The Boulder Creek Tramway is a 7¼" (184mm) gauge miniature bush railway that is currently under construction at Howden, approximately 15 minutes south of Hobart in Tasmania. The track is to be around 600 metres in length featuring a 22 metre long tunnel and several bridges. Due to the lay of the land, a conventional circuit or loop track is not possible and therefore the track is of a point to point design with a reversing loop at each end to allow continuous running. (See track plan). Several stations will be situated along the length of the track and will include passing loops and eventually some form of automated signalling.
The track will be constructed with 30mm x 10mm steel flat bar welded to 20mm x 5mm ties which are then screwed to treated pine sleepers approximately 250mm apart. Minimum radius is set at 14 metres and the maximum gradient is 1 in 30. Bridge construction will be fabricated steel girders on steel trestles and the tunnel is formed using 1800mm diameter x 6mm wall, steel pipe.
Earth works are currently under way along with the collection of materials for track construction.
Regular running days are planned when sufficient track has been laid and the facilities for loading and unloading are to be constructed along with a suitable storage shed for locos and carriages.
There is currently no official club associated with the Boulder Creek Tramway, however prospective members and interested parties are invited to make contact via the contact page.
Locos on the Boulder Creek Tramway so far consist of a single 1/3rd scale, Malcolm Moore 0-4-0 petrol loco as used at the Ida Bay Railway in Tasmania’s far south. These locos were built for the Australian Army and were powered by a side valve Ford V8 engine driving through a 4 speed gearbox and then a reversing box. The miniature version is powered by a 5.5hp Honda engine driving an alternator which in turn powers an electric traction motor. More on using alternators to power traction motors can be read here.
Currently under construction at the Boulder Creek Tramway Workshop are three 1/3rd scale 0-6-0 Bundaberg Jenbach sugar cane locos, two of which will be sold on completion to help fund the railway. Parts for a 1/3rd scale Hagans J1 articulated steam locomotive are also being collected in the Boulder Creek Tramway Workshop for a future project.
Boulder Creek Tramway also has a dam suitable for running R/C scale boats.
View the Gallery for pictures of the construction of the Boulder Creek Tramway and locos.
| Text and photos Copyright © 2008 Dave Webb. All rights reserved. |
Created by deeja Oct 2008