Commonwealth Railways
Encyclopedia
The Commonwealth Railways were established in 1912, as part of a government department, currently called the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, by the Government of Australia
to construct the missing link in the east-west transcontinental railway and the proposed Port Augusta to Darwin railway
. It was absorbed into the Australian National Railways Commission
in 1975.
(TAR) from Port Augusta, South Australia
and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
, was commenced in 1912 and constructed to standard gauge
of 1435mm (4 ft. 8½ in). Despite the inhospitable nature of the terrain and wartime supply problems, satisfactory progress was made, and the two tracklaying machines, one working from each end, met near Ooldea, South Australia
on 17 October 1917.
The promise to construction the TAR had been one of the principal inducements to Western Australia
to join the Commonwealth of Australia, and it was for the purpose of surveying and constructing this railway that the Commonwealth Railways Department was initially formed.
It was a matter of misfortune that its two termini were break of gauge stations connecting with narrow gauge lines (1067 mm - 3 ft. 6 in.) that formed part of the transcontinental link.
In 1937 the eastern end was extended south to Port Pirie
, thereby effecting a reduction of one break of gauge in the trip across Australia, but at the same time establishing a three-gauge junction at Port Pirie.
Gauge-wise, the TAR remained isolated as part of the transcontinental link until 1968 when the Perth
to Kalgoorlie standard gauge line was opened, while at the eastern end, the completion of the Broken Hill, New South Wales
to Port Pirie standard gauge project in 1970 brought about the final union, in a common gauge, of the east and west coasts of Australia.
The Trans-Australian Railway remained fundamentally a main line; the only branch lines established being a short section from Pimba to Woomera
(officially only ever known as a stores siding), and the Port Augusta to Whyalla railway which opened for traffic in October 1972.
, it opened in 1889.
When the administration of the Northern Territory passed from South Australia to the Commonwealth Government on 1 January 1911 the railway was transferred to Commonwealth ownership. The railway was initially placed under the control of the Administrator of the Northern Territory. At this time it was known as the Northern Territory Railway, but was transferred to the control of the Commonwealth Railways Commissioner in 1918.
It was renamed the North Australia Railway (NAR) in 1926. Extensions to Birdum were completed in 1929, but during and following World War II the effective railhead was Larrimah
, a few miles north.
The railway gained increased importance in the 1960s and early 70's through the haulage of iron ore from the Frances Creek deposits, about 140 miles south of Darwin. Ore traffic exceeded one million tons per annum, but unfortunately world ore prices dropped forcing the mine to close and other traffic was not enough to justify keeping the railway open. The line eventually closed in 1976.
, with the New South Wales
Railways system at Queanbeyan
. This short section, opened in 1914, and was operated by the New South Wales Railways and it successors until 2003. Currently the line is controlled by Rail Corporation New South Wales
, but is maintained under contract by the Australian Rail Track Corporation
and passenger services are operated by CountryLink
.
The Central Australia Railway (CAR) extended from Port Augusta in South Australia to Alice Springs, Northern Territory
. Work on the first section of this railway was commenced by the South Australian Railways
in 1878.
Under South Australian ownership the railway, known as the Great Northern Railway, was extended in stages and reached Oodnadatta
in 1891. The South Australian Government subsequently made offers to several syndicates to construct a line north from Oodnadatta to Pine Creek on the land grant system, however negotiations were unsuccessful and Oodnadatta remained the railhead.
Like the NAR, this railway passed to Commonwealth ownership on 1 January 1911, but continued to be operated by the South Australian Railways until the Commonwealth Railways took over operations on 1 January 1926. An extension of the railway to Alice Springs was completed in 1929.
In the years following World War II
large tonnages of coal were railed from Leigh Creek
and heavy demands were placed on the railway. In many ways the original line was inadequate; sharp curves and heavy gradients limited train loads, whilst light track and bridges restricted speeds and axle loads. Consequently a new railway, of 4 ft. 8½ in. gauge
, was constructed to avoid the heavier graded terrain, and extended from Stirling North, via Telford (Leigh Creek
) to Marree
. During the construction stages, and after washaway
s on the old line, but with the new standard gauge line available to that point, complete trains of narrow gauge wagons were carried Pick-a-Back (Piggyback) style to Brachina, 88 miles (140 km) from Stirling North. Completed in 1957, the new line enabled much larger quantities of coal to be carried.
The old 3 ft. 6 in. gauge line between Marree and Hawker
was closed, but between Stirling North and Hawker it was retained and used to a limited extent for some years. The track between Stirling North and Hawker was closed in 1972 and the section between Stirling North and Quorn handed over to the operations of the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society.
The country traversed by the CAR from Marree to Alice Springs was dry and poorly productive, and subject to periodic flooding which caused washaways and traffic disruptions.
It was eventually decided that a railway constructed on flatter
The Commonwealth Railways were established in 1912, as part of a government department, currently called the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, by the Government of Australia
to construct the missing link in the east-west transcontinental railway and the proposed Port Augusta to Darwin railway
. It was absorbed into the Australian National Railways Commission
in 1975.
(TAR) from Port Augusta, South Australia
and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
, was commenced in 1912 and constructed to standard gauge
of 1435mm (4 ft. 8½ in). Despite the inhospitable nature of the terrain and wartime supply problems, satisfactory progress was made, and the two tracklaying machines, one working from each end, met near Ooldea, South Australia
on 17 October 1917.
The promise to construction the TAR had been one of the principal inducements to Western Australia
to join the Commonwealth of Australia, and it was for the purpose of surveying and constructing this railway that the Commonwealth Railways Department was initially formed.
It was a matter of misfortune that its two termini were break of gauge stations connecting with narrow gauge lines (1067 mm - 3 ft. 6 in.) that formed part of the transcontinental link.
