Emu Bay Railway
Corporate brand
UnclaimedA historic Tasmanian railway company that connected Burnie with western Tasmania's mining districts and operated freight, passenger, and tourist services.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Emu Bay Railway was a historic railway company in Tasmania, Australia. Its main line ran from Emu Bay, now Burnie, on the north-west coast toward the mining settlements of western Tasmania, eventually reaching Zeehan. Through connections at Zeehan, the railway provided an important link with the Tasmanian Government Railways network and, indirectly, the Mount Lyell railway serving Queenstown. The line supported the movement of tin, copper, zinc, timber, general freight, construction materials, and passengers across a rugged and economically important region. The railway's origins lay in a 71-kilometre horse-drawn wooden tramway opened by the Van Diemen's Land Company in February 1878. The tramway connected Emu Bay with Rouse's Camp near Waratah and was built primarily to serve the Mount Bischoff tin mines. In 1887, the Emu Bay to Mount Bischoff Railway Company acquired the route and rebuilt it with steel rails to the 1,067-millimetre gauge, allowing steam locomotives to operate. The Emu Bay Railway Company took over in 1897 and extended the railway approximately 60 kilometres farther west. The extension to Zeehan opened on 21 December 1900. The company became a significant private railway undertaking and was listed on the Melbourne Stock Exchange. Its fortunes were closely tied to mining and to the changing transport geography of western Tasmania. The opening of the Murchison Highway weakened the railway's passenger and general-carrier role, and the Rosebery-to-Zeehan section closed in August 1965. Emu Bay Railway subsequently concentrated increasingly on mineral and industrial freight. EZ Industries, which accounted for most of the railway's traffic by the mid-1960s, acquired control after a takeover accepted by shareholders in early 1967. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the line was upgraded for heavier trains. The Rosebery-to-Melba Flats section reopened in January 1970, supporting the continued movement of mining output. In December 1976, the company was released from its common-carrier obligations, effectively ending its broad public-transport role. A limited mixed train continued until 1977, but the railway thereafter functioned primarily as a freight operation. Its infrastructure was also altered during construction of the Pieman River hydro-electric scheme, including diversions and new bridges. Emu Bay Railway was included in EZ Industries' 1984 sale to North Broken Hill Peko. North Broken Hill Peko merged with CRA Limited in 1988, creating Pasminco. A branch to Aberfoyle's Hellyer Mine opened from Moorey Junction in 1989, reinforcing the line's role as a mining railway. On 22 May 1998, Pasminco sold the company to Australian Transport Network, which integrated the railway into its Tasrail operations. The independent Emu Bay Railway corporate identity consequently ceased to operate as a separate railway business. The railway also had a notable passenger and heritage dimension. It operated employee and local passenger services, introduced small railmotors in 1921, and later carried tourists. The West Coaster tourist service began between Burnie and Rosebery in October 1960, using the steam locomotives Murchison and Heemskirk with former Tasmanian Government Railways carriages. The service ended on 2 January 1964 after the Murchison Highway opened. Several locomotives associated with the railway have survived in preservation, including Murchison, Heemskirk, a North British diesel-hydraulic locomotive, and examples of the 10 class. These preserved artifacts remain important reminders of Tasmania's mining-railway history.
History
The Emu Bay Railway developed from a mining tramway created to connect the north-west Tasmanian port of Emu Bay with the Mount Bischoff tinfield. In February 1878, the Van Diemen's Land Company opened a 71-kilometre horse-drawn wooden tramway from Emu Bay, now Burnie, to Rouse's Camp near Waratah. The route was surveyed by John C. Climie and provided an essential outlet for mineral production from the interior. In 1887, the Emu Bay to Mount Bischoff Railway Company took over the tramway and rebuilt it with steel rails at 1,067 millimetres gauge. This reconstruction enabled steam locomotives to replace horse traction and improved the line's capacity and reliability. The Emu Bay Railway Company acquired the undertaking in 1897. It later extended the route approximately 60 kilometres farther west, reaching Zeehan on 21 December 1900. The completed railway linked Burnie with a succession of mining and industrial settlements. At Zeehan, it connected with the Tasmanian Government Railways system and offered an indirect connection toward the Mount Lyell railway and Queenstown. Proposals for extensions toward Gormanston or Queenstown were considered in the late nineteenth century but were not built. The railway became one of Tasmania's most important private lines and was listed on the Melbourne Stock Exchange. Passenger operations developed alongside freight. In 1921, the railway introduced two small railmotors, a 12-seat Berliet and a 16-seat Argyle, for services between Guildford and Waratah. A larger double-bogie railcar supplied by Walker Brothers of Wigan entered service in 1940. The railway later responded to rising tourism by creating The West Coaster in October 1960. Two stored Dübs and Company 4-8-0 locomotives, named Murchison and Heemskirk, were converted to oil burning and painted in a distinctive two-tone blue scheme for the service. The tourist train ran between Burnie and Rosebery with three former Tasmanian Government Railways carriages, but ended on 2 January 1964 after road competition increased. The railway's locomotive fleet evolved as traffic patterns changed. Three Beyer, Peacock Garratt locomotives arrived in 1930, followed during the 1950s by five Australian Standard Garratts purchased from Queensland Railways and Tasmanian Government Railways. Dieselisation began with a North British Locomotive Company 0-8-0 diesel-hydraulic locomotive in 1953. Three Walkers Limited 10 class diesel-hydraulics arrived in 1963, with a fourth later assembled at the Tasmanian Government Railways workshops in Launceston. The remaining steam locomotives were withdrawn in the same period. Seven 11 class diesel-hydraulic locomotives entered service in 1970–71, and the 10 and 11 classes could be operated in multiple-unit formations of up to eight locomotives. The opening of the Murchison Highway in the 1960s placed pressure on the railway. The Rosebery-to-Zeehan section closed in August 1965. EZ Industries, which by then generated approximately 90 percent of the railway's traffic, launched a takeover bid in October 1966. The directors rejected the proposal, but shareholders accepted it in early 1967. Under EZ Industries' control, the line was upgraded for heavier trains and the Rosebery-to-Melba Flats section reopened in January 1970. In December 1976, Emu Bay Railway was relieved of its common-carrier obligations. Its operations became primarily freight-based, although a twice-weekly mixed train survived until 1977. Construction of the Pieman River hydro-electric scheme required local diversions and new bridges during the late 1970s. In 1984, the railway became part of the sale of EZ Industries to North Broken Hill Peko. The latter merged with CRA Limited in 1988 to form Pasminco. A branch from Moorey Junction to Aberfoyle's Hellyer Mine opened in 1989. On 22 May 1998, Pasminco sold Emu Bay Railway to Australian Transport Network. The new owner integrated the railway into its Tasrail operations, ending the company's existence as a separate railway business. Its historical significance continues through preserved locomotives and railway collections. Murchison is displayed at the West Coast Pioneers Museum in Zeehan, while Heemskirk is preserved by the Don River Railway and returned to service in October 1997. Other surviving locomotives include the North British diesel and examples of the 10 class held by preservation organisations in Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales.
