Central Australia Railway (Retired - The Old Ghan)Central Australia Railway (Retired - The Old Ghan) The former Central Australia Railway was originally a 1241 km narrow gauge (3'6") railway between Adelaide and Alice Springs. A standard gauge line replaced the southern section from Port Augusta to Maree in 1957 although utilised a new nearby route. The current standard gauge Adelaide-Darwin railway (Ghan), however uses an alternative route up to 200 km to the west. A small southern section of the original line between Port Augusta and Quorn has been preserved as the Pichi Richi Tourist Railway. A small section just south of Alice Springs has also been preserved Central Australia Railway Naming Whilst officially the Central Australia Railway, it has been known by a number of names. It was originally referred to the Port Augusta-Oodnadatta railway before the line was extended towards Alice Springs and it was also referred to as the North-South Railway in possible anticipation to extend the line to Darwin. It has also often been referred to as the Great Northern Railway in the 1890s and into the twentieth century. The most southern part of the line between Port Augusta and Quorn is now referred to as the Pichi Richi Tourist Railway. Another name that has been re-purposed was The Ghan, after the passenger train that utilised the line. It is suggested that The 'Ghan name is in recognition of the Afghan Cameleers that plied their trade in the area well before the railway; however, see The Ghan (Etymology) for alternatives. This colloquial term for the railway appears to have been widely in use from at least the early 1930s, it may have been in use prior to this. The new Adelaide-Darwin railway initially used The New Ghan as a trading name. It has now reverted to The Ghan, relegating the original line name colloquially as The Old Ghan. Central Australia Railway History Construction in the 1870s was by South Australian Railways as a 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) narrow gauge railway. The final part of the line closed in 1980 when the standard gauge line opened on a new alignment from Tarcoola to Alice Springs. Oddnadatta to Alice Springs The Northern Territory Act (Cth 1910) required the building of a North-South railway although no date was specified. Two unballasted routes were shortlisted with a Standard gauge line from Kingoonya to Alice Springs estimated at 4.5m pounds and the 1.7m pound narrow gauge extension from Oodnadatta to Alice Springs. The 270 miles 65 chain extension was passed after a number of debates in Federal Parliament. Railway workers were paid 5 pounds, 8 shillings a week and a request for this to be raised to 6 pounds per week was refused by Sir John Quick in the Federal Arbitration Court on 11 March 1927. Concerns were raised regarding local Aboriginals with media reporting ""It is intended to ask the State and Federal Governments to endeavour to keep the wilder natives and especially those from the Musgrave and Everard ranges in their fastnesses for a few years." The first train consisted of 12 carriages including Mail and Fruit vans. There were 60 first class and 60 second class passengers and left on 5 August 1929 however an official ceremony to be attended by the Prime Minister was cancelled due to the cost of running a special train. Construction of CAR ←Construction starts 18 Jan 1878 ←Quorn reached 1879 ←Marree reached 1884 ←Oodnadatta reached 1891 ←Line handed to Commonwealth Government (1911) ←Commonwealth Railways commence line operations 1926 ←Rumbalara reached (1928) ←Alice Springs reached 6 Aug 1929 ←Hawker reached 1880 ←Farina reached 1882 ←Coward Springs reached 1888
Central Australia Railway Flooding and Damage Flooding occurred on a regular basis with a number of significant closures including...