In 1937 the eastern end was extended south to Port Pirie
, thereby effecting a reduction of one break of gauge in the trip across Australia, but at the same time establishing a three-gauge junction at Port Pirie.
Gauge-wise, the TAR remained isolated as part of the transcontinental link until 1968 when the Perth
to Kalgoorlie standard gauge line was opened, while at the eastern end, the completion of the Broken Hill, New South Wales
to Port Pirie standard gauge project in 1970 brought about the final union, in a common gauge, of the east and west coasts of Australia.
The Trans-Australian Railway remained fundamentally a main line; the only branch lines established being a short section from Pimba to Woomera
(officially only ever known as a stores siding), and the Port Augusta to Whyalla railway which opened for traffic in October 1972.
, it opened in 1889.
When the administration of the Northern Territory passed from South Australia to the Commonwealth Government on 1 January 1911 the railway was transferred to Commonwealth ownership. The railway was initially placed under the control of the Administrator of the Northern Territory. At this time it was known as the Northern Territory Railway, but was transferred to the control of the Commonwealth Railways Commissioner in 1918.
It was renamed the North Australia Railway (NAR) in 1926. Extensions to Birdum were completed in 1929, but during and following World War II the effective railhead was Larrimah
, a few miles north.
The railway gained increased importance in the 1960s and early 70's through the haulage of iron ore from the Frances Creek deposits, about 140 miles south of Darwin. Ore traffic exceeded one million tons per annum, but unfortunately world ore prices dropped forcing the mine to close and other traffic was not enough to justify keeping the railway open. The line eventually closed in 1976.
, with the New South Wales
Railways system at Queanbeyan
. This short section, opened in 1914, and was operated by the New South Wales Railways and it successors until 2003. Currently the line is controlled by Rail Corporation New South Wales
, but is maintained under contract by the Australian Rail Track Corporation
and passenger services are operated by CountryLink
.
The Central Australia Railway (CAR) extended from Port Augusta in South Australia to Alice Springs, Northern Territory
. Work on the first section of this railway was commenced by the South Australian Railways
in 1878.
Under South Australian ownership the railway, known as the Great Northern Railway, was extended in stages and reached Oodnadatta
in 1891. The South Australian Government subsequently made offers to several syndicates to construct a line north from Oodnadatta to Pine Creek on the land grant system, however negotiations were unsuccessful and Oodnadatta remained the railhead.
Like the NAR, this railway passed to Commonwealth ownership on 1 January 1911, but continued to be operated by the South Australian Railways until the Commonwealth Railways took over operations on 1 January 1926. An extension of the railway to Alice Springs was completed in 1929.
In the years following World War II
large tonnages of coal were railed from Leigh Creek
and heavy demands were placed on the railway. In many ways the original line was inadequate; sharp curves and heavy gradients limited train loads, whilst light track and bridges restricted speeds and axle loads. Consequently a new railway, of 4 ft. 8½ in. gauge
, was constructed to avoid the heavier graded terrain, and extended from Stirling North, via Telford (Leigh Creek
) to Marree
. During the construction stages, and after washaway
s on the old line, but with the new standard gauge line available to that point, complete trains of narrow gauge wagons were carried Pick-a-Back (Piggyback) style to Brachina, 88 miles (140 km) from Stirling North. Completed in 1957, the new line enabled much larger quantities of coal to be carried.
The old 3 ft. 6 in. gauge line between Marree and Hawker
was closed, but between Stirling North and Hawker it was retained and used to a limited extent for some years. The track between Stirling North and Hawker was closed in 1972 and the section between Stirling North and Quorn handed over to the operations of the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society.
The country traversed by the CAR from Marree to Alice Springs was dry and poorly productive, and subject to periodic flooding which caused washaways and traffic disruptions.
It was eventually decided that a railway constructed on flatter
The Commonwealth Railways were established in 1912, as part of a government department, currently called the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, by the Government of Australia
to construct the missing link in the east-west transcontinental railway and the proposed Port Augusta to Darwin railway
. It was absorbed into the Australian National Railways Commission
in 1975.
(TAR) from Port Augusta, South Australia
and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
, was commenced in 1912 and constructed to standard gauge
of 1435mm (4 ft. 8½ in). Despite the inhospitable nature of the terrain and wartime supply problems, satisfactory progress was made, and the two tracklaying machines, one working from each end, met near Ooldea, South Australia
on 17 October 1917.
The promise to construction the TAR had been one of the principal inducements to Western Australia
to join the Commonwealth of Australia, and it was for the purpose of surveying and constructing this railway that the Commonwealth Railways Department was initially formed.
It was a matter of misfortune that its two termini were break of gauge stations connecting with narrow gauge lines (1067 mm - 3 ft. 6 in.) that formed part of the transcontinental link.
In 1937 the eastern end was extended south to Port Pirie
, thereby effecting a reduction of one break of gauge in the trip across Australia, but at the same time establishing a three-gauge junction at Port Pirie.
Gauge-wise, the TAR remained isolated as part of the transcontinental link until 1968 when the Perth
to Kalgoorlie standard gauge line was opened, while at the eastern end, the completion of the Broken Hill, New South Wales
to Port Pirie standard gauge project in 1970 brought about the final union, in a common gauge, of the east and west coasts of Australia.
The Trans-Australian Railway remained fundamentally a main line; the only branch lines established being a short section from Pimba to Woomera
(officially only ever known as a stores siding), and the Port Augusta to Whyalla railway which opened for traffic in October 1972.
, it opened in 1889.
When the administration of the Northern Territory passed from South Australia to the Commonwealth Government on 1 January 1911 the railway was transferred to Commonwealth ownership. The railway was initially placed under the control of the Administrator of the Northern Territory. At this time it was known as the Northern Territory Railway, but was transferred to the control of the Commonwealth Railways Commissioner in 1918.
It was renamed the North Australia Railway (NAR) in 1926. Extensions to Birdum were completed in 1929, but during and following World War II the effective railhead was Larrimah
, a few miles north.
