Railway Tours, Cafe, Museum & Gift Shop, Queenstown
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Description
An epic rail journey through ancient rainforest. Step back in time in Tasmania’s western wilds.
More than a train ride
When you travel aboard the West Coast Wilderness Railway, you will be well looked after. That care extends to the beginning and end of your journey, and even to those who are simply visiting us at Queenstown Station. Enjoy a delicious snack, coffee, drink or meal at Tracks Cafe, discover the history and heritage of the Railway in our Museum, pick up a unique souvenir of your experience or gifts for family and friends at our Gift Shop and join a workshop tour to get up close and personal with our rolling stock and those who keep it rolling.
Tracks Cafe, Queenstown
Tracks Cafe at Queenstown Station serves (we reckon) the best coffee on the West Coast, along with breakfast, lunch and delicious in-betweens. It is licensed and offers a big, bright, airy, warm contemporary space in which to relax.
Come and enjoy coffee, a drink, light meal or snack, regardless of whether or not you are travelling on the West Coast Wilderness Railway.
As well as being a cafe and gift shop, we are also the departure point for the River and Rainforest journey and Queenstown Explorer experience for passengers of the West Coast Wilderness Railway; one of the west coast’s most popular attractions.
Tracks on Point has a modern menu and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Read more to check opening hours and view the menu.
Gift Shops
The West Coast Wilderness Railway operates gift shops at Queenstown Station and Regatta Point Station in Strahan.
We stock a selection of locally sourced produce, artisan products and a range of books, DVDs and clothing. Most of the products are exclusive to the West Coast Wilderness Railway and are not available anywhere else.
If you are unwell, are showing symptoms of COVID-19 or should be in isolation, we ask that you do not visit the shop until it is safe to do so. All customers are asked to sanitise their hands on entry and consider contactless payment.
Rolling Stock – Diesel Engines
The West Coast Wilderness Railway operates two historic diesel locomotives dating from the 1950s and which were also acquired specifically for this line and are an integral part of our story. The Regatta Point to Dubbil Barril section of the line (travelled on the River & Rainforest journey) is where they were operated.
Rolling Stock – Steam Engines
Three of the five original steam trains that were imported from Glasgow specifically for the railway are still in operation – Locomotive Numbers One, Three and Five. A fourth locomotive (Locomotive Number Two) was part of the Tasmanian Transport Museum collection in Hobart. It is currently undergoing a full restoration in order to return to the West Coast Wilderness Railway.
Our workshop team maintain all our rolling stock, including building new carriages, which are based on original designs used on the railway.
Choice of Carriage
We offer two carriage experiences, which are detailed in the video below.
Our heritage carriages are fully enclosed and provide air-conditioning and heating (although we still encourage you to dress for the weather) and provide comfortable seating for everyone. These are ideal for families and small, casual groups.
The wilderness carriages provide a more spacious environment, with booth seating and tables for up to four people at each booth. Wilderness carriage tickets include light refreshments on board and access to the carriage balcony, so you can admire the wilderness from both inside and out.Â
Museum
When you visit Queenstown Station, make sure you call into the West Coast Wilderness Railway Museum to find out more about the story of the railway and the people who created it.
The museum features interpretive displays and a collection of original artefacts that reflect the human stories of this remarkable railway – from its construction in the 1890s as a crucial form of transport between the Queenstown mines and the port at Strahan, to its rebirth as one of Tasmania’s best-loved tourist attractions.
The West Coast Wilderness Railway Museum is open whenever the station is open, and entry is free.
