Heritage 1950s railway carriages that once made up the Tasman Limited passenger service have been hit by vandals overnight.
The rolling stock at the Derwent Valley Railway were graffitied on Monday evening, with association chairperson Craig Farrell describing the attack as a ‘kick in the guts’ for volunteers.
He said the vandals had cut through a fence to gain access to the Station Street site before covering the ‘lovingly preserved’ carriages in spray paint from top to bottom.
The paint will now need to be stripped from the carriages so they can be repainted, resulting in a significant waste of volunteer hours and an expected bill of around $1,500.
Farrell said attacks of this kind were rare, with the association having only been hit ‘once or twice’ in the past.
The carriages are hoped to one day operate on the Derwent Valley line from New Norfolk to Mt Field National Park, a track that has seen little action in over 15 years.
Farrell said the association is still in the process of obtaining accreditation from the national rail regulator before extensive work on the track can be completed, with a campaign to raise funds for the costly project currently underway.
A spokesperson for Tasmania Police confirmed the vandalism occurred around 5:55pm on Monday and said officers were investigating the matter.
“Anyone with information about the graffiti should contact New Norfolk Police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers Tasmania anonymously via www.crimestopperstas.com.au,” they said.