Central Australia Railway List of Stations The Route on a Signboard at Quorn Station Port Augusta Port Augusta racetrack Stirling North Saltia Woolshed Flat Pichi Richi Summit Quorn Willochra Gordon Wilson Hawker Hookina (the siding was actually at the nearby town of Wonoka) Mern Merna Edeowie Brachina Commodore (Meadows) Parachilna Nilpena (Originally Blackfellows Creek) Beltana Puttapa Copley (Originally Leigh Creek) Telford Lyndhurst Farina (Originally Government Gums) Wirrawilla Mundowdna Marree (Originally Hergott Springs) Callanna Wangianna Alberrie Creek Bopeechee Lake Eyre Stuart's Creek (Curdimurka) Margaret Siding Coward Springs Beresford Strangways Springs Irrappatana William Creek Douglas Anna Creek Box Creek Boorthana Duff Creek Edward's Creek Warrina Peake Creek Algebuckina Mount Dutton North Creek Oodnadatta Todmorten Wire Creek Alberga Macumba Mount Sarah Mount Rebecca Pedirka Mount Emery Illbunga Bloods Creek Abminga Wall Creek Duffield Crown Point Finke Musgrave Rumbalara Mount Squire Engoordina Bundooma Maryvale Rodinga Deep Well Ooraminna Mount Polhill Ewaninga Mount Ertiva Macdonnell Heavitree Alice Springs Alice Springs Abattoirs Central Australia Railway Conditions of the Track The tortuously curving narrow-gauge line between Marree and Alice Springs was notoriously prone to delays, often caused by flash floods washing away bridges and tracks. Some track was laid on sand without ballast, and wood sleepers were used, serving as food for termites, causing unstable tracks. Central Australia Railway on Film Shortly before the closure of the narrow gauge line in 1980, BBC Television filmed an episode of the television series Great Railway Journeys of the World featuring the original route of the Ghan (and the infamously slow speed of the train). Central Australia Railway Communities after closure One major change with the building of the new line (and resulting closure of the old) was that Oodnadatta and other communities along the route of the original line lost their railway service. Central Australia Railway Heritage trail The old railway route is now a heritage trail Central Australia Railway (The Old Ghan) Overview Service Type: Transcontinental passenger rail Status: Abandoned Locale: Australia First Service: 1878 (to Quorn) Last Service: 1980 Former Operator(s): Commonwealth Railways Australian National Route Start: Adelaide Route End: Port Augusta Track Gauge: 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) & 1,435 mm (4 ft 8 1⁄2 in) standard gauge Central Australia Railway (The Old Ghan) Route 1243km Alice Springs abattoirs 1241km Alice Springs 1237km Heavitree 1232km Macdonnell triangle 1231km Start of preserved line 1231km Macdonnell 1224km Mount Ertiva (Mount Ertwa) 1224km End of preserved line 1208km Ewaninga 1192km Pohill Siding 1175km Ooraminna 1163km Deep Well 1163km Deep Well triangle 1141km Rodinga 1125km Maryvale 1099km Bundooma 1076km Engoordina 1060km Mount Squire 1044km Rumbalara 1044km Rumbalara tri/stockyard 1028km Musgrave 1014km Finke (Aputula) 1012km Finke Stockyards 997km Crown Point 981km Duffield 965km Wall Creek 962km Northern Territory South Australia border 945km Abminga 945km Abminga triangle 929km Bloods Creek 908km Ilbunga 895km Mount Emery 876km Pedirka 859km Mt Rebecca 841km Mt Sarah (Stevenson Ck) 825km Macumba 811km Alberga 804km Wire Creek 792km Todmorten 771km Oodnadatta triangle/sidings 770km Oodnadatta 744km North Creek 729km Mount Dutton stock yards 729km Mount Dutton 728km Mount Dutton triangle 715km Algebuckina Bridge 714km Algebuckina 698km Peake Ck Siding 683km Warrina Siding triangle 682km Warrina Siding 666km Edwards Creek triangle 666km Edwards Creek 666km Edwards Siding 650km Duff Creek (Weedina) 632km Boorthana 616km Box Creek 600km Anna Creek 588km Douglas 574km William Creek 573km William Ck Triangle 554km Irrappatana 537km Strangways Springs 525km Beresford 501km Coward Springs 501km Coward Springs Triangle 489km Margaret Siding 473km Curdimurka (Stuart's Ck) 453km Lake Eyre 440km Bopeechee 425km Alberrie Creek 407km Wangianna 387km Callanna 373km Marree SG-NG i/change 373km Marree stockyards 372km Marree 359km Mundownda Witchelina Siding 339km Wirrawilla 320km Farina triangles 320km Farina 294km Lyndhurst Old Mine loop 271km Telford End of Leigh Creek Line Telford Cut Mine 262km Copley Leigh Creek 247km Puttapa 232km Beltana 212km Nilpena (Black Fellows Ck) 196km Parachilna fettler cottages 195km Parachilna 183km Commodore (Meadows) 173km Brachina Siding 163km Edeowie Moralana 137km Mern Merna Cotabena 124km Hookina