Drivers view Tasmania, Lowana to Lower Landing, Oct 2024

[@thomasrobinson8336]

What an amazing ride. Great views ty

[@driver667]

It is a beautiful part of the world to explore and a great railway to ride. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.👍😊

[@georgeheilman4243]

Gorgeous landscapes, and the kind of slow journey worth taking!

[@driver667]

It’s a relaxing journey through some beautiful country. 👍😊

[@martythemartian99]

Seriously, what can anyone say except wow. Stunning.😲🤩😍

[@driver667]

It's a magnificent place to build an impressive railway, and that they did! Glad you enjoyed it. 👍😊

[@mozofoz]

Ahhh, so this is the end I haven't got to ride yet. Did the other end from Queenstown to Dubbil Barril years ago while the end you just traveled was under maintenance. Would like to do the whole trip one day. It's just spectacular.

[@driver667]

@@mozofoz it is a great trip but it will be a while till the whole line is open again. 👍😀

[@zoomosis]

Lovely. Wish this one was in 4K!

[@driver667]

It is in 4k. Check your connection or settings as that can cause it to come across as a lower standard. Glad you enjoyed the ride. 👍😊

[@zoomosis]

@@driver667 Hmm, strange! When I wrote that KZbin only gave me the option to go up to 1080p. Now today on the same computer the 2160p option is there. I haven't seen that before. Gremlins in the system. Thank you 😊

[@driver667]

@@zoomosis I've had the same experience at times. 👍😀

[@paulcoffey359]

Good bit of water in the river

[@driver667]

It sure was flowing well. 👍😊

[@top40researcher31]

Fantastic video narrow gauge i gather

[@parmaunited]

Yeah this is narrow gauge. And lucky that it is, a standard or broad gauge track would struggle to get around here 20:35.

[@top40researcher31]

@@parmaunited it looks very good and nice scenery.

[@driver667]

It is a very scenic part of Tasmania. Well worth the visit. 👍😊

[@rsinclair6560]

​@top40researcher31 The original railway was constructed by the Mount Lyell l Mining and Railway Company in 1897. Construction plagued with problems from 1893. The railway was close and removed in 1963. In 1983 the NO DAMS compensation for Hydro loss of jobs, Tasmanian Government commissioned a Commercial Viability Feasibility to rebuild the Abt for tourism. The report concluded that the railway would be plagued with maintenance, financial, operational and staffing problems and could not come up with an operational scenario that would work. The State decided not to go ahead. Then after the Port Arthur tragedy and Howard Government new gun laws, Tasmanian tourism collapsed in 1996. The 1983 report was never seen and hides in the Parliamentary Library. So in a way the Abt railway continues a historical tradition. It atleast takes people along the edge of rare rain forest precious to the planet. It also demonstrates how after years a railway can through bush can have negligible environmental impact, certainly no road kill. Good reference is Lou Rae's book.

[@driver667]

@@rsinclair6560 Thank you. Interesting reading. 👍😀

[@robinmathews2446]

What a trip...... I mentioned following the old rail bed in our MINI. but I do not recall ever going through any cuttings at all? So we must have "chickened out" only a very short distance into the trip.. Probably less than only 5 or 6 minutes into the video? There would not have been any bridges left back in 1975 either.. So we could not have gone far along? The King River is tidal isn't it? We must have seen it a 'low tide' as the river at the start of the video looked to be much wider than what I remember? Our old pictures show it much lower and very muddy, I'm guessing at "low tide".. Can you imagine hauling the big iron bridge upstream on barges from Strahan, and getting it in place in the 1800's ? What a job? The old timers must have been 'Supermen' in their day? Thanks for showing us this video.. Hard to believe that Teepookana was once a 'port on the river' to unload trains to water craft? (probably barges) for the remainder of the journey to Regatta Point... I doubt if the river craft would been classed as "Ships" .. I'm guessing that the "Ships" would never have gone beyond Macquarie Harbour ? No wonder that the bridge was installed and the track continued on to the salt water port facility? It would have cut out a lot of 'double-handling' the ore on it's trip? This is "real" history, but I doubt that many school kids are taught about it nowadays?

[@driver667]

Yes, I agree. The people back in those days certainly seem like they were super men. They managed to build what they did without the machinery of today to aid them. Glad you enjoyed the ride. 👍😊

[@rsinclair6560]

Since mid 1990's John Butler hydro power station is further up the King River. The flow can be artificial when turbines are kicked in.The river is not dammed but water is diverted by tunnel from Lake Burbury. Yes the rail easement was repaired up to the quarter mile bridge in 1980's for access for Hydro Electric Commission survey work as possible new dam. Forestry Commission had a barge at Teepookana bridge.

[@robinmathews2446]

That was a bit later.. I tried to access it in 1975 I think it was? Hardly passable and no bridges then?... A bit scary in a Mini ! @@rsinclair6560

[@rsinclair6560]

​@@robinmathews2446Hope you still have the mini?

[@robinmathews2446]

WE each had one.. The twins... Still have both, although only one still registered.. Covered a lot of ground over the years. First cars for both my wife and I.. A Morris 1100 came later. (more room for 2 kids) and it is also still with us, having also been 'everywhere' touring Tassie... @@rsinclair6560

[@neilforbes416]

23:57 Seeing the extra rail on the left of the track to prevent derailment, looking at the pace this train is running, there'd be zero chance of any derailment! Heck, I think I counted a hundred or so turtles zipping past! Goin' like the clappers, they were! LOL🤣

[@top40researcher31]

Yes Known as a guard rail of course lol

[@driver667]

You wouldn't want to go to fast anyway, it's a tourist train. We want it to last, not get there in a hurry. 😂😊👍

[@top40researcher31]

@@driver667 of course

[@neilforbes416]

@@top40researcher31 You put all the tracks in a prison cell and put the guard rail out front to.....well...... *guard* them, of course! LOL😁

[@neilforbes416]

@@driver667 Come on, you know I'm just kidding! My quirky humour running rampant!

[@tastigr]

Best view ever! Putting aside preservation of rolling stock for a moment, what a trip if this was in a “dome” car? Even om a misty and usually damp day through rain forest? Potential….

[@driver667]

It is certainly beautiful scenery all through this area in Tasmania. Makes for a magical ride. Glad you enjoyed it. 👍😊

[@rsinclair6560]

Days like this trip would be perfect in similar carriages to NBH or NQR Puffing Billy Railway were you can sit out on the ledge. Too bad they don't have an original Baldwin steam locomotive hauling it.

[@driver667]

@@rsinclair6560 👍😀

[@parmaunited]

20:25 Even with the guard rail I would be a scared to drive along that curve lol. It is pretty scenic though.

[@driver667]

It certainly is very scenic. Glad you enjoyed it. 👍😊

[@BlackCat-fr4ue]

An unusual day on the West Coast, sunny & no rain. Best Vid I've seen on this, is there a completion date for the middle section?

[@driver667]

I am advised it will still probably be about a year or so away yet. There is some pretty major work going on up there. Glad you enjoyed the ride. 👍😊

[@bobbyc-l1b]

Are these routes from different drivers?

[@driver667]

@@bobbyc-l1b yes, they are. 👍😀

[@rsinclair6560]

Use to drive a car up to Teepookana bridge in up until 1997. There were a few Huon pine sleepers still buried. I'm starting to think it might be more economical and passenger/family/tourist friendly to move the station terminal to Lowana, make it the base, forget the rack section and Queenstown end and operate between Lowana and Lower Landing.

[@driver667]

They run from Queenstown to Rinadeena and that is just as impressive running up the rack for part. It will be great when the entire length is open to the public again. 👍😊