The West Coast Wilderness Railway is an award-winning railway and wilderness experience located on the west coast of Tasmania. The lovingly restored steam journey connects the historic towns of Queenstown and Strahan and is a wonderful way to experience a combination of Tasmanian wilderness, history, cuisine and hospitality. Three of the original trains now command the railway, built in 1896 (ABT 1), 1898 (ABT 3) and 1938 (ABT 5), and are beautifully restored to their former 28 tonne glory.
The West Coast Wilderness Railway was originally built during the 1890s to transport copper from the mines in Queenstown to the port on the coast at Strahan. The railway operated until the 60’s when it became too expensive to run, and road transport became a more efficient way of travelling. The trains were decommissioned and the track fell into disrepair. However, reconstruction work started in the 1990s and in 2003 the railway was officially reopened.
The West Coast Wilderness Railway embodies a wealth of stories, stories that tell of the ingenuity, resilience and determination that turned the west coast of Tasmania into one of the wealthiest mining regions in the world.
