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Mount
Lyell No.5 (Abt
No.5) West Coast Wilderness Railway |
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Abt No.5 displayed with an Abt brake van on an inclined
section of rack railway at the Puffing Billy Museum, Menzies Creek.
This scanned photo view dates from 1996.
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Builder |
North
British Locomotive Co Ltd, Glasgow |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
24418 of 1938 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
0-4-2RT |
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Mount
Lyell No.5 (Abt No.5) was built by the North British Locomotive Co Ltd in
1938 as a very late repeat order of the earlier four locomotives built by
Dubs & Co in the 1890's. (North British Locomotive Co was created by the
amalgamation of a number of Glasgow builders, including Dubs & Co.) It
was provided with the nameplate "Mount Lyell No.5" but was more
commonly known as Abt No.5. Abt No.5
and its four sister locomotives settled into a life of hauling copper
concentrates, mine supplies and general traffic over the My Lyell rack
railway, supported by conventional locomotives on the non-rack sections of
the route. The five Abt locos were originally coal burners but converted to
oil firing late in their working lives. Abt No.5
was purchased by the ARHS Victoria Division after closure of the Mt Lyell
railway in 1963 and sent to the Puffing Billy Museum at Menzies Creek, as it
was felt it was more appropriate in that collection than at the ARHS North
Williamstown museum. Here it was displayed on an inclined section of rack
railway, together with an Abt-rack brake van, with a walkway under the
locomotive giving viewing access to the Abt rack-and-pinion mechanism. The
original 'O class' passenger carriages of the Mt
Lyell Mining & Railway Company were also preserved by the Puffing Billy
Railway, where they were regauged from 3' 6" to 2' 6" and remain in
regular use. Following
the rebuilding of the old Mount Lyell railway for tourism, Abt No.5 has since
been acquired by the West
Coast Wilderness Railway and was placed on a low loader for the start of
its journey back to Tasmania on 19 November 2003. It was overhauled under
contract by Saunders & Ward, Hobart (who had earlier overhauled Abt No.1
& Abt No.3) and entered service on the West Coast Wilderness Railway in
June 2006. The Abt brake van also returned to Tasmania and has been restored
to operation on the West Coast Wilderness Railway. 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. |
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 |
Information
provided by Melanie Dennis via email
dated 14 July 2004 |
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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 27/4/2025. |
Page updated: 27 April 2025
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Government Railways: |
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