steam locomotive used in New Zealand * Tasmanian Government Railways G class, a class of 0-4-2T steam locomotive used in Australia * V/Line G class, a class of diesel-ele ...
(introduced 1944–50) * DS class (introduced 1939–44)
TGR CCS class
(introduced 1924)

(introduced 1922)

(introduced 1912)

(introduced 1912)

(introduced 1912) * K class (introduced 1909, first
Garratt locomotive A Garratt locomotive is a type of articulated steam locomotive invented by the engineer Herbert William Garratt that is articulated into three parts. Its boiler, firebox, and cab are mounted on a centre frame or "bridge". The two other p ...
in the world) *
G class G class or Class G may refer to: Railways * NZR G class (1928), a type of steam locomotive used in New Zealand * Tasmanian Government Railways G class, a class of 0-4-2T steam locomotive used in Australia * V/Line G class, a class of diesel-ele ...
(introduced 1896)
C class
(introduced 1885–1937)


Preservation

Much of the TGR's former rollingstock and traction has been preserved by enthusiast groups and museums, or have been placed in public parks in Tasmania. The
Tasmanian Transport Museum The Tasmanian Transport Museum is a transport museum in Glenorchy, Tasmania, Australia preserving and exhibiting a collection relating to Tasmanian transport history including items such as locomotives, carriages, ephemera and railroadiana, rail ...
,
Don River Railway The Don River Railway is a heritage railway and museum in Don, Tasmania, Don, Devonport, Tasmania. It operates a service from Don to Coles Beach (operationally known as Don Junction). The current line follows a reconstructed section of the form ...
and Derwent Valley Railway all hold extensive collections of TGR-related ephemera, infrastructure and rollingstock; either operational or non-operational/unrestored. The
Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery The Queen Victoria Museum & Art Gallery (QVMAG) is a museum located in Launceston, Tasmania, Australia. It is the largest museum in Australia not located in a capital city. History The foundation stone for the original building to house the ...
, which is housed in the former TGR locomotive workshops in Inveresk, Tasmania, hold examples of the TGR's industrial operations, as well as a Y class locomotive, wagons, and locomotive nameplates and
builder's plate A builder's plate is usually a metal plate that is attached to railway locomotives and rolling stock, bogies, construction equipment, trucks, automobiles, large household appliances, bridges, ships and more. It gives such information as the nam ...
s. The
Bellarine Railway The Bellarine Railway, formerly the Bellarine Peninsula Railway, is a volunteer-operated steam-driven tourist railway located in Victoria, Australia. It operates on a section of a formerly disused branch line on the Bellarine Peninsula betwee ...
in
Queenscliff, Victoria Queenscliff is a town at the south-eastern end of the Bellarine Peninsula in southern Victoria, Australia. It lies south of Swan Bay at the entrance to Port Phillip. It is the administrative centre for the Borough of Queenscliffe. At the , ...
, also has a number of ex-TGR carriages and locomotives. During the 1980s, the Hotham Valley Tourist Railway (HVR) south of Perth, Western Australia, purchased two V-class diesel-mechanical shunting locomotives and several ex-Tasman Limited SS/SSD passenger carriages. A couple of steam locomotives have been plinthed over the years and used in public parks since their withdrawal, with MA3 placed at the markets in
Margate Margate is a seaside resort, seaside town in the Thanet District of Kent, England. It is located on the north coast of Kent and covers an area of long, north-east of Canterbury and includes Cliftonville, Garlinge, Palm Bay, UK, Palm Bay and W ...
, and H6 placed at a park in
Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...
. Internationally, a handful of TGR locomotives still remain, with the first Garratt, K1, surviving at the
Welsh Highland Railway The Welsh Highland Railway (WHR; ) is a restored Narrow-gauge railway, narrow-gauge heritage railway in the Welsh county of Gwynedd. It runs from Caernarfon to Porthmadog, and passes through a number of popular tourist destinations includi ...
in
Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...
; and M2, an M class
Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
steam locomotive, which was moved from a park in
Stanley Stanley may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Stanley'' (1972 film), an American horror film * ''Stanley'' (1984 film), an Australian comedy * ''Stanley'' (1999 film), an animated short * ''Stanley'' (1956 TV series) ...
in 1984, now remains at the
Tanfield Railway The Tanfield Railway is a heritage railway in Gateshead and County Durham, England. Running on part of a former horse-drawn colliery wooden waggonway, later rope & horse, lastly rope & loco railway. It operates preserved industrial steam lo ...
in
County Durham County Durham, officially simply Durham, is a ceremonial county in North East England.UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. The county borders Northumberland and Tyne an ...
, England; however, this locomotive remains derelict and unrestored, and its future is uncertain.


See also

*
Rail transport in Australia Rail transport in Australia is a component of the Transport in Australia, Australian transport system. It is to a large extent States and territories of Australia, state-based, as each state largely has its own operations, with the interstate ...
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
TasRail TasRail (legal name Tasmanian Railway Pty Limited) is a Tasmanian Government state-owned enterprise that has operated the Rail transport in Tasmania, mainline railways in Tasmania since September 2009. It operates only freight services. Histo ...
*
Railway accidents in Tasmania The rail transport in the island state of Tasmania, Australia has had many train accidents since its historic opening in 1871. The following is a list of train related accidents that have occurred on Tasmania's rail network. Fatal accidents Ca ...


References

{{Authority control 3 ft 6 in gauge railways in Australia Rail transport in Tasmania History of transport in Tasmania Former government railways of Australia Defunct government-owned companies of Tasmania Australian companies established in 1872 Railway companies established in 1872 Australian companies disestablished in 1978 Railway companies disestablished in 1978