 A "Irish gauge" railway line was opened between Deloraine and Launceston on 10 February 1871 by the private Launceston and Western Railway, on the basis of debt guarantees from landowners who stood to benefit.The line went bankrupt in 1872 and was taken over by the Tasmanian Government on 31 October 1873, which then attempted to recover the debt from the guarantors, leading to civil unrest.On 1 March 1876, another private railway, the Tasmanian Main Line Company, which was guaranteed by the Tasmanian Government, opened a narrow gauge line from Hobart to Evandale, near Launceston.