page_title: Marrawah Tramway
section_title: Nationalisation
hierarchical_section_title: Marrawah Tramway / Nationalisation
caption_attribution_description: English: "Harlot" the Ransome steam lorry was one of the most unusual locomotives to operate on the Circular Head, Tasmania tramways (Marrawah Tramway). Special permission had to be given to drive it to Salmon River on the Marrawah Tramline and extra care was taken due to the type of wheels on the engine but it reached its destination without any serious damage. The journey took a whole day.
context_page_description: The Marrawah Tramway was a 28 miles long narrow gauge forest railway near Marrawah in Tasmania with a gauge of 3 ft 6 in. The construction was initiated around 1911 to harvest timber in the Mowbray Swamp. The tramway was bought by the state government in October 1913 and the steel rails extended to Marrawah. It was decommissioned in 1961.
context_section_description: The main line was bought for £21,500 around October 1913, and since that time further sums have been spent in repairs, bringing the total outlay to £30,000. In October 1915 the Public Works Committee reported to the Tasmanian House of Assembly that the line was in a very bad state, and was not safe for the conveyance of passengers. Accordingly, it recommended the expenditure of £12,000 to repair the old metal rails of the 17 miles (27 km) long section near Smithton with new steel rails, and an additional £75,000 to replace the length of wooden line, which made up the remainder, with steel rails.
  On one day in November 1921 no less than 71 trucks were in commission at the one time, and were hauled on the one day. They were all unloaded next morning before the locomotives left the station. In the four years from 1916 to 1920, the railway's income from the timber industry had doubled, while produce from Marrawah has gone up one-third:
  A gala day was held on 15 June 1922 at Marrawah on the occasion of the opening of the steel railway line to within a mile of the township. The branches, however, stayed private property and were operated by the proprietors with their own, sometimes unusual rolling stock. One of the most peculiar locomotives was Harlot a converted Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies steam lorry. Special permission had to be given to drive it to Salmon River on the Marrawah Tramway and extra care was taken due to the type of wheels on the engine but it reached its destination without any serious damage. The journey took a whole day.
caption: Harlot, a converted Ransomes steam lorry
exif: {}