National Portland Cement Limited tramway
The National Portland Cement Limited tramway was a 2ft gauge rail line that served the cement works at Darlington on Maria Island in Tasmania from 1923 to July 1930.
The line connected three quarries with both the cement works at Darlington and the new jetty built specifically for the cement works. The tramway was used to bring limestone from the quarries to the works, coal from the jetty to the powerplant and cement kiln, and to take bagged cement from the works to the jetty for shipping. At least 32 4-wheel side-tipping hopper wagons were used.
Two locomotives were used on the line:
Builder | Type | Date | Works Number | Notes |
Hudswell Clarke | 0-4-0WT | 1922 | 1423 | Sold in 1934 to Corrimal Colliery, currently in museum in NSW. |
Fordson | 4 wheel | 1923? | Unknown | Believed scrapped |
The cement works proved unprofitable due to poor-quality limestone, transport costs from the island, and the economic effects of the Great Depression. It closed in July 1930 and most of the equipment was shipped to Port Fairy in Victoria.