150th anniversary of traction engines in Tasmania

Road run on Sunday 19 July

On 19 July, a one-off special event will be happening in the eastern suburbs of Hobart that we hope many people will come to see. At 9.30am, five steam traction engines will depart Blundstone Arena and proceed to the intersection of Wentworth Street and Clarence Street (via South Street) to commemorate the first successful trial run of a traction engine to arrive in Tasmania. The date was 24 June 1865.

The engine was imported by Askin Morrison and attracted significant public interest and a ‘Grand Public Trip’ was planned for 19 July on the Kangaroo Point to Clarence Plains road. This was postponed partly due to the weather conditions and also to 'afford such members of the legislature as might be in town an opportunity of inspecting and testing the usefulness of the huge machine (The Mercury 24 July 1865). The original article can be read here at the Trove web-site.

Train rides and the static display of vintage machinery will be at the museum from 11.00am at usual admission prices ($10 adults, $8 concession and $5 for children).

Route

The route and approximate timetable for Sunday 19th July 2015 is:

• 9.00am at Blundstone Arena (Derwent St entrance) - Engine preparation and steam up.
• 9.15am at Blundstone Arena – Farewell speech by Mayor of Clarence Doug Chipman
• 9.30am - Depart Blundstone Arena via Derwent St, Church St, Beach St and South Streets and left onto Wentworth St
• 9.50am - From Wentworth St, turn left into Clarence St then proceed toward Bellerive, turning left into Scott St, right into Percy St then right into Cambridge Rd
• 10.15am - Proceed along Cambridge Rd Bellerive to Roundabout then left into Rosny Hill Rd and then onto Riawena Rd. Follow Riawena Rd until Conara Rd, then stop under the Tasman Bridge near the Montagu Bay Primary School for fuel and water
• 11.00am - Proceeding along Topham St, Esplanade and Milford St, to the Queen Victoria Home, Lindisfarne
• 11.30am - Proceed up Lincoln St, then onto the East Derwent Highway
• Noon - Stop for fuel and water near Risdon Vale roundabout (corner East Derwent Hightway and grass Tree Hill Rd)
• 12.15pm - Depart for Transport Museum via East Derwent Hwy, Bowen Bridge, Goodwood Rd, Elwick Rd, Grove Rd and Anfield St
• 1.30pm - Arrive Tasmanian Transport Museum

A map of the Bellerive to Lindisfarne section of the route can be found here.

Fuel and water stops will be made below the Tasman Bridge and just before the Risdon Vale roundabout.

Vehicles taking part

The following vehicles are expected to take part in the road run:

	1910 Salisbury Single Cylinder Roller. No 1 (owned by the Martin Family – Sheffield)
	1923 Marshall 7NHP Compound Traction Engine. No 76762. (owned by Bevan Howe)
	1928 Robey 10NHP Compound Traction Engine. No 44100 (Owned by Tasmanian Transport Museum)
	1911 Marshall 7NHP Single Cylinder Traction Engine. No 57686. (owned by Harry Diers)
	Marshall Steamroller (owned by Hobart City Council)

Acknowledgements

Thanks go the owners and crews of the vehicles for their assistance in participation, and to the Tasmania Police for their assistance in the planning and operating of this run.

We must also thank Phil Mettam and the volunteers of the Tasmanian Fire Service who will be supplying two water tankers to help with the task.

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