The railway gained increased importance in the 1960s and early 70's through the haulage of iron ore from the Frances Creek deposits, about 140 miles south of Darwin. Ore traffic exceeded one million tons per annum, but unfortunately world ore prices dropped forcing the mine to close and other traffic was not enough to justify keeping the railway open. The line eventually closed in 1976.
, with the New South Wales
Railways system at Queanbeyan
. This short section, opened in 1914, and was operated by the New South Wales Railways and it successors until 2003. Currently the line is controlled by Rail Corporation New South Wales
, but is maintained under contract by the Australian Rail Track Corporation
and passenger services are operated by CountryLink
.
The Central Australia Railway (CAR) extended from Port Augusta in South Australia to Alice Springs, Northern Territory
. Work on the first section of this railway was commenced by the South Australian Railways
in 1878.
Under South Australian ownership the railway, known as the Great Northern Railway, was extended in stages and reached Oodnadatta
in 1891. The South Australian Government subsequently made offers to several syndicates to construct a line north from Oodnadatta to Pine Creek on the land grant system, however negotiations were unsuccessful and Oodnadatta remained the railhead.
Like the NAR, this railway passed to Commonwealth ownership on 1 January 1911, but continued to be operated by the South Australian Railways until the Commonwealth Railways took over operations on 1 January 1926. An extension of the railway to Alice Springs was completed in 1929.
In the years following World War II
large tonnages of coal were railed from Leigh Creek
and heavy demands were placed on the railway. In many ways the original line was inadequate; sharp curves and heavy gradients limited train loads, whilst light track and bridges restricted speeds and axle loads. Consequently a new railway, of 4 ft. 8½ in. gauge
, was constructed to avoid the heavier graded terrain, and extended from Stirling North, via Telford (Leigh Creek
) to Marree
. During the construction stages, and after washaway
s on the old line, but with the new standard gauge line available to that point, complete trains of narrow gauge wagons were carried Pick-a-Back (Piggyback) style to Brachina, 88 miles (140 km) from Stirling North. Completed in 1957, the new line enabled much larger quantities of coal to be carried.
The old 3 ft. 6 in. gauge line between Marree and Hawker
was closed, but between Stirling North and Hawker it was retained and used to a limited extent for some years. The track between Stirling North and Hawker was closed in 1972 and the section between Stirling North and Quorn handed over to the operations of the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society.
The country traversed by the CAR from Marree to Alice Springs was dry and poorly productive, and subject to periodic flooding which caused washaways and traffic disruptions.
It was eventually decided that a railway constructed on flatter terrain further west of the existing line would offer a route less subject to flood damage. A new 4 ft. 8½ in. gauge railway, between Tarcoola and Alice Springs was constructed causing the narrow gauge section of the original Central Australia Railway to be closed in 1981.
During construction the new line was known as the Tarcoola to Alice Springs Railway (TAS), but after opening its named was changed to the Central Australia Railway. The reusing of the name has led to some confusion about which railway is actually being referenced. A common way researchers have overcome this is by referring to the two railways as the narrow gauge CAR and standard gauge CAR"'.
When the new standard gauge Marree line opened in 1957 the journey was broken into two.
A standard gauge run from Port Pirie to Marree, with the rest of the journey remaining on narrow gauge.
Following completion of the standard gauge Tarcoola to Alice Springs line in 1980, the train was rerouted becoming an all standard gauge journey from Port Pirie using only modern rollingstock in the regular consists. This modern train was initially called The New Ghan on all marketing material, but eventually the New was dropped. In the late 1980s as part of a major refurbishment of the rollingstock the train was re-marketed as The Legendary Ghan.
Passengers for Adelaide initially had to change trains at Port Pirie (to and from the west) or Peterborough (to or from the east) until Crystal Brook to Adelaide was converted to standard gauge - transfers then took place at Port Pirie, until the service was re-rerouted to travel via Adelaide. The first Indian Pacific into Keswick Passenger terminal was on 1986-08-17.
It began in 1917 and was eventually cancelled in 1991 (by the CR successor organisation Australian National) following poor patronage and a severe cut back in the frequency of the service.
Initially it was all sleeping class with only irregular way side situp passenger accommodation being provided. In the 1960s regular situp was provided, but this was eventually withdrawn. Situp was again introduced in 1981 when it was added to the Trans-Australian and Indian Pacific services.
(ANRC). The ANRC was owned by the Commonwealth of Australia and formed from the former Commonwealth, South Australian (non-suburban) and Tasmanian railways. It traded under the name Australian National. Its operations extended from Kalgoorlie to Alice Springs and to the borders with Victoria and New South Wales, as well as all railways in the state of Tasmania.
) expanded to include most of the interstate standard gauge
network of the mainland states.
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
to construct the missing link in the east-west transcontinental railway and the proposed Port Augusta to Darwin railway
Adelaide-Darwin railway
The Adelaide–Darwin railway is a north-south transcontinental railway in Australia, between the cities of Adelaide, South Australia and Darwin, Northern Territory...
. It was absorbed into the Australian National Railways Commission
Australian National Railways Commission
The Australian National Railways Commission was a government owned railway operator in Australia. ANRC was also known as Australian National Railways in its early years and was later rebranded as Australian National .-History:...
in 1975.
Trans-Australian Railway
The Trans-Australian RailwayTrans-Australian Railway
The Trans-Australian Railway crosses the Nullarbor Plain of Australia from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia...
(TAR) from Port Augusta, South Australia
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
, was commenced in 1912 and constructed to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
of 1435mm (4 ft. 8½ in). Despite the inhospitable nature of the terrain and wartime supply problems, satisfactory progress was made, and the two tracklaying machines, one working from each end, met near Ooldea, South Australia
Ooldea, South Australia
Ooldea is a tiny settlement in South Australia. It is on the eastern edge of the Nullarbor Plain, 863 km west of Port Augusta on the Trans-Australian Railway...
on 17 October 1917.
