And reopening the line all the way to Strahan was the cherry on top.

It is 8.30am and we have just arrived at Strahan’s Regatta Point Station.

It is the fourth time that trains have left the station in about 18 months, due to urgent upgrades that were needed.

Fireman Pete Nolte has already been here for a few hours putting oil into the locomotive to ensure that   the steam engine can pull two carriages all the way along the 35-kilometre track.

It is a tough job as the fireman, with the driver, has to work in front of a fire burning at 1200 degrees.

But Mr Nolte is used to it, having worked on the railway for six years, after coming over from Victoria to fit out the inside of the carriage.

When the locomotive is ready, Mr Nolte and train driver Troy O’Mahoney attach it to the carriages and senior steward Tom Pavic yells ‘‘All aboard’’.

The heritage carriage we are in is fitted out with tables and chairs, polished wood up the sides, heritage lights and a balcony at the rear.

The tourist train is a restoration of the original Mt Lyell Mining and Railway Company train that was used in the 1900s.

Back then it was used to transport copper concentrates from Queenstown to Strahan, so the inside would have been very different.

We’re given a glass of sparkling wine upon entry and take our seats.

‘‘You are taking a risk by being out in this area,’’ Mr Pavic says over the speakers as the train takes off to travel at 15 to 30 kilometres an hour.

Mr Pavic has taken us back to the mid-1890s and has made everyone on board pretend they are one of the 500 men who built the railway.

‘‘It had been reported that gold had been found on the West Coast of Tasmania,’’ he says.

He tells us we are out here using axes and shovels to break through the ‘‘completely impassible’’ track.

But not all of us will see the railway finished.

‘‘Four men died in the building of this railway,’’ Mr Pavic said.

 One man died while he was working on constructing the iconic orange bridge, one fell during construction and another two died in a landslide.

About an hour into the enchanting rainforest journey – which feels like we’ve entered the pages of a picture book –  we make a stop at the first station, Lower Landing.

It is this stop that is still used regularly.

Just two weeks ago, 162 beehives from Mole Creek honey producer R.Stephens were brought here and left so that the 14.5 million bees could access the flowering trees they need to produce leatherwood honey.

But don’t worry, no bees are hovering near the station: they are hidden down in the bush.

As passengers take a quick look around the station and its walkways nearby, Mr Nolte adds oil into the locomotive.

‘‘We use about 1500 litres in a trip,’’ he tells us.

The trip continues on through my favourite part.

This section is filled with beautiful bridges that look stunning against the lush green backdrop.

Mr Pavic says there are about 40 bridges along the track that were put in by hand.

We pass by the area that was once filled with small canvas tents for the workers to sleep in.

Workers kept their tents on high land due to heavy rainfall, but that didn’t help with trying to find dry land to keep the fires going.

It seems fitting that it’s raining today.

It gives a feel of what it would have been like back in the day: misty and eerie, with steam from the trains hovering just below the tree tops.

Double Barril marks the halfway point along the Strahan to Queenstown track, but it’s uphill and over the mountain from here.

We travel the steep grades of the rack and pinion that the West Coast Wilderness railway is renowned for.

This section is the second-steepest rail line in the southern hemisphere. The steepest  is the downside of the hill, which we get to later.

Going up sounds like we’re on a roller-coaster, but it’s nowhere near as scary.

And despite it being steep, it’s only a gradual climb – although watch for your things on the table:  they are likely to slide off.

Passing over the King River Gorge is a view not to be missed.

It is a highlight of the journey, as is the colour of the Queen River just up a bit further.

The train takes a break at Queenstown and passengers can take a walking tour through the town, grab lunch and get back on the train to travel back to Strahan.

The train stops at a number of stations back along the track, with passengers getting to pan for gold at Lynchford and taste honey at Lower Landing.

For many tourists travelling on the train, it is something not to be missed.

‘‘The whole thing is great:  there’s great scenery, great food and great staff,’’ David and Pam Greig, of Melbourne, said.

‘‘We were here on holiday and read good reviews.’’

David said his favourite part was the rack and pinion section, as, having an engineering background, he found finding out how it worked interesting.

‘‘If you’re down in this part of the world, you’ve got to see this and the boat (Gordon River Cruises),’’ he said.

The Queenstown Explorer tour takes eight hours, but smaller trips have been scheduled since the full track reopened on December 15.

The reopening is a great thing for the region.

The area has received many blows in the past year, with the closure of the Mt Lyell copper mine following three deaths and the death of West Coast Mayor Darryl Gerrity.

This is the kind of positive initiative that the coast needs.

And with the tracks finally reopened all the way, it should help revitalise not only Queenstown  but also Strahan.

About 10,000 visitors travelled the railway last summer.

That number is expected to grow this season with the expansion to Strahan.

The Queenstown Explorer train runs on Monday and Tuesdays.

The Rack and Gorge journey from Queenstown to Dubbil Barril and back  runs Wednesday to Sunday mornings.

The River and Rainforest journey out of Strahan to Dubbil Barril runs Wednesday, Thursday and Friday afternoons.

Email: mdadson@ fairfaxmedia.com.au.

Twitter: @ManikaDadson.