Rebuilding the ABT railway from Strahan end
A selection of photos taken in August 2001
|Or, on to pictures of ABT railway at Queenstown end|
The sun is just rising as Bob Smith gets No. 22 fired up ready for the days work. In the background, the Regatta Point station, which has survived since 1964 and has been restored. No.22 was originally a Mt Lyell Mining and Railway Co. loco, having been one of two purchased in 1953 to work the Regatta Point/Dubbil Barril section. After closure this engine went to the Emu Bay Railway and its last real use was in the construction of the Hellyer line from Moory Junction on the EBR in 1988-89. Not too many people would have imagined that it would operate once again on the ABT railway.
On the track near Strahan, 22 is pushing 2 flat wagons and guards van DB12 to the rail loading point. This pic is taken near the site of the pyrites bins which were once the transfer point for rail to ship and later truck to ship before the ore was ultimately transferred to the EBR at Melba Flats.
Loading the track panels. Much of the rail for this railway has come from the North East line, which has been lifted from the terminus at Herrick back to Tonganah, near Scottsdale.
Note the sleeper arrangement....every fourth sleeper is a steel one, this must make it more difficult to tamp.
On the way with a full load, beside the Lowana road.
Speed limit signs are already in place.
The ballast wagons in the siding belong to the Don River Railway and the Derwent Valley Railway
|To more ABT pics, at Strahan end|