The promise to construction the TAR had been one of the principal inducements to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
to join the Commonwealth of Australia, and it was for the purpose of surveying and constructing this railway that the Commonwealth Railways Department was initially formed.
It was a matter of misfortune that its two termini were break of gauge stations connecting with narrow gauge lines (1067 mm - 3 ft. 6 in.) that formed part of the transcontinental link.
In 1937 the eastern end was extended south to Port Pirie
Port Pirie, South Australia
-Transport:Port Pirie is located off National Highway One. It is serviced by an airport five minutes out of the city.- Railways :The first railways in Port Pirie were of the narrow [3' 6"] gauge....
, thereby effecting a reduction of one break of gauge in the trip across Australia, but at the same time establishing a three-gauge junction at Port Pirie.
Gauge-wise, the TAR remained isolated as part of the transcontinental link until 1968 when the Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
to Kalgoorlie standard gauge line was opened, while at the eastern end, the completion of the Broken Hill, New South Wales
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
to Port Pirie standard gauge project in 1970 brought about the final union, in a common gauge, of the east and west coasts of Australia.
The Trans-Australian Railway remained fundamentally a main line; the only branch lines established being a short section from Pimba to Woomera
Woomera, South Australia
The town, or village, of Woomera is located in the south east corner of the Woomera Prohibited Area ; colloquially known as the Woomera Rocket Range...
(officially only ever known as a stores siding), and the Port Augusta to Whyalla railway which opened for traffic in October 1972.
North Australia Railway
The North Australia Railway (NAR) was the name given to the Northern Territory 3 ft. 6 in. gauge railway that extended south from Darwin to Birdum. Construction of this line was commenced by the South Australian Government, being known then as the Palmerston and Pine Creek RailwayPalmerston and Pine Creek Railway
The North Australia Railway , also known as the Palmerston to Pine Creek railway, was a narrow gauge railway which ran from Darwin, once known as Palmerston, to Birdum, just south of Larrimah.-History:...
, it opened in 1889.
When the administration of the Northern Territory passed from South Australia to the Commonwealth Government on 1 January 1911 the railway was transferred to Commonwealth ownership. The railway was initially placed under the control of the Administrator of the Northern Territory. At this time it was known as the Northern Territory Railway, but was transferred to the control of the Commonwealth Railways Commissioner in 1918.
It was renamed the North Australia Railway (NAR) in 1926. Extensions to Birdum were completed in 1929, but during and following World War II the effective railhead was Larrimah
Larrimah, Northern Territory
Larrimah is a tiny hamlet in the Northern Territory of Australia. It has a population of 18. It is built along the Stuart Highway and offers petrol and supplies to passing motorists. It was the railhead on the North Australia Railway during World War II....
, a few miles north.
The railway gained increased importance in the 1960s and early 70's through the haulage of iron ore from the Frances Creek deposits, about 140 miles south of Darwin. Ore traffic exceeded one million tons per annum, but unfortunately world ore prices dropped forcing the mine to close and other traffic was not enough to justify keeping the railway open. The line eventually closed in 1976.
Australian Capital Territory Railway
The Australian Capital Territory Railway, of 4 ft. 8½ in. gauge, and five miles in length, connects the Australian Capital, CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, with the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Railways system at Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan, New South Wales
Queanbeyan is a regional centre in the Southern Tablelands in south-eastern New South Wales adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory. The city's mixed economy is based on light construction, high technology, manufacturing, service, retail and agriculture. It is the council seat of the...
. This short section, opened in 1914, and was operated by the New South Wales Railways and it successors until 2003. Currently the line is controlled by Rail Corporation New South Wales
Rail Corporation New South Wales
Rail Corporation New South Wales is a statutory authority of the New South Wales government. RailCorp owns, operates and maintains the Sydney suburban and interurban rail network which is marketed under the CityRail brand; in addition to operating rural passenger services under the CountryLink...
, but is maintained under contract by the Australian Rail Track Corporation
Australian Rail Track Corporation
Australian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...
and passenger services are operated by CountryLink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
.
Central Australia Railway
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
. Work on the first section of this railway was commenced by the South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways...
in 1878.
Under South Australian ownership the railway, known as the Great Northern Railway, was extended in stages and reached Oodnadatta
Oodnadatta, South Australia
Oodnadatta, South Australia, is a small town surrounded by an area of with cattle stations in arid pastoral rangelands close to the Simpson Desert, north of Adelaide and 112 m above sea level. It can be reached by an unsealed road from Coober Pedy or via the unsealed Oodnadatta Track from...
in 1891. The South Australian Government subsequently made offers to several syndicates to construct a line north from Oodnadatta to Pine Creek on the land grant system, however negotiations were unsuccessful and Oodnadatta remained the railhead.
Like the NAR, this railway passed to Commonwealth ownership on 1 January 1911, but continued to be operated by the South Australian Railways until the Commonwealth Railways took over operations on 1 January 1926. An extension of the railway to Alice Springs was completed in 1929.
In the years following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
large tonnages of coal were railed from Leigh Creek
Leigh Creek, South Australia
Leigh Creek is a coal-mining town in the north of South Australia. At the 2006 census, Leigh Creek had a population of 549....
and heavy demands were placed on the railway. In many ways the original line was inadequate; sharp curves and heavy gradients limited train loads, whilst light track and bridges restricted speeds and axle loads. Consequently a new railway, of 4 ft. 8½ in. gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, was constructed to avoid the heavier graded terrain, and extended from Stirling North, via Telford (Leigh Creek
Leigh Creek, South Australia
Leigh Creek is a coal-mining town in the north of South Australia. At the 2006 census, Leigh Creek had a population of 549....
