Marrawah Tramway 0-6-0 Locomotives in Australia

Class Big Ben (Locobase 14737)

Data from DeGolyer, Volume 63, pp. 191. See also A W Ford, "Marrawah Tramway", Launceston Examiner 26 August 1910, p. 3. archived at [] . Works number was 52512 in November 1919.

The western shore of Tasmania was served by the Smithton to Marrawah Tramway, which was originally begun as a wooden tramway between Marrawah and Montague in 1906. Shifting the destination to Smithton didn't attract the investment that Managing Director Ford hoped for, especially considering the 17,000 acres (6,879 ha). of timber available for harvesting in Marrawah, a town that was the westernmost settlement on the island.

By the time the Marrawah bought the 3, the line covered 26.5 miles (42.7 km), of which 8.75 miles (14.1 km) were horse-drawn, the remaining 17.75 miles (28.6 km) by steam traction. In the previous year, the seven employees of the railway had served 400 passengers and 6,760 tons (6,109 tonnes) of freight. A saddle tanker of appropriately modest dimensions and an Improved Rushton cabbage stack, the 3 quickly became known as "Big Ben."

It was known to be too light on the front axle when running forward and a 6 September 1938 accident killed its driver when the front wheels reared up and the locomotive derailed. Restored to service with rail ballast mounted on the front of the engine, the 3 was overhauled in 1946, but used very little, and after some duty in Launceton as a shunter (switcher), it was scrapped in 1951.

After the Marrawah was taken over by the Tasmanian Government Railways