Don River Railway

Don River Railway
Don River Railway Museum in 2016
Locale	Devonport, Tasmania
Coordinates	41°10′52″S146°19′05″E / 41.18103°S 146.31814°E / -41.18103; 146.31814
Connections	Western line
Commercial operations
Name	Don River Railway
Original gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Preserved operations
Owned by	Van Diemen Light Railway Society
Operated by	Van Diemen Light Railway Society
Stations	2
Length	3.1 km (1.9 mi)
Preserved gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Commercial history
Opened	10 April 1916 (1916-04-10)
Closed	16 October 1963 (1963-10-16)
Website
www.donriverrailway.com.au
Route map Legend Don Junction Western line Don Junction station Don Fitzallen Tugrah Melrose Talba Paloona Barrington This diagram: view talk edit

The Don River Railway is a heritage railway and museum in 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 former Melrose line that ran between Don Junction and Paloona.

The Don River Railway is open seven days a week, closing only for Christmas Day, Good Friday, and Anzac Day. Train services operate from Thursday to Sunday, using either either a Tasmanian Government Railways DP class rail car, or a heritage carriage set hauled by either a steam locomotive or a vintage diesel locomotive.

History

The heritage operations consist of the northernmost stretch of the Melrose line that ran from Don Junction (commonly called Coles Beach) to Melrose and Paloona. In the 1920s, the line was extended to Barrington, but this closed in 1928. Occasional trains ran on the closed section on Devonport Cup and Show days, but this ceased in 1935. The Melrose-Paloona section closed around this time, and following the 1948 closure of BHP's limestone facilities at Melrose, which had been the mainstay of operations on the line ever since it opened, the line was largely redundant. In October 1963, the railway was closed and later lifted. ^[1]

The Van Dieman Light Rail Society was formed in December 1971. ^{[2] [3]} In 1973, it began pushing to restore heritage operation, which it did three years later operated, under the trading name Don River Railway.

In May 1987, it began operating main line services to Burnie. ^[4] On 14 December 1991, the line was officially opened by the Governor of Tasmania, Phillip Bennett. ^[5] Services originally ran into the main line Devonport station on the Western line before services were curtailed to operate between Don and Coles Beach. ^[6]

On 4 April 2023, a fire destroyed a carriage shed and some carriages. ^{[7] [8]}

Steam locomotives

Fowler no.5268 is Don River Rail's sole operating steam locomotive as of December 2024, seeing occasional use both on timetabled services and for functions.

Former Tasmanian Government Railways M4 is currently receiving mechanical overhall. CCS25 was reactivated in January 2023, but awaits approval to return to revenue operations.

Builder	Builder's number and year	Class	Configuration	Original number	Final number/name	Previous owner	Condition	Additional information
Baldwin Locomotive Works	Unknown	DS	2-6-4T	Unknown	Unknown	Tasmanian Government Railways	Boiler only
Beyer, Peacock & Company	3392 of 1892	A	4-4-0	A4 [9] [10]		Launceston City Council	Dismantled
Beyer Peacock	4415 of 1902	C	2-6-0	C23 [11]	CCS23	AN Tasrail	Cosmetic restoration only	Rebuilt 1928 by Tasmanian Government Railways
Beyer Peacock	4417 of 1902	C	2-6-0	C25 [10] [11]	CCS25	AN Tasrail	Mechanical overhaul	Rebuilt 1926 by Tasmanian Government Railways
Dübs & Company	1415 of 1880	4D9	2-4-2T	131 [12]		Tasmanian Transport Commission	Dismantled
Dübs & Company	3855 of 1900		2-8-0	No.8 Heemskirk [10]		Emu Bay Railway	Mechanical overhaul	Returned to service October 1996 [13]
John Fowler & Company	5265 of 1886		0-6-0T			Tasmanian Transport Commission	Operational
Vulcan Foundry	5955 of 1951	H	4-8-2	H7		Tasmanian Government Railways	Static
Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns	7422 of 1951	M	4-6-2	M2	MA4	Tasmanian Government Railways	Static	Modified and renumbered 1958
Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns	7423 of 1951	M	4-6-2	M3		AN Tasrail	Static
Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns	7424 of 1951	M	4-6-2	M4 [10]		AN Tasrail	Mechanical overhaul
Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns	7428 of 1951	M	4-6-2	M1 [10]	MA2	Tasmanian Government Railways	Cosmetic restoration only	Modified and renumbered 1957