- 1998
Integrated into Tasrail
[1]Australian Transport Network acquired the company from Pasminco and integrated it into Tasrail.
- 1989
Hellyer Mine branch opens
[1]An 11-kilometre branch from Moorey Junction opened to serve the Hellyer Mine.
- 1976
Common-carrier obligations end
[1]The company was relieved of its common-carrier obligations and shifted decisively toward freight operations.
- 1970
Melba Flats freight section reopens
[1]After upgrades for heavier trains, the line from Rosebery to Melba Flats reopened in January.
- 1965
Rosebery–Zeehan section closes
[1]The western section closed in August after road improvements changed the region's transport balance.
- 1963
Steam era ends in regular operation
[1]Walkers Limited 10 class diesel-hydraulics entered service, and the remaining steam locomotives were withdrawn.
- 1960
West Coaster begins
[1]The company launched a tourist service between Burnie and Rosebery using named steam locomotives and former government railway carriages.
- 1953
First diesel-hydraulic locomotive arrives
[1]A North British Locomotive Company 0-8-0 diesel-hydraulic locomotive entered service.
- 1930
Garratt locomotives enter service
[1]Three Beyer, Peacock Garratt locomotives were delivered to handle demanding grades and heavy freight.
- 1921
Railmotors introduced
[1]The company began operating Berliet and Argyle railmotors between Guildford and Waratah.
Products and positioning
A privately operated industrial and mining railway serving western Tasmania, with a secondary historical role in regional passenger and tourism transport.
Rail freight · 1878
Mining freight services
The railway's central commercial function was the transport of minerals and mining-related freight between western Tasmanian mines and the port and broader rail network at Burnie. Its route was developed around the Mount Bischoff, Rosebery, Zeehan, and later Hellyer mining districts. Infrastructure upgrades and multiple-unit diesel operation allowed the railway to handle heavier industrial trains.
Tourist passenger service · 1960
West Coaster
The West Coaster was a tourist-oriented train introduced in October 1960 between Burnie and Rosebery. It used the steam locomotives Murchison and Heemskirk, converted to oil burning and painted in two-tone blue, together with three former Tasmanian Government Railways carriages. The service ended in January 1964 after the Murchison Highway opened.
Passenger rail · 1921
Employee and regional passenger services
Emu Bay Railway operated passenger services for employees and local communities, including railmotor services introduced in 1921 and later mixed trains. Passenger operations declined as road transport improved. A twice-weekly mixed train continued after the railway's common-carrier obligations ended, but lasted only until 1977.
Mining branch railway · 1989
Hellyer Mine branch service
Opened in 1989, the 11-kilometre branch from Moorey Junction served Aberfoyle's Hellyer Mine. It extended the railway's role as dedicated mining infrastructure and supported the movement of output from one of western Tasmania's significant mineral operations.
Brand decisions
1998
Sale and integration into TasrailM&ABackground
After ownership passed through EZ Industries, North Broken Hill Peko, and Pasminco, the railway remained an important western Tasmanian freight asset.
Action taken
Pasminco sold Emu Bay Railway to Australian Transport Network on 22 May 1998.
Aftermath
Australian Transport Network integrated the railway into its Tasrail business, ending Emu Bay Railway's operation as a separate corporate entity.
1976
Railway shifts to freight specializationStrategyBackground
Road competition and the decline of regular passenger services reduced the importance of the railway's common-carrier role.
Action taken
The company was relieved of its common-carrier obligations in December 1976.
Aftermath
Emu Bay Railway operated primarily as a mining and industrial freight railway, with a limited mixed train continuing until 1977.
1967
Shareholders accept EZ Industries takeoverM&ABackground
By the mid-1960s, EZ Industries was responsible for approximately 90 percent of the railway's traffic. It launched a takeover bid in October 1966, although the Emu Bay Railway directors initially opposed it.
Action taken
Shareholders accepted the bid in early 1967, transferring control of Emu Bay Railway to EZ Industries.
Aftermath
The railway was subsequently upgraded for heavier trains and became more closely aligned with the mining company's freight requirements.
Sources1 sources
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