Tassie 2 week sojourn

QRIG · Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 10:35 pm

Hey guys,

Heading to Tassie for 2 weeks in December (1st - 15th) and wondering what sort of freight action there is to see during that time. Rough guide of where I'll be when is ...

3rd December - around Glenorchy (Cadbury, Alpen Rail, etc.)
8th-10th December - Burnie (Penguin) etc.
12th - 14th - Launceston area (with time to for a full day of gunzelling while the missus goes shopping)

Any help would be great, in between I'll definitely be going on the Abt, visiting Don, having a look at the Derwent Valley line on the way to Strahan. Driving up the West coast to Burnie following the line through Rosebury.

Forums :: Gallery :: Yahoogroup

Z1NorthernProgress2110 · Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2007 6:24 pm

In the Hobart area, there is train 35/36 which is the container train from Hobart-Burnie and vise versa. I think there is another from Hobart-Bell Bay as well, hopefully a Hobart forum member can give the details. This one usually leaves Hobart late in the evening. It arrives into Hobart early morning.

There is a train from Boyer-Burnie, train 31/32. However, its an late arvo/evening train.

The Burnie area, there is an early departure of train 31 to Boyer. Usually leaves about 07:50, can leave earlier, and later!.
Train 36 from Hobart sometimes is early and late. The train to Hobart, train 35 usually leaves Burnie after 5 in the evening. With daylight savings you can take great pics as the sun sets.
There is a train that arrives into Burnie in the afternoon from the West Coast. When the locos get serviced at Burnie, the head out back to the West Coast in the same afternoon, around 2ish.

The Launceston area, there is a Bell Bay train that operates. I don't know what times it runs. There is the Inveresk railway workshops which is now a museum which is well worth a visit.

Now the size of the trains aren't that awe inspiring. But its enough to take interesting photos.

The locos used are usually ex QR 1502/1460 DQ class, ex WA D class Clyde-GMs, the MKAs, the 2 banana's(ZP/ZR), old Z/ZA English Electrics on the mainline. The older Y, 2150 and 2151 are shunters. I think 2150 is down Hobart way and 2151 is here at Burnie.

Hope this helps out a little

Cheers Damien Smith
http://z1-2110gallery.fotopic.net
Updated 28th September, includes various Y2151 shunting and Upper Burnie lookout pics

12CSVT · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2007 10:54 pm

The new timetable has traffic in/out of Hobart/Boyer something like this. (No guarantees on accuracy!) ~ Trains 35 and 53 follow each other into Hobart roughly between 6am and 8am. Train 64 Hobart to Boyer early afternoon (c. 1 to 2pm). Train 66 Hobart to Boyer late afternoon (c. 5 to 6pm) (forms Train 52 Boyer to Bell Bay c. 7 to 8pm). Interspersed between 66 and 52 are 36 ex Hobart to Burnie following 66 (6 to 7pm) and 31 into Boyer and out again as 32 (6 to 7pm).

Hence action in/out of Hobart is concentrated early morning and early evening with one movement just after lunch.

Pity your leaving on the 15th, as that has been now been flagged as the big shift of steam loco H5 from Hillwood to New Norfolk.

Cheers,
SZ

DRR_Fireman · Posted: Tue Nov 13, 2007 3:30 pm

If you can, try and time your visit to Don on a Saturday, I'll give you an access all areas tour.

Don River Railway, Tasmania -U/V class driver, Trainee Fireman, Trainee Railcar driver and Shunter extraordinaire!

mjh · Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 2:23 pm

Sorry, major thread bump....

We are having our first family trip to Tasmania next week, can you tell me if the Hobart area info in the thread is still current?

We are in Hobart Wednesday evening to Saturday, then heading up the east coast staying at Bicheno on Saturday night heading for Launceston the next day where we are staying Sunday and Monday night before flying back to Melbourne on Tuesday night.

I was hoping to maybe pick up the Fingal coal as we head north, but guess being in that area Saturday / Sunday it will be a bit quiet?

Thanks in anticipation for any help you can give.

12CSVT · Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 3:13 pm

Most of what I stated earlier with regards to train movements in/out of Hobart etc. are still fairly on the mark, except for Train 66 (Hobart - Boyer) which rarely ever runs now (most Boyer transfer traffic goes out on 64). Timings are a bit more variable however.

The locos off Friday's 31 now normally spend the weekend at Boyer

There is no coal south of Fingal / Conara by rail anymore.

H5 is now at the DVR. Workdays are on Saturdays.

Cheers,
SZ

mjh · Posted: Sat May 31, 2008 9:21 pm

Thanks for that SZ. Is there still coal running north from Fingal? We are heading up the A3 so it's not much of a detour if there anything running on a Saturday arvo or Sunday.

12CSVT · Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 12:48 am

Yes, still coal to Railton as well as Burnie (for now!)

Cheers,
SZ