Diesel locomotives

Builder	Builder's number	Class	Configuration	Original number	Final number	Previous owner	Condition	Additional information
Ruston & Hornsby, Boultham Works	279571	40DL	B			Cornwall Coal Company	Operational	Nicknamed 'Spit and Giggle'
Ruston & Hornsby, Boultham Works	187072	48DL	B			Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Company	Operational
AE Goodwin	84712	830	Co-Co	866 [14]		AN Tasrail	Operational
Walkers	577	10	B'B'	1002 [15]		Australian Transport Network	Operational
Malcolm Moore		U	B	U6		AN Tasrail	Operational	Rebuilt by Launceston Railway Workshops
Vulcan Foundry	22288 / D61	V	C	V2 [16]		AN Tasrail	Operational
English Electric, Vulcan Foundry	1799 / D91	X	Bo-Bo	X4 [10]		AN Tasrail	Mechanical overhaul
Tasmanian Government Railways, Launceston Railway Workshops		Y	Bo-Bo	Y6 [10]		AN Tasrail	Operational
Tasmanian Government Railways, Launceston Railway Workshops		Y	Bo-Bo	Y8		AN Tasrail	Static
English Electric, Rocklea	A.250	Z	Co-Co	Z2	2111	TasRail	Static
English Electric, Rocklea	A.251	Z	Co-Co	Z3	2112	TasRail	Mechanical overhaul
English Electric, Rocklea	A.259	Za	Co-Co	ZA1	2114	TasRail	Mechanical overhaul
English Electric, Rocklea	A.264	2350	Co-Co	2358	2100	TasRail	Static	Ex ZB9 / ZR1 / ZP1, rebuilt by Australian National Railways, Port Augusta
English Electric, Rocklea	A.275	2370	Co-Co	2371	2128	TasRail	Mechanical overhaul	Ex ZB14

References

1. TGR News Divisional Diary December 1963 page 9
2. Van Diemen Light Rail Society Trolley Wire issue 151 April 1974 pages 29/30
3. Van Diemen Light Railway Society Continental Railway Journal issue 25 March 1976 page 405
4. Don River Railway Continental Railway Journal issue 72 December 1987 page 401
5. Here & There Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 655 May 1992 page 127
6. Don River Railway eyes disused Devonport station site Railway Digest May 2020 page 54
7. Fire that destroyed workshop at heritage railway accidentally lit, investigation finds ABC News 4 April 2023
8. Fire destroys parts of heritage Don River Railway Pulse Tasmania 4 April 2023
9. Tasmanian Railways A4 Tasmanian Rail News issue 171 October 1990 pages 8/9
10. McKillop, Robert (1999). Guide to Australian Heritage Trains & Railway Museums (7 ed.). Sydney: Australian Railway Historical Society. p. 81. ISBN   0 909650 45 4.
11. Tasmanian C class survivors Railway Digest September 2015 page 54
12. Armstrong, John (1985). Locomotives in the Tropics Volume 1. Brisbane: Australian Railway Historical Society. p. 36. ISBN   0-909937-13-3.
13. Don River Railway Continental Railway Journal issue 110 July 1997 page 652
14. First 830 Class Loco Preserved Catch Point issue 98 November 1993 page 24
15. 10 Class Tasmanian Rail News issue 215 December 2001 page 6
16. Still running Track & Signal issue 21/1 February 2017 page 113

Further reading

• "Don River Railway". heritage.gov.au. AHPI. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
• Cooper, Greg (2002) The History of the Don River Railway's Locomotives, Railcars & Carriages, published by the Don River Railway, ISBN   0-9580006-0-3
• McKillop, Robert (2010) Australian Railway Heritage Guide, 2010 Edition Australian Railway Historical Society ISBN   978-0-9807721-1-1

External links

Media related to Don River Railway at Wikimedia Commons