The railway was built by the Mount Lyell Mining & Railway Company to carry copper from its mine in Queenstown. Until 1932, when a Hobart road link was completed, it was the only access through to Queenstown.
The railway utilised the Abt rack and pinion system for steep sections. Because of the gradients, tonnages were always limited on the railway. The gauge is 3ft6in (1,067mm).[2]
At its peak in 1936, the company owned six locomotives, three railcars, eight coaches and 131 goods wagons.[3]
The last passenger service ran on 29 June 1963, with the railway closed on 10 August 1963 due to increasing maintenance costs and the improvement of road access to the West Coast from the north with the opening of the Murchison Highway.[4][5][6]
With the removal of the track the formation from Regatta Point was used by road vehicles for access to Lette's Bay and Lowana to the east.
Most bridges remained intact but fell into disrepair, and the route was unsuitable for vehicle access beyond the Iron Bridge that crosses the King River at the location of the early port of Teepookana.
Reconstruction
Despite various proposals post 1963, it was not until the 1990s after the demise of the main Mount Lyell Company mining operations, and the downgrading of Hydro Tasmania's activities of dam building on the West Coast, that some local West Coast people campaigned for the restoration of the Abt Railway as a heritage tourist attraction featuring the unique rail system and the community's mining history.
The new terminus in Queenstown is on the site of the original station yard. The station at Regatta Point terminus has been renovated.
The railway follows its original alignment except for the Quarter Mile Bridge near Teepookana. The old bridge was washed away in a flood in 1974, with the new bridge just south of the original.
Change in operations
In February 2013 the Federal Group announced that it would be terminating its lease of the railway in April 2013, citing a downturn in business and a need for investment in infrastructure had made the railway no longer viable.[9][15] The Tasmanian government responded by estimating that maintaining the railway would cost $15 to $20 million, and that the government alone could not fund it.[16]
Following track rehabilitation work, the railway re-opened between Queenstown and Dubbil Barril on 6 January 2014.[17][18][19] It resumed operation along its full length on 14 December 2014.[20] It is operated by the Abt Railway Ministerial Corporation, a Government of Tasmania corporation.[21]
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