{{Short description|Railway line in Tasmania, Australia}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}} {{Use Australian English|date=January 2012}} {{Infobox rail line | box_width = | name = Melba railway line | image = Rosebery Station Melba Line.JPG | image_width = | image_alt = | caption = The Melba line at [[Rosebery, Tasmania|Rosebery]] | type = [[Heavy rail]] | system = | status = Open | locale = [[West Coast, Tasmania]] | start = [[Burnie]] | end = [[Zeehan railway station|Zeehan]] | stations = 3 | open = 1 February 1878 (1st stage)<br>21 December 1900 (in full) | close = | owner = [[Government of Tasmania]] | operator = [[TasRail]] | character = | depot = | stock = | linelength_km = 130 | gauge = {{Track gauge|1067mm|lk=on}} (after [[Track gauge conversion|relaying]]) | elevation_m = 670 | website = | map = {{Emu Bay Railway Line}} | map_name = | map_state = collapsed}}
The '''Melba railway line''' is a {{track gauge|1067mm|lk=on}} [[narrow-gauge railway]] on the [[West Coast, Tasmania|West Coast of Tasmania]]. The line was originally constructed as a private railway line named the [[Emu Bay Railway]] and was one of the longest-lasting and most successful private railway companies in Australia. While at present the line travels from [[Burnie]] to [[Melba Flats]], it previously ran through to [[Zeehan railway station|Zeehan]] carrying minerals and passengers as an essential service for the West Coast community.
==History== In the 1870s, the [[Van Diemen's Land Company]] engaged [[John Climie]] to undertake a survey of a line from near [[Burnie]] to [[Mount Bischoff]].<ref>TASMANIA. HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. TRAMWAY : (No. 90.) Report on Survey of proposed by Mr. J. C. Climie, CE. laid upon the Table by the Minister of Lands, and ordered by the House to be printed, 16 August 1882</ref> On 1 February 1878, a {{convert|71|km|mi}}, horse-drawn wooden tramway opened from Emu Bay (Burnie) to Rouse's Camp, near [[Waratah, Tasmania|Waratah]] to serve the [[Mount Bischoff]] tin mines.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=James Fenton (farmer)| first=James| last=Fenton|title=The History of Tasmania From its Discovery in 1642 to the Present Time|url=https://archive.org/details/ahistorytasmani00walkgoog|date=1884|page=[https://archive.org/details/ahistorytasmani00walkgoog/page/n421 391]| publisher=[[J. Walch and Sons]]; [etc ., etc.]}}</ref> In 1887, the line was taken over by the Emu Bay to Mount Bischoff Railway Company and [[Track gauge conversion|relaid]] with [[steel]] [[Rail profile|rails]] as {{Track gauge|1067mm|lk=on}} gauge railway line to allow [[steam locomotive]]s to operate.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=18870801&id=gvtjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3ZUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6237,2395785&hl=en| title=Railway from Emu Bay to Mount Bischoff| newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald| date=1 August 1887| via=Google News}}</ref> In 1897, the [[Emu Bay Railway]] took over the line, extending it 60 kilometres to [[Zeehan railway station|Zeehan]] on 21 December 1900.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19010330&id=vedhAAAAIBAJ&sjid=g5EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4567,5745083&hl=en| title=Emu Bay Railway Company Annual Meeting| newspaper=The Age| date=30 March 1901| via=Google News}}</ref><ref name=Oberg>{{cite book|last=Oberg|first=Leon|title=Locomotives of Australia 1850s-2010|year=2010|publisher=Rosenberg Publishing|location=Dural|isbn=9781921719011|pages=109, 330}}</ref>
Following the opening of the [[Murchison Highway]], the line was closed between [[Rosebery, Tasmania|Rosebery]] and Zeehan in August 1965.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.thelaw.tas.gov.au/tocview/content.w3p;doc_id=17++1965+AT@EN+20090920000000;rec=0| title=Emu Bay Railway Act 1965| website=Government of Tasmania| date=22 June 1965}}</ref> After being sold in 1967 to [[EZ Industries]], the line was upgraded to carry heavier trains and reopened in January 1970 from Rosebery to [[Melba Flats]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&dat=19680823&id=eP1UAAAAIBAJ&sjid=dJMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2612,3930833&hl=en| title=Emu Bay| newspaper=The Age| date=23 August 1968| via=Google News}}</ref> During the construction of the [[Pieman River Power Development|Pieman River hydro electric scheme]] in the late 1970s, the line was diverted in places and new bridges were built.
