Don River Railway

The Don River Railway is a volunteer-run vintage railway and museum in Don, a suburb of Devonport, Tasmania. It provides a passenger train ride from Don to Coles Beach (operationally known as Don Junction) and return. The current line follows a reconstructed section of the former Melrose line that ran between Don Junction and Paloona.

The Don River Railway is open seven days a week, closing only for Christmas Day, Good Friday, and Anzac Day. Train services operate from Thursday to Sunday, using either either a 1940s ex-Tasmanian Government Railways DP rail car, or a heritage carriage set hauled by either a steam locomotive or a vintage diesel locomotive.

History

On 4 April 2023, a fire destroyed a carriage shed and some carriages.^[1]^[2]

Steam locomotives

A former Tasmanian Government Railways Pacific-type locomotive, M4, is the Don River Railway's primary operational steam locomotive. CCS 25 was reactivated in January 2023, but awaits approval to return to revenue operations. Fowler no.5268 is currently non-operational following the expiry of its boiler ticket, but there are plans for its reactivation following CCS 25's return to operations.

Future plans include an overhaul of M4, including potential for refurbishment or replacement of its boiler, or the return to service of MA2 or No.8 Heemskirk.

Diesel locomotives

References

^ "Fire that destroyed workshop at heritage railway accidentally lit, investigation finds". ABC News. 4 April 2023. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
^ "Fire destroys parts of heritage Don River Railway". 4 April 2023. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2023.

External links