​​​​Tasmanian railway employee records

Find historical Tasmanian railway employment records.

What’s available onli​​ne?

• Register of certificates issu​es for competency to operate land engines, first and second class 1893–1944 (AE549)
• Copies of certificates of competency to operate land engines
• 1890-1902 (LID20)
• 1903-1939 (AA79)
• Copies of certificates of service as a mine winding engine driver
• 1885-1920 (LID23)
  
• 1890-1961 (LID24)
• ​Railway Employee Classification Lists. These lists were published annually in the Tasmanian Government Gazette from 1912 to 1978. 
• ​1903–1978 (P2215)​​​
  
• 1912–1916, 1919, 1922, 1924 (AE460) ​​​​This series fills some gaps in P2215
• Photos of trains  and railway stations in Tasmania
  

What else is there?​

The following records are in Hobart.

Records of government age​ncies responsible for railways in Tasmania

• Launceston and Western Railway Department 1872–1885 (TA244)
• Tasmanian Government Railways 1885–1938 (TA245)
• Transport Commission 1938–1981 (TA90)
• AN - Tasrail  1978–1997 (XX8)

Main record series​​​

• Personal history cards for Railway Branch employees who had left the service by Jan 1947 c1912–c1945 (AC275)
• Personal history cards for Railway Branch employees c1946–1956 (TC23)
• Staff [History] Record, Mechanical Engineering  Branch 1937–1997  (P2125)
• Staff files 1963–1976 (TC1)
• Personnel files, Railway Branch 1939–1963 (P2146)
• Staff registers, Traffic Branch 1909–1946  (P2137)
• Alphabetical register of staff leave 1904–1913 (TC19)
• Holiday  record, Rolling Stock Branch 1899–1956 (P2323)
  
• General correspondence – includes both staff and administrative files (Register TC12) 1890–1989 (TC10)
• Railway Employee Classification Lists. See 'what's online'​​​.
• ​​1929–1941,  1950–1976 (AE460)
• Records for Mt Lyell Mining and Railway Company (NG1711) and the Emu Bay Railway Company (NG211)
  

Notes​​

• Private companies established the first railways in Tasmania. These companies did not prosper and the Government gradually took them over.
• The first company was the Launceston and Western Railway Company. It began constructing the Launceston-Deloraine Line in 1868.
• As the Government interest extended over the whole railway network the Tasmanian Government Railways was established under a General Manager for Railways in 1888.
• In 1978 responsibility for railways passed to the Commonwealth Government.
• In 1997 The Australian National Railway Commission sold the assets of AN Tasrail to a private consortium, trading as Tasrail Pty Ltd, which began operations in November 1997. The land over which the track is laid reverted to the State Government of Tasmania.
• The numbering codes are our unique identifiers for groups of records.  Please refer to them if you ask to see records.

What ​​​​other information could be useful?

• Library resources about railways in Tasmania

What ​​can I find from other organisations?

• Australian Government History of Rail in Australia
• Rail Tasmania​