The Melba Line was included in the October 1984 sale of EZ Industries to [[North Limited|North Broken Hill Peko]], which merged with CRA Limited to form [[Pasminco]] in 1988. In 1989, an 11-kilometre branch opened from Moorey Junction to serve Aberfoyle's Hellyer Mine. On 22 May 1998, the line was sold by Pasminco to the [[Australian Transport Network]] and integrated into its [[AN Tasrail|Tasrail]] business.<ref name=Oberg/><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.examiner.com.au/story/640181/atn-grabs-emu-bay-rail/| title=ATN grabs Emu Bay| newspaper=The Examiner| date=7 April 1998}}</ref><ref>Tasrail to take over Emu Bay Railway ''[[Railway Digest]]'' May 1998 page 16</ref><ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atn-officially-adds-emu-bay-rail-operation-to-its-tasrail-business-77967017.html| title=ATN Officially Adds Emu Bay Rail Operation to Its Tasrail Business| author=Tranz Rail Holdings| date=22 May 1998| via=PRNewswire}}</ref> In February 2004, it was included in the sale of Tasrail to [[Pacific National]], and was purchased by the newly established government-owned [[TasRail]] in September 2009.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.thelaw.tas.gov.au/tocview/content.w3p;doc_id=44++2009+AT@EN+20160420000000;rec=0| title=Emu Bay Railway (Operations & Acquisition Act) 2009| website=Government of Tasmania| date=27 October 2009}}</ref>
==Stopping places== [[File:ARHS Emu Bay.jpg|thumb|Map of the original route]] At its peak as a steam operation, the railway had approximately 23 stopping or named places (including names for watering locations and other passenger operation related points) on its line and adjacent lines:
*[[Burnie]] *Pigeon Hill *Ridgley *Highclere *Hampshire *Ringwood *Toronna *Wey River Bridge * [[Guildford, Tasmania|Guildford]] - junction to the [[Mount Bischoff]] tin mine ** Rouse's Camp (Mount Bischoff branch line) ** Magnet Junction (Mount Bischoff branch line) **[[Waratah, Tasmania|Waratah]] (Mount Bischoff branch line) **Mount Magnet ([[Magnet Tramway]]) *Muddy Creek *Bulgobac *Boko *Farrell Junction with the North Mount Farrell Tramway to [[Tullah]], now known as the [[Wee Georgie Wood Railway]] *Primrose *Barkers Crossing *[[Rosebery, Tasmania|Rosebery]] *[[Renison Bell]] *Argent Tunnel *[[Melba Flats]] **Junction with the [[North East Dundas Tramway]] to [[Montezuma Falls|Montezuma]] and [[Williamsford, Tasmania|Williamsford]] on the southern slopes of [[Mount Read (Tasmania)|Mount Read]] *Rayna Junction - junction with the ''Maestris'' or [[Mount Dundas – Zeehan Railway]] *[[Zeehan railway station|Zeehan]]
Beyond Zeehan the [[Strahan–Zeehan Railway|Tasmanian Government Railways line]] continued to [[Regatta Point]] to connect with the [[Mount Lyell railway line|Mount Lyell line]] to [[Queenstown, Tasmania|Queenstown]].
==Notes== {{Reflist}}
==References== {{Commons category|Melba Line}} * {{cite book| publisher=Traction Publications| title=Along the Line in Tasmania. Book 2. Private Lines| year=1972| isbn=0-85829-003-0}} * {{cite book| author=Atkinson, H.K.| title=Railway Tickets of Tasmania| year=1991| isbn=0-9598718-7-X}} * {{cite book| author-link=Geoffrey Blainey|last=Blainey|first=Geoffrey| title= [[The Peaks of Lyell]] | edition=6th | publisher=St. David's Park Publishing | location=Hobart| year=2000| isbn=0-7246-2265-9}} * {{cite book| author=Lou Rae| author-link=Lou Rae| title=The Emu Bay Railway| year=1997| isbn=0-9592098-6-7}}
==Further reading== * Manny, L.B. (1961) The Emu Bay Railway [[Australian Railway History|Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin]], November 1961
[[Category:Pieman River Power Development]] [[Category:Railway lines in Western Tasmania]] [[Category:Railway lines opened in 1878]] [[Category:1878 establishments in Australia]] [[Category:3 ft 6 in gauge railways in Australia]] [[Category:Emu Bay Railway]]
[[de:Emu Bay Railway]]