2182) "Wee Georgie Wood - TASMANIA - North Mount Farell Mine Tramway" Railway, Australia: "STEAM POWER - Australian Rail Heritage" - Steam Engines Coin Series": Second Coin in the 50 Cents Coin Series features the iconic 1924 Steam Engine : Year of Coin issue: 2022:
"Australian Rail Heritage Coin Series" brings together seven iconic locomotives to celebrate the golden age of Australian Steam Engines.
Covering more than a century of steam travel, the story of the railways opening up the country and putting Australia on a path to federation and a modern nation is presented on this Coin Series.
The Second Coin features the "Wee Georgie Wood (1924), Steam Locomotive/Engine:
A Brief:
Wee Georgie Wood was built in 1924 for a mining settlement that was so rugged and remote the railway was the only link to the outside world. This hard working little locomotive got its name from a popular British comedian of the era.
The Wee Georgie Wood Railway is a 2 ft (610 mm) narrow gauge tourist tramway running from Tullah, on a 1.9 km (1.2 mi) short track by the edge of Lake Rosebery in the West Coast Municipality of Tasmania.
The originally 10 km (6.2 mi) long narrow gauge railway connected the North Mount Farrell mine and its associated township at Tullah with the 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) gauge Emu Bay Railway. It is close to the Pieman River hydro-electric scheme, Lake Rosebery, Lake Mackintosh, and Lake Murchison.
North Mount Farell Tramway:
In 1892, Galena, the most important lead ore mineral and a frequent source of silver, was discovered in the district of Tullah. Getting the ore to market was very difficult: The North Mount Farrell mine first shipped out ore by pack horse in 1899, because there was no road or track to Tullah, until the Murchison Highway was opened in 1962.
A tramway was proposed in northerly direction to Boco Siding on the Emu Bay Railway, over a distance of 8 mi (13 km).
Originally planned to be laid with iron rails, it was eventually opened as a horse tram in 1902 with timber rails.
The tramway could handle the transportation of the ore at reasonable cost, but as output from the mine increased, was unable to handle the traffic.
A shorter route to the railway was surveyed, running on the north side of the Pieman River.
The steel-railed steam tramway line was constructed by Dunkley Brothers, who were well known in Tasmania for their activities in the timber industry and was taken in service in 1909.
The railway originally had 3 locomotives, "Wee Georgie Wood", "Wee Mary" and a Krauss engine named "Puppy".
The mine closed in 1932 due to the raw metal price drop during the worldwide economic crisis, but it re-opened in 1934, when a new presence of galena was found not far away.
Immediately after the Murchison Highway was officially opened in 1962 the tramline between Tullah and Farrell Siding was not used anymore, but the steam locomotive Wee Georgie Wood was still used until late 1964 for the 0.5 mi (800 m) section between the mine and the flotation plant.
In 1977 the Wee Georgie Wood Steam Railway Inc was formed with the objective of overhauling Wee Georgie to working condition and later to use it for hauling tourist trains.
Volunteers and generous local and coastal businesses put Wee Georgie was back in steam, rebuilt 1.9 km (1.2 mi) of narrow gauge track and restored a passenger carriage, which had previously been used on the Lake Margaret Tramway.
On 05.02.1987, Wee Georgie Wood Steam Railway Inc.was officially opened to the public.
Present Day:
Wee George Wood on its present track which is used for taking tourists on a Heritage Train ride.
The Wee Georgie Wood railway currently has the remains of another Krauss locomotive that worked in the Queenstown area, a few electric locomotives and a gang motor from the original line.
At Tullah, visitors can take a ride on the "Wee Georgie Wood Steam Railway". A heritage, 2ft narrow gauge heritage railway, maintained and operated by a passionate group of volunteers.
The Steam Engine "Wee Georgie Wood" as it looked during the early days of its run.
The Coin featuring - the iconic "Wee Georgie Wood (1924) Steam Engine:
The Folder containing the Coin and a description of its history and how it helped shape modern day Australia
The Obverse of the 50 Cents Uncirculated Coin depicts an effigy of Queen Elizabeth II facing right. The peripheral inscription reads -"ELIZABETH II. AUSTRALIA. 50 CENTS".
The specifications of this Coin are:
Country of issue: Australia; Year: 2022; Coin Series Theme: "Steam Power - Australia's Railway Heritage"; Coin Theme: "Wee Georgie Wood Steam Engine"; Denomination/Face Value: 50 Cents; Weight: 15.55 grams; Diameter/Size: 31.51 mm; Coin Quality: Uncirculated; Coin Folder: Coloured Uncirculated Coin and Folder, Coin Card; Minted By: Royal Australian Mint: Mintage: 20,000 pieces.
5) Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), Niue: First Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series" minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue: Date of Coin issue: 01/2020
6) Nikola Tesla, Niue: Second Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series" minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue : Date of Coin issue: 03/2020
7) Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Niue: Third Silver Coin with a denominational value of 1 NZD (One New Zealand Dollar) in "Geniuses of the 19th Century Coin Series", minted by the Czech Mint on behalf of Niue: Date of Coin issue: 07/2020
3) The Mystical Ancient Egyptian Labyrinth depicted on $10 Silver coins issued by Cook islands in 2016, under its "Milestones of Mankind Series". 4) King Arthur: The first coin in the six coins "Camelot Series". 5) Quilling Art: Silver 2 Dollars coins issued - Flowers (2016) & Bird (2017)
Links to other posts on Metropolis Tiffany Art Coin Series:
The 7-Summits Silver Coin Series:
Links to interesting posts from the South Pacific Island of Fiji:
Links to posts on Australia, New Zealand and Countries and Overseas Territories of the South Pacific etc on this Blog:
3) The Mystical Ancient Egyptian Labyrinth depicted on $10 Silver coins issued by Cook islands in 2016, under its "Milestones of Mankind Series". 4) King Arthur: The first coin in the six coins "Camelot Series". 5) Quilling Art: Silver 2 Dollars coins issued - Flowers (2016) & Bird (2017)
7) Michelangelo's "Pieta", Vatican City: New Copper Coin Series titled "Art and Faithy": A 10 Euro Copper Coin minted by the "Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca Dello Stato" (IPZS) on behalf of the "Ufficio Filatelico e Numismatico Governatorato della Cotta del Vaticano": Coin issue date: 05.03.2020
8) Ancient Postal Routes, Vatican City State: EUROPA 2020 Theme: Two stamps of 1.10 Euro and 1.15 Euro issued by the Ufficio filatelico e Numismatico -Governatorato, Vaticano featuring Ancient Postal Routes emanating from the Vatican City State during the 6th & 11th Centuries AD
Rsanker Sharma has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very nice and great information."
Thank you, Sharma sahab.
DeleteRajan Trikha has commented:
ReplyDelete"Quite Fascinating 👍👍"
It is a great series of coins Trikha sahab.
DeleteSantosh Khanna has commented:
ReplyDelete"Very interesting and informative post. Thanks for sharing."
Thank you, Khanna sahab.
Delete