Grubb's Tramway (Zeehan)
| Grubb's Tramway | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Grubbs SM Co., Zeehan, ca.1900
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| Route length: | 6.759 km | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gauge : | 1067 mm ( cape track ) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maximum slope : | 40 ‰ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minimum radius : | 60 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Grubb's Tramway was a 6.7 kilometer long horse-drawn railway in Tasmania , which from 1891 led from Zeehan in the west of the Australian island of Tasmania over a pass to the Colonel North Mine . It was renamed Colonel North Tramway in 1899 and closed in 1927. Every day except Sundays, freight wagons drove three times a day, which also transported passengers. The journey uphill took 90 minutes or more, and from the top of the pass only six minutes downhill.
location
The line began on Main Street, about half a mile from Zeehan Station. For the first almost four kilometers it led steeply uphill to a pass, where a 241 meter long and up to twelve meter high viaduct was passed. After the passenger car, which could carry around 30 passengers, arrived at the top of the pass, the two to three horses were unhitched and the car drove downhill to the mine due to gravity, only slowed down by a strong brake. The greatest slope was 40 ‰. The tightest curve had a radius of 60 meters. The line had a gauge of 1067 mm (3 feet 6 inches ) and a rail weight of 8.9 kg / m on the sleepers, which were laid 610 mm (2 feet) apart.
Discovery of the mine
In April 1898, two ore prospectors were sent to the Zeehan area by Hobart businessmen . After two months of searching, they had a success to report: In a stream they found a vein of ore made of silver and lead , which broke through the surface in the form of a large rock. Immediately two 89-acre claims were staked.
Foundation of the company
It quickly became clear that a lot of capital was needed to develop the mine and a railroad leading to it. Therefore a company was formed with a share capital of £ 46,000. On February 18, 1890, at the first shareholder meeting, the Articles of Association and Directors were named. One of the first decisions was to build a railroad, although a road could have been built to bring the equipment to the mine, which would have been less suitable for transporting the ore.
measurement
The only sensible route for a road would have been via the Comstook, but that would have meant a long detour on the way to the next train station. The construction of a road through the mountainous terrain would have been very laborious. Therefore a railroad was preferred. The survey was very complex in the rough terrain, and over 30 kilometers of paths had to be cut into the dense myrtle grove before the best route could be determined.
construction
The construction of the route was awarded to RO Grubb, who had already explored the area and supported the surveyor. He was assisted by the mine manager Woolcock.
costs
The total cost was £ 11,395. The company had a state concession to build the route, which could be used to serve the following companies:
- Silver Prince
- Balstrup Central
- Manganese Hill
- Mount Zeehan (Tasmania)
- SLM Co.
- Balstrup Junction
- North Grubb's
- Nubeena
During the construction of the railway, 70 tons of ore were extracted and smelted in various iron works . However, since no heavy equipment could be brought into the mine without a railway, large-scale dismantling was delayed until the line was completed. A mechanical winch was imported from England for £ 850. A Tangye steam engine with 40 HP was procured from Victoria as well as a steam boiler, pumps, piping and parts for the construction of the winch. The total value of the equipment was £ 3,500 including the following items:
- Extra-powerful pumping equipment from Humble & Nicholson of Geelong : £ 543
- Pumps and pumping equipment by W. Cooper of Clunes : £ 218
- McKay Bros. Hobart and Zeehan steel kettles: £ 160.
opening
On Friday, October 23, 1891, at the invitation of the Grubb SM Co., a company of about 100 people gathered to solemnly put the Grubb Tramway and the mine’s machinery into operation. The first passenger car left the starting point of the route shortly after 10:00 a.m. and a second at noon at 12:00 p.m. The operators took the visitors around the company premises and showed them the new machines. The winch was driven by a 20 hp steam engine equipped with a twin cylinder.
Change of ownership, nationalization and closure
Grubb's Tramway was renamed Colonel North Tramway in 1899. The company was formed in 1899 through the transfer of the combined assets of Grubb's Company and Colonel North Mining Company. The new company issued 200,000 shares for 10 shillings each . The objective was mining, property development and extending the railroad into the Comstock District.
The government later took over the route and its operation. On January 27, 1912, JE Ogden protested against the granting of a right to use the old Colonel North Tram, which at that time was already owned by the government. The responsible minister, A. Hean, then said he would conduct a thorough investigation before the concession was awarded. Railway operations were stopped in 1927.
See also
further reading
- Lindsay Whitham: Grubb's, Colonel North, Comstock and associated tramways, Zeehan. In: Light Railways , June 2006, St Ives, NSW, pp. 9-14.
Individual evidence
- ^ A b The Times, Journal of the Australian Association of Time Table Collectors, No. 202, Volume 18, No. 1, January 2001, p. 6.
- ^ A b c W. Edmundson: Nitrate King: A Biography of “Colonel” John Thomas North Springer, 2011.
- ^ The Zeehan-Comstock Tramway Route. The Mercury (Hobart, Tasmania) Tuesday, Jun 4, 1901. p. 4.
- ↑ Grubb's, Colonel North, Comstock and associated tramways, Zeehan (Tasmania) . In: Light Railways, No. 189, June 2006.
- ^ Tramway at Mount Zeehan. Tasmanian Silver Mining Co. The Mercury (Hobart, Tasmania), Saturday, April 19, 1890. p. 1.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Opening of the Grubb Tram Line. . In: Zeehan and Dundas Herald , October 26, 1891, p. 2. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
- ↑ Dieter Engel: www.tasmaniac.com/.../Colonel North Mines Railway
- ^ Ol (d) Colonel North Tram. Zeehan and Dundas Herald, Monday January 29, 1912, p. 2.
Coordinates: 41 ° 53 ′ 22.9 ″ S , 145 ° 17 ′ 7.1 ″ E