Abe

Remains dumped at Warrentina

 

Tristan Verhoeff has provided this historical view of Orenstein & Koppel B/N 4631 "Abe".

 

This 0-4-0T locomotive was constructed by Orenstein & Koppel as their builder's number 4631 of 1911. It was one of two locomotives of 2ft 6in gauge purchased between 1911 to 1912 by the Tasmanian Timber & Tramway Co. for their timber tramway running from Bridport to Forester, where the mill was located.  Whilst in service the Krauss 0-6-0T became known as "Edie", while an Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0T was known as "Abe".  a

When the Tasmanian Timber and Tramway Co. failed in the late 1920's most of the tramway equipment including the rails, locomotives and log trucks where purchased by Jones & Co who were building a sawmill at Warrentina, several kilometers east of the Forester sawmill.  The Warrentina mill was operational by 1933 and a steel-railed tram network was also constructed, on which the tram the engines where pictured hauling quite substantial loads of timber out the bush to the mill.  a

After the Warrentina mill's eventual closure in 1945 the locomotives were left at the sawmill for many years and were still mostly intact in the early 1970's.  In the 1980's the boilers, cabs, water tanks and other fittings were removed and the stripped frames of the locomotive dumped in a rubble heap a bit north of demolished mill.  The two loco frames were still in this overgrown heap on the northern edge of a clearing at the old mill site in a survey in the 1990's and are very likely still at this location.  a

 

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a Information provided by Tristan Verhoeff via email, 3 July 2011.

 

Page updated:  14 August 2011

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