) to Marree
Marree, South Australia
Marree is a small town located in the north of South Australia. It lies North of Adelaide at the junction of the Oodnadatta Track and the Birdsville Track, above sea level. The area is the home of the Dieri people. At the 2006 census, Marree had a population of 70.The town was home to Australia's...
. During the construction stages, and after washaway
Washaway
A washaway is a particular kind of landslide that can affect man-made structures such as cuttings, embankments and bridges. They are thus a hazard to railways and road traffic.- Overview :...
s on the old line, but with the new standard gauge line available to that point, complete trains of narrow gauge wagons were carried Pick-a-Back (Piggyback) style to Brachina, 88 miles (140 km) from Stirling North. Completed in 1957, the new line enabled much larger quantities of coal to be carried.
The old 3 ft. 6 in. gauge line between Marree and Hawker
Hawker, South Australia
Hawker is a town in the Flinders Ranges area of South Australia, 365 km north of Adelaide. It is in the Flinders Ranges Council, the state Electoral district of Stuart and the federal Division of Grey. At the 2006 census, Hawker had a population of 229....
was closed, but between Stirling North and Hawker it was retained and used to a limited extent for some years. The track between Stirling North and Hawker was closed in 1972 and the section between Stirling North and Quorn handed over to the operations of the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society.
The country traversed by the CAR from Marree to Alice Springs was dry and poorly productive, and subject to periodic flooding which caused washaways and traffic disruptions.
It was eventually decided that a railway constructed on flatter
The Commonwealth Railways were established in 1912, as part of a government department, currently called the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, by the Government of Australia
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
to construct the missing link in the east-west transcontinental railway and the proposed Port Augusta to Darwin railway
Adelaide-Darwin railway
The Adelaide–Darwin railway is a north-south transcontinental railway in Australia, between the cities of Adelaide, South Australia and Darwin, Northern Territory...
. It was absorbed into the Australian National Railways Commission
Australian National Railways Commission
The Australian National Railways Commission was a government owned railway operator in Australia. ANRC was also known as Australian National Railways in its early years and was later rebranded as Australian National .-History:...
in 1975.
Trans-Australian Railway
The Trans-Australian RailwayTrans-Australian Railway
The Trans-Australian Railway crosses the Nullarbor Plain of Australia from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia...
(TAR) from Port Augusta, South Australia
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
, was commenced in 1912 and constructed to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
of 1435mm (4 ft. 8½ in). Despite the inhospitable nature of the terrain and wartime supply problems, satisfactory progress was made, and the two tracklaying machines, one working from each end, met near Ooldea, South Australia
Ooldea, South Australia
Ooldea is a tiny settlement in South Australia. It is on the eastern edge of the Nullarbor Plain, 863 km west of Port Augusta on the Trans-Australian Railway...
on 17 October 1917.
The promise to construction the TAR had been one of the principal inducements to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
to join the Commonwealth of Australia, and it was for the purpose of surveying and constructing this railway that the Commonwealth Railways Department was initially formed.
It was a matter of misfortune that its two termini were break of gauge stations connecting with narrow gauge lines (1067 mm - 3 ft. 6 in.) that formed part of the transcontinental link.
In 1937 the eastern end was extended south to Port Pirie
Port Pirie, South Australia
-Transport:Port Pirie is located off National Highway One. It is serviced by an airport five minutes out of the city.- Railways :The first railways in Port Pirie were of the narrow [3' 6"] gauge....
, thereby effecting a reduction of one break of gauge in the trip across Australia, but at the same time establishing a three-gauge junction at Port Pirie.
Gauge-wise, the TAR remained isolated as part of the transcontinental link until 1968 when the Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
to Kalgoorlie standard gauge line was opened, while at the eastern end, the completion of the Broken Hill, New South Wales
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
to Port Pirie standard gauge project in 1970 brought about the final union, in a common gauge, of the east and west coasts of Australia.
The Trans-Australian Railway remained fundamentally a main line; the only branch lines established being a short section from Pimba to Woomera
Woomera, South Australia
The town, or village, of Woomera is located in the south east corner of the Woomera Prohibited Area ; colloquially known as the Woomera Rocket Range...
(officially only ever known as a stores siding), and the Port Augusta to Whyalla railway which opened for traffic in October 1972.
North Australia Railway
The North Australia Railway (NAR) was the name given to the Northern Territory 3 ft. 6 in. gauge railway that extended south from Darwin to Birdum. Construction of this line was commenced by the South Australian Government, being known then as the Palmerston and Pine Creek RailwayPalmerston and Pine Creek Railway
The North Australia Railway , also known as the Palmerston to Pine Creek railway, was a narrow gauge railway which ran from Darwin, once known as Palmerston, to Birdum, just south of Larrimah.-History:...
, it opened in 1889.
When the administration of the Northern Territory passed from South Australia to the Commonwealth Government on 1 January 1911 the railway was transferred to Commonwealth ownership. The railway was initially placed under the control of the Administrator of the Northern Territory. At this time it was known as the Northern Territory Railway, but was transferred to the control of the Commonwealth Railways Commissioner in 1918.
It was renamed the North Australia Railway (NAR) in 1926. Extensions to Birdum were completed in 1929, but during and following World War II the effective railhead was Larrimah
Larrimah, Northern Territory
Larrimah is a tiny hamlet in the Northern Territory of Australia. It has a population of 18. It is built along the Stuart Highway and offers petrol and supplies to passing motorists. It was the railhead on the North Australia Railway during World War II....
, a few miles north.
The railway gained increased importance in the 1960s and early 70's through the haulage of iron ore from the Frances Creek deposits, about 140 miles south of Darwin. Ore traffic exceeded one million tons per annum, but unfortunately world ore prices dropped forcing the mine to close and other traffic was not enough to justify keeping the railway open. The line eventually closed in 1976.
