The Lake Margaret Tram was located on the western side of Mount Sedgwick in the

West Coast Range The West Coast Range is a mountain range located in the West Coast region of Tasmania, Australia. The range lies to the west and north of the main parts of the Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. The range has had a significant nu ...

on the West Coast of

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

in service for the

Mount Lyell Mining and 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 from 1893 to 1994, and was based in ...

to the Lake Margaret community.

Construction

By 1903, the timber areas having been cut out around Queenstown itself, the wood cutters moved to Howard's Plains situated on the plateau north west of Queenstown. As access onto the plateau was steep, a self-acting

narrow gauge A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge narrower than standard . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curves, smaller structu ...

dual haulage was built. From the top of the incline, a tramway was laid and was extended, over a period of time, some 4¼ miles towards Lake Margaret. Following the decision to build the

Lake Margaret Power Station The Lake Margaret Power Stations comprise two hydroelectric power stations located in Western Tasmania, Australia. The power stations are part of the King Yolande Power Scheme and are owned and operated by Hydro Tasmania. Officially the Upper L ...

, the Howard's Plains Tram was extended from its then terminus at the 4¼ mile peg. Work commenced on the extension on 19 August 1912. The Howard's Plains tram was completely upgraded. The total distance from the haulage to the power station being 7 miles, including a

zig zag A zigzag is a pattern made up of small corners at variable angles, though constant within the zigzag, tracing a path between two parallel lines; it can be described as both jagged and fairly regular. In geometry, this pattern is described as a ...

along the line. Following the completion of the power station on 28 November 1914, the tram continued to provide firewood as well as a freight and passenger service for employees and their families living at the isolated settlement. A second power station was built a mile below the first station, in 1931, and was also linked by tramway.

Length Reduced

In 1937, the terminus of the line was moved from the top of the haulage to its junction with the Queenstown to Strahan road. The haulage being no longer required after the construction of that road. Upon completion of the road to

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 ...

in 1941, the terminus was moved again, out to its junction with that road, approximately 3 miles from Queenstown.

Closure

The Lake Margaret Tram remained the only connection to the Lake Margaret locality for a considerable part of the twentieth century. It was closed in 1964 when a road was constructed into the power station and the settlement.

Motive Power

Initially, the tram was worked by Krauss locomotives, while in later years an

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." "A ...

petrol locomotive was used. Several rail cars worked the line and included a 'Riley' in earlier years, while a Vauxhaull rail car was used in the later years. Lake Margaret001

In 1959, the

purchased two 2-foot gauge diesel shunting locomotives, manufactured by

Tulloch Limited Tulloch Limited was an Australian engineering and railway rolling stock manufacturer, located at Rhodes, New South Wales. History In 1885 Robert Tulloch founded Phoenix Iron Works in Pyrmont. In 1913 the business was incorporated as Tulloch's ...

of Rhodes, New South Wales. These were intended for surface working on their system of that gauge. They were powered with a Fordson 4-cylinder 40 hp. engine. The locomotive weighed 4.5 tons. As shown in the accompanying photograph, one of these locomotives was put to use on the Lake Margaret Tram.

Hiking Trail

After the tramline's tracks were removed, part of the formation was opened to the public as a hiking trail. However access to the Lake Margaret Power station was restricted for some considerable time.

Construction

Length Reduced

Closure

Motive Power

Hiking Trail

References

Further reading

See also