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Mount
Lyell No.2 (Abt
No.2) West Coast Wilderness Railway |
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Mount Lyell No.2 was normally displayed within the TTM’s replica
roundhouse but is seen here positioned outside during shunting operations.
This photo was kindly contributed by Stuart Dix.
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Builder |
Dubs
& Co, Glasgow |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
3594 of 1898 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
0-4-2RT |
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Mount
Lyell No.2 (Abt No.2) was built by Dubs
& Co, Glasgow in 1898 for use on the Abt-rack railway linking the
rich mining town of Queenstown with the port of Strahan. Eventually 5 of
these Abt 0-4-2RT locomotives were purchased for use on the rack-railway section
of the route, together with several conventional steam locomotives including
three chunky Baldwin 0-6-0T engines and - much later - two third-hand New
Zealand Railways Wf-class 2-6-4T locos. Abt No.2
was donated to the Tasmanian
Transport Museum (TTM) by the Mt Lyell Mining & Railway Company after
closure of their line in 1963, and was normally displayed within the TTM’s
replica roundhouse at Glenorchy, Hobart. Abt No.2's curatorial value was
enhanced following the rebuilding of surviving sister locomotives Abt No.1,
No.3 & No.5 for operation on the West Coast Wilderness Railway, as it was
the only survivor which remained exactly ‘as withdrawn’ in design and
construction. A full history
of the Abt tank locomotives and Abt No.2 is provided in the exhibit guidebook
‘Locomotives of the Tasmanian Transport Museum’. (The webmaster considers the
Tasmanian Transport Museum as a fine museum with a variety of well restored
railway, tramway and road exhibits, and thoroughly recommends a visit!) Lou Rae
has written several excellent books on the railways of Tasmania's West Coast,
including ‘The Abt Railway & Railways of the Lyell region’ which
provides a full account of the building and operations of the Mt Lyell Mining
& Railway Company, together with competing interests. Update: Abt No.2 has now rejoined her sisters on the West Coast Wilderness Railway
at Queenstown, having been purchased from the Tasmanian Transport Museum in
Glenorchy in 2019 and rebuilt by The Engineering Company at Wynyard,
Tasmania. Apparently Abt No.2 received a new boiler and extensive overhaul
during these works, arriving at Queenstown in October 2023 and subsequently
returning to traffic after a period of fettling and commissioning. Facebook photos show No.2 now wears an attractive lined
maroon livery, rather than the authentic lined green livery. |
References
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a |
L. Rae, 'The Abt Railway & Railways of the Lyell
region', published by Lou
Rae, PO Box 508, Sandy Bay, Tasmania, 7006. |
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b |
Dix, A.,
Beck, D., and Dix M. 'Locomotives
of the Tasmanian Transport Museum Glenorchy
Tasmania', published by the Tasmanian
Transport Museum Society, October 1991. |
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c |
L. Oberg,
'Locomotives of Australia', published
by J. W. Books Pty Ltd, Brookvale NSW. 1982 reprint. |
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d |
West Coast
Wilderness Railway website, Accessed 12/8/2024. |
Page updated: 27 April 2025
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