Australian Capital Territory Railway
The Australian Capital Territory Railway, of 4 ft. 8½ in. gauge, and five miles in length, connects the Australian Capital, CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, with the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Railways system at Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan, New South Wales
Queanbeyan is a regional centre in the Southern Tablelands in south-eastern New South Wales adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory. The city's mixed economy is based on light construction, high technology, manufacturing, service, retail and agriculture. It is the council seat of the...
. This short section, opened in 1914, and was operated by the New South Wales Railways and it successors until 2003. Currently the line is controlled by Rail Corporation New South Wales
Rail Corporation New South Wales
Rail Corporation New South Wales is a statutory authority of the New South Wales government. RailCorp owns, operates and maintains the Sydney suburban and interurban rail network which is marketed under the CityRail brand; in addition to operating rural passenger services under the CountryLink...
, but is maintained under contract by the Australian Rail Track Corporation
Australian Rail Track Corporation
Australian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...
and passenger services are operated by CountryLink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
.
Central Australia Railway
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
. Work on the first section of this railway was commenced by the South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways...
in 1878.
Under South Australian ownership the railway, known as the Great Northern Railway, was extended in stages and reached Oodnadatta
Oodnadatta, South Australia
Oodnadatta, South Australia, is a small town surrounded by an area of with cattle stations in arid pastoral rangelands close to the Simpson Desert, north of Adelaide and 112 m above sea level. It can be reached by an unsealed road from Coober Pedy or via the unsealed Oodnadatta Track from...
in 1891. The South Australian Government subsequently made offers to several syndicates to construct a line north from Oodnadatta to Pine Creek on the land grant system, however negotiations were unsuccessful and Oodnadatta remained the railhead.
Like the NAR, this railway passed to Commonwealth ownership on 1 January 1911, but continued to be operated by the South Australian Railways until the Commonwealth Railways took over operations on 1 January 1926. An extension of the railway to Alice Springs was completed in 1929.
In the years following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
large tonnages of coal were railed from Leigh Creek
Leigh Creek, South Australia
Leigh Creek is a coal-mining town in the north of South Australia. At the 2006 census, Leigh Creek had a population of 549....
and heavy demands were placed on the railway. In many ways the original line was inadequate; sharp curves and heavy gradients limited train loads, whilst light track and bridges restricted speeds and axle loads. Consequently a new railway, of 4 ft. 8½ in. gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, was constructed to avoid the heavier graded terrain, and extended from Stirling North, via Telford (Leigh Creek
Leigh Creek, South Australia
Leigh Creek is a coal-mining town in the north of South Australia. At the 2006 census, Leigh Creek had a population of 549....
) to Marree
Marree, South Australia
Marree is a small town located in the north of South Australia. It lies North of Adelaide at the junction of the Oodnadatta Track and the Birdsville Track, above sea level. The area is the home of the Dieri people. At the 2006 census, Marree had a population of 70.The town was home to Australia's...
. During the construction stages, and after washaway
Washaway
A washaway is a particular kind of landslide that can affect man-made structures such as cuttings, embankments and bridges. They are thus a hazard to railways and road traffic.- Overview :...
s on the old line, but with the new standard gauge line available to that point, complete trains of narrow gauge wagons were carried Pick-a-Back (Piggyback) style to Brachina, 88 miles (140 km) from Stirling North. Completed in 1957, the new line enabled much larger quantities of coal to be carried.
The old 3 ft. 6 in. gauge line between Marree and Hawker
Hawker, South Australia
Hawker is a town in the Flinders Ranges area of South Australia, 365 km north of Adelaide. It is in the Flinders Ranges Council, the state Electoral district of Stuart and the federal Division of Grey. At the 2006 census, Hawker had a population of 229....
was closed, but between Stirling North and Hawker it was retained and used to a limited extent for some years. The track between Stirling North and Hawker was closed in 1972 and the section between Stirling North and Quorn handed over to the operations of the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society.
The country traversed by the CAR from Marree to Alice Springs was dry and poorly productive, and subject to periodic flooding which caused washaways and traffic disruptions.
It was eventually decided that a railway constructed on flatter
The Commonwealth Railways were established in 1912, as part of a government department, currently called the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, by the Government of Australia
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
to construct the missing link in the east-west transcontinental railway and the proposed Port Augusta to Darwin railway
Adelaide-Darwin railway
The Adelaide–Darwin railway is a north-south transcontinental railway in Australia, between the cities of Adelaide, South Australia and Darwin, Northern Territory...
. It was absorbed into the Australian National Railways Commission
Australian National Railways Commission
The Australian National Railways Commission was a government owned railway operator in Australia. ANRC was also known as Australian National Railways in its early years and was later rebranded as Australian National .-History:...
in 1975.
Trans-Australian Railway
The Trans-Australian RailwayTrans-Australian Railway
The Trans-Australian Railway crosses the Nullarbor Plain of Australia from Port Augusta in South Australia to Kalgoorlie in Western Australia...
(TAR) from Port Augusta, South Australia
Port Augusta, South Australia
-Electricity generation:Electricity is generated at the Playford B and Northern power stations from brown coal mined at Leigh Creek, 250 km to the north...
and Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
, was commenced in 1912 and constructed to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
of 1435mm (4 ft. 8½ in). Despite the inhospitable nature of the terrain and wartime supply problems, satisfactory progress was made, and the two tracklaying machines, one working from each end, met near Ooldea, South Australia
Ooldea, South Australia
Ooldea is a tiny settlement in South Australia. It is on the eastern edge of the Nullarbor Plain, 863 km west of Port Augusta on the Trans-Australian Railway...
on 17 October 1917.
The promise to construction the TAR had been one of the principal inducements to Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
to join the Commonwealth of Australia, and it was for the purpose of surveying and constructing this railway that the Commonwealth Railways Department was initially formed.
