Abt locomotive #1 was originally constructed in Glasgow in 1896, before being pulled to pieces and sent to the West Coast in crates… Crates that did not contain assembly instructions! Nevertheless, in less than six weeks, Abt 1 was assembled at Camp Spur and the rack and pinion deemed a success. Another seven kilometres of rack rail and 4 more Abt locos were to follow.
Abt 1 ran reliably until the railway’s closure in 1963 and was then housed at a museum in Zeehan, before returning to the railway in 2001 as the second locomotive to return. It remains in use and on loan from the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
It was in operation from 2001 until late 2023, however it currently requires a rack engine rebuild to enable its return to traffic, and we hope to secure funding for this work in the very near future.