Tasmania: 1857-1900.
Launceston and Western Line.

The Launceston & Western Line (L&WL) was an important privately-constructed and operated railway line in the development of telegraphic communication in Tasmania.

Planning:

The L&WL was formed on 9 May 1867 to transport agricultural products from areas in the north of the island to the ships which would take them to Victoria. The suggestion of a railway line linking Hobart and Launceston had originally been raised in 1856 but no action followed. In 1857, the possibility of a Launceston to Deloraine railway was raised and despite the Government reaction in the following year that it was a good idea, nothing happened until 1865 when the Railway Act was passed authorising the line. The condition was that the cost woud be met by the private sector. With no delay, a prospectus was issued seeking private capital. Most of the £450,000 raised came from England. The Tasmanian Colonial government underwrote the interet on the investment and the primary producers for whom the line would be of great benefit agreed to make-up any shortfall between the revenue raised and the interest amount.

Construction:

The route for the line was surveyed in 1867. An example of the progress of the survey was pubished in the Launceston Examiner on 25 July 1867. The survey was conducted by a young engineer - Robert Paterson of Doyne, Major & Willet. He left Tasmania soon after to accept an appointment of assistant engineer in the South Australian Public Service. In 1869 he was promoted to be resident engineer for railways. In 1870 he reported on possible routes for the Port Augusta section of the Great Northern Railway and then, in 1871, Charles Todd appointed him to be in charge of construction on the troublesome Northern Section of the Overland Telegraph Line. Patterson did a great job in a careful, thoughtful and meticulous way. It was one of the most difficult tasks in Australia's engineering history.

The first sod of the new line was turned by Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh, on 15 January 1868 and construction commenced immediately. Many delays due to the terrain and the weather kept pushing the completion date back.

One of these setbacks was reported in the following way by the Hobart Mercury on 29 May 1871:

"The probable cause of the late accident on the Launceston and Deloraine Railway is suggested by the Launceston Examiner on Saturday, which says: " It appears that early on Thursday morning an engine and eight waggons loaded with telegraph poles left Deloraine and proceeded slowly towards Launceston, men throwing out the poles at stated intervals as the train passed along and a guard walking behind to see that no poles fell on or near the rails. To allow the regular traffic to pass, the train when necessary ran on to sidings and progressing in this manner would reach the point where the accident occurred about 3:30 p.m. The down train, leaving Launceston at 4:30 p.m., safely passed the spot about 4:55 p.m.. The accident occurred as nearly as possible about 5:45 p.m. So that whether by carelessness or design, the pole must have found its way onto the rail between those hours. Presuming the circumstances to have been purely accidental, it is supposed that a telegraph pole which was thrown out at that point rested a little way up the corner of the embankment and that the vibration of the down train caused it, after the train had passed, to become dislodged and roll on to the rails. Yesterday morning James Major, Esq., one of the company's engineers, and J. F. L. Foster, Esq., traffic manager, visited the scene of the accident and we presume that as soon as they have reported, a searching investigation will be instituted."

The Launceston Examiner reported in its News of the Month column on 7 October 1871 that "The instruments for the telegraph stations along the Launceston and Western Railway line are now being put up and very shortly Launceston will be in direct telegraphic communication with Deloraine". In the same edition under the heading

TELEGRAPH EXTENSION:

"In our last we mentioned that telegraphic communioation with Westbury had been completed and that in a few days it would be extended to Deloraine. This has been done. On Thursday an instrument was put up temporarily in the goods shed at Longford, at present used as a passenger station, which will be removed as soon as the new station is completed. The telegraph stations along the line will be Evandale, Longford, Perth, Westbury and Deloraine. All the station masters have been instructed in the method of receiving and despatching messages but as consderable practice is yet necessary, it will be some weeks before the offfices will be open to the public".

The bridge over the South Esk river near Longford was one of the most difficult parts of the constuction.

The railway finally opened on 10 February 1871 (REVISE).

The tracks were laid 1600 mm apart (five feet three inches - so a broad gauge railway line). That gauge was in contrast to the Main Line railway which had tracks 1067 mm apart. Hence rolling stock could not be used on both lines and an interchange had to be built at Evandale. It remained a break-of-gauge station until the Evandale-Deloraine line was converted to narrow gauge in 1888. An example of the reports on the construction of the railway line is that published in the Launceston Examiner 23 April 1870.

Unfortunately, the company which had built the line was unable to service its loan and so, in 1873, it was taken over by the Tasmanian Government. So commenced the Tasmanian Government Railways.

The Telegraph Offices on the L&WR line.

In 1872, the seven telegraph stations shown in the map below were opened at railway stations along the line:

L&WR line

The Main Line Railway:

A track from Deloraine to Devonport was laid with the narrow guage in 1885. The last broad gauge trip was in 1888.

The line changed name to "The Western Line" and ran from Wiltshire (north-west near Smithton) to Western Junction (near Evandale).

Forms.

Both transmission forms and delivery forms were printed for use on the railway.