It was a matter of misfortune that its two termini were break of gauge stations connecting with narrow gauge lines (1067 mm - 3 ft. 6 in.) that formed part of the transcontinental link.
In 1937 the eastern end was extended south to Port Pirie
Port Pirie, South Australia
-Transport:Port Pirie is located off National Highway One. It is serviced by an airport five minutes out of the city.- Railways :The first railways in Port Pirie were of the narrow [3' 6"] gauge....
, thereby effecting a reduction of one break of gauge in the trip across Australia, but at the same time establishing a three-gauge junction at Port Pirie.
Gauge-wise, the TAR remained isolated as part of the transcontinental link until 1968 when the Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
to Kalgoorlie standard gauge line was opened, while at the eastern end, the completion of the Broken Hill, New South Wales
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
to Port Pirie standard gauge project in 1970 brought about the final union, in a common gauge, of the east and west coasts of Australia.
The Trans-Australian Railway remained fundamentally a main line; the only branch lines established being a short section from Pimba to Woomera
Woomera, South Australia
The town, or village, of Woomera is located in the south east corner of the Woomera Prohibited Area ; colloquially known as the Woomera Rocket Range...
(officially only ever known as a stores siding), and the Port Augusta to Whyalla railway which opened for traffic in October 1972.
North Australia Railway
The North Australia Railway (NAR) was the name given to the Northern Territory 3 ft. 6 in. gauge railway that extended south from Darwin to Birdum. Construction of this line was commenced by the South Australian Government, being known then as the Palmerston and Pine Creek RailwayPalmerston and Pine Creek Railway
The North Australia Railway , also known as the Palmerston to Pine Creek railway, was a narrow gauge railway which ran from Darwin, once known as Palmerston, to Birdum, just south of Larrimah.-History:...
, it opened in 1889.
When the administration of the Northern Territory passed from South Australia to the Commonwealth Government on 1 January 1911 the railway was transferred to Commonwealth ownership. The railway was initially placed under the control of the Administrator of the Northern Territory. At this time it was known as the Northern Territory Railway, but was transferred to the control of the Commonwealth Railways Commissioner in 1918.
It was renamed the North Australia Railway (NAR) in 1926. Extensions to Birdum were completed in 1929, but during and following World War II the effective railhead was Larrimah
Larrimah, Northern Territory
Larrimah is a tiny hamlet in the Northern Territory of Australia. It has a population of 18. It is built along the Stuart Highway and offers petrol and supplies to passing motorists. It was the railhead on the North Australia Railway during World War II....
, a few miles north.
The railway gained increased importance in the 1960s and early 70's through the haulage of iron ore from the Frances Creek deposits, about 140 miles south of Darwin. Ore traffic exceeded one million tons per annum, but unfortunately world ore prices dropped forcing the mine to close and other traffic was not enough to justify keeping the railway open. The line eventually closed in 1976.
Australian Capital Territory Railway
The Australian Capital Territory Railway, of 4 ft. 8½ in. gauge, and five miles in length, connects the Australian Capital, CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, with the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Railways system at Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan, New South Wales
Queanbeyan is a regional centre in the Southern Tablelands in south-eastern New South Wales adjacent to the Australian Capital Territory. The city's mixed economy is based on light construction, high technology, manufacturing, service, retail and agriculture. It is the council seat of the...
. This short section, opened in 1914, and was operated by the New South Wales Railways and it successors until 2003. Currently the line is controlled by Rail Corporation New South Wales
Rail Corporation New South Wales
Rail Corporation New South Wales is a statutory authority of the New South Wales government. RailCorp owns, operates and maintains the Sydney suburban and interurban rail network which is marketed under the CityRail brand; in addition to operating rural passenger services under the CountryLink...
, but is maintained under contract by the Australian Rail Track Corporation
Australian Rail Track Corporation
Australian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...
and passenger services are operated by CountryLink
CountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
.
Central Australia Railway
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
. Work on the first section of this railway was commenced by the South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways...
in 1878.
Under South Australian ownership the railway, known as the Great Northern Railway, was extended in stages and reached Oodnadatta
Oodnadatta, South Australia
Oodnadatta, South Australia, is a small town surrounded by an area of with cattle stations in arid pastoral rangelands close to the Simpson Desert, north of Adelaide and 112 m above sea level. It can be reached by an unsealed road from Coober Pedy or via the unsealed Oodnadatta Track from...
in 1891. The South Australian Government subsequently made offers to several syndicates to construct a line north from Oodnadatta to Pine Creek on the land grant system, however negotiations were unsuccessful and Oodnadatta remained the railhead.
Like the NAR, this railway passed to Commonwealth ownership on 1 January 1911, but continued to be operated by the South Australian Railways until the Commonwealth Railways took over operations on 1 January 1926. An extension of the railway to Alice Springs was completed in 1929.
In the years following World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
large tonnages of coal were railed from Leigh Creek
Leigh Creek, South Australia
Leigh Creek is a coal-mining town in the north of South Australia. At the 2006 census, Leigh Creek had a population of 549....
and heavy demands were placed on the railway. In many ways the original line was inadequate; sharp curves and heavy gradients limited train loads, whilst light track and bridges restricted speeds and axle loads. Consequently a new railway, of 4 ft. 8½ in. gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, was constructed to avoid the heavier graded terrain, and extended from Stirling North, via Telford (Leigh Creek
Leigh Creek, South Australia
Leigh Creek is a coal-mining town in the north of South Australia. At the 2006 census, Leigh Creek had a population of 549....
) to Marree
Marree, South Australia
Marree is a small town located in the north of South Australia. It lies North of Adelaide at the junction of the Oodnadatta Track and the Birdsville Track, above sea level. The area is the home of the Dieri people. At the 2006 census, Marree had a population of 70.The town was home to Australia's...
