This locomotive was built by John Fowler in Leeds in 1924 to operate on the North Mount Farrell Tramway (commonly known as the Tullah Tramway).The line connected Tullah on the west coast of Tasmania with the Emu Bay Railway at Farrell Siding, a distance of 8½ miles.
This locomotive was given the name Wee Georgie Wood and probably relates to the diminutive British comedian. The locomotive was joined in 1928 by another John Fowler locomotive (works number 17732).
After the Second World War the two were combined to form one operable locomotive. The resulting locomotive has been given the identity of Wee Georgi Wood although there are suggestions that the frames of the locomotive are from 17732. Normally locomotives take the identity of the frames.
In December 1963 the Murchison Highway was opened, providing for the first time a road link to many of Tasmania’s isolated West Coast mining communities and rendering the Tullah Tramway redundant.
In 1977 the Wee Georgie Wood Steam Railway Inc was formed with the objective of overhauling the locomotive to working condition. The locomotive and a short length of track were restored to operate as a historical and tourist service.
A similar Fowler built locomotive (Works No 16129 of 1924) is preserved at the James Hall Transport Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa.
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