Ida Bay Railway

Ida Bay Railway
Location of the railway
Overview
Owner	Government of Tasmania
Transit type	Tramway
Website	http://www.idabayrailway.com.au
Operation
Began operation	1919 (Freight operations) 1977 (tourist operations)
Ended operation	1975 (Freight operations)
Operator(s)	Margaret Thornton
Technical
System length	7 km (4.3 mi)
Track gauge	2 ft (610 mm)

The Ida Bay Railway is a 7-kilometre (4.3 mi), 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge Heritage Tramway that operates 105 kilometres (65 mi) south of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

Location and features

The Tramway was opened in 1919 to facilitate the transportation of Limestone from the quarry west of Lune River to a jetty at Ida Bay. During 1975, freight operations ceased. The Tramway was purchased by the Tasmanian Government in 1977 and leased to private operators for the purpose of a tourist attraction. Various lease holders ran the railway for years struggling to make a profit, but in 2004 the Line re-opened and has been running successfully for the last several years.

The two-hour round trip runs from the Lune River station through buttongrass bushland to the banks of Ida Bay and then onto the old limestone pier at Deep Hole, for a beachside stop before returning to the station.

Marked bushwalking tracks lead to Southport Lagoon. Barbecu facilities, toilets, picnic lunches, group bookings, twilight tours and overnight camping spots are also available.

The other places of note in the area are Dover, Southport, Cockle Creek and the Hastings Cave system.

See also

• West Coast Wilderness Railway
• Don River Railway

External links

• The Ida Bay Railway web page