. During the construction stages, and after washaway
Washaway
A washaway is a particular kind of landslide that can affect man-made structures such as cuttings, embankments and bridges. They are thus a hazard to railways and road traffic.- Overview :...
s on the old line, but with the new standard gauge line available to that point, complete trains of narrow gauge wagons were carried Pick-a-Back (Piggyback) style to Brachina, 88 miles (140 km) from Stirling North. Completed in 1957, the new line enabled much larger quantities of coal to be carried.
The old 3 ft. 6 in. gauge line between Marree and Hawker
Hawker, South Australia
Hawker is a town in the Flinders Ranges area of South Australia, 365 km north of Adelaide. It is in the Flinders Ranges Council, the state Electoral district of Stuart and the federal Division of Grey. At the 2006 census, Hawker had a population of 229....
was closed, but between Stirling North and Hawker it was retained and used to a limited extent for some years. The track between Stirling North and Hawker was closed in 1972 and the section between Stirling North and Quorn handed over to the operations of the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society.
The country traversed by the CAR from Marree to Alice Springs was dry and poorly productive, and subject to periodic flooding which caused washaways and traffic disruptions.
It was eventually decided that a railway constructed on flatter terrain further west of the existing line would offer a route less subject to flood damage. A new 4 ft. 8½ in. gauge railway, between Tarcoola and Alice Springs was constructed causing the narrow gauge section of the original Central Australia Railway to be closed in 1981.
During construction the new line was known as the Tarcoola to Alice Springs Railway (TAS), but after opening its named was changed to the Central Australia Railway. The reusing of the name has led to some confusion about which railway is actually being referenced. A common way researchers have overcome this is by referring to the two railways as the narrow gauge CAR and standard gauge CAR"'.
The Ghan
The Ghan train commenced operation for the Commonwealth Railways when they took over the narrow gauge Central Australia Railway from the South Australian Railways in 1926. It ran between Port Augusta and Oodnadatta initially, being extended to Alice Springs in 1929.When the new standard gauge Marree line opened in 1957 the journey was broken into two.
A standard gauge run from Port Pirie to Marree, with the rest of the journey remaining on narrow gauge.
Following completion of the standard gauge Tarcoola to Alice Springs line in 1980, the train was rerouted becoming an all standard gauge journey from Port Pirie using only modern rollingstock in the regular consists. This modern train was initially called The New Ghan on all marketing material, but eventually the New was dropped. In the late 1980s as part of a major refurbishment of the rollingstock the train was re-marketed as The Legendary Ghan.
Indian Pacific
The Indian Pacific had its inaugural run on 23 February 1970 when the first through passenger service operated between Sydney and Perth. The standard gauge connection had actually been completed by 12 January 1970. The carriages were owned by the Commonwealth Railways, but were considered Joint Stock of the Commonwealth, South Australian, Western Australian and News South Wales Railways for maintenance costings.Passengers for Adelaide initially had to change trains at Port Pirie (to and from the west) or Peterborough (to or from the east) until Crystal Brook to Adelaide was converted to standard gauge - transfers then took place at Port Pirie, until the service was re-rerouted to travel via Adelaide. The first Indian Pacific into Keswick Passenger terminal was on 1986-08-17.
Trans-Australian
The Trans-Australian Passenger train ran between Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie.It began in 1917 and was eventually cancelled in 1991 (by the CR successor organisation Australian National) following poor patronage and a severe cut back in the frequency of the service.
Initially it was all sleeping class with only irregular way side situp passenger accommodation being provided. In the 1960s regular situp was provided, but this was eventually withdrawn. Situp was again introduced in 1981 when it was added to the Trans-Australian and Indian Pacific services.
Narrow gauge
The Commonwealth Railways operated Narrow Gauge railway track with 3 foot 6 inch (1067mm) spacing between rails on the Central Australia Railway (Port Augusta via Quorn and Marree to Alice Springs) and North Australia Railway.Standard gauge
The Commonwealth Railways operated Standard Gauge railway track with 4 foot 8½ inches (1435mm) between rails on the Trans-Australian Railway and Central Australia Railway (Tarcoola to Alice Springs and Port Augusta, via Leigh Creek to Marree).Commissioners
- 1917 - 1929 - Mr Norris G. Bell
- 1929 - 1948 - Mr G A Gahan
- 1948 - 1960 - Mr P J Hannaberry
- 1960 - 1980 - Keith SmithKeith Smith (engineer)Keith Archibald Smith, OBE, AM, MIE Aust, FCIT, was Chief Mechanical Engineer, and later Commissioner, for the Commonwealth Railways of Australia, which operates mostly in remote and desolate areas railways for the Federal Government.Before joining the Commonwealth Railways, Keith Smith graduated...
Demise
In 1975, the Commonwealth Railways was merged in the newly formed Australian National Railways CommissionAustralian National Railways Commission
The Australian National Railways Commission was a government owned railway operator in Australia. ANRC was also known as Australian National Railways in its early years and was later rebranded as Australian National .-History:...
(ANRC). The ANRC was owned by the Commonwealth of Australia and formed from the former Commonwealth, South Australian (non-suburban) and Tasmanian railways. It traded under the name Australian National. Its operations extended from Kalgoorlie to Alice Springs and to the borders with Victoria and New South Wales, as well as all railways in the state of Tasmania.
ARTC
With the separation of above rail (trains) and below rail (track), the above rail part was privatised, with provision of open access to other operators, while the below rail part (ARTCAustralian Rail Track Corporation
Australian Rail Track Corporation is a federal government owned corporation established in 1997 that owns, leases, maintains and controls the majority of main line standard gauge railway lines on the mainland of Australia, known as the Defined Interstate Rail Network .-History:The Interstate...
) expanded to include most of the interstate standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
network of the mainland states.
Further reading
- Overland to Perth in 1928, Henshaw, C.H. Australian Railway Historical Society BulletinAustralian Railway HistoryAustralian Railway History , is the premier magazine covering railway history in Australia...
, April 1964