Tasman Limited
DP railcar, as used on the initial Tasman Limited services in 1954/55
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| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Service type | Passenger train |
| Status | Ceased |
| First service | April 1954 |
| Last service | 28 July 1978 |
| Former operator(s) | Tasmanian Government Railways |
| Route | |
| Start | Hobart |
| End | Wynyard |
| Distance travelled | 378 kilometres |
| Average journey time | 8 hours |
| Service frequency | daily |
| Line used |
Main Western |
The Tasman Limited was a passenger train operated by Tasmanian Government Railways (TGR) on the Main and Western lines between Hobart, Launceston and Wynyard from April 1954 until July 1978. The service has the distinction of being the last ever regularly scheduled passenger train service in Tasmania.
With the introduction of the X class in 1950, Tasmania became the first state in Australia to operate mainline diesel locomotives, and the creation of an intercity express such as the Tasman was further established by the modernisation of the system and infrastructure, such as the redevelopment of Hobart's railway station in 1951.
The service initially began in April 1954, using articulated DP class railcars built in 1949/50 by Commonwealth Engineering. Operating daily, Mondays to Saturdays, the railcars carried name-boards depending on their direction of travel:
The Tasman departed Hobart at 08:35 and arrived in Launceston at 13:08, and Wynyard at 16:45. Stopping only for passengers at Derwent Park Junction, several intermittent stops happened in between due to scheduling conflicts on Tasmania's single lines, such as at Parattah in the state's Midlands. The train would often have to wait here for down-line freight to move on through, before it could proceed.
In December 1955, with an increase in patronage and the availability of purpose-built ACS articulated saloon and buffet carriages, the Tasman began being drawn by X class locomotives, often with a headboard for the service. Y class locomotives were also used.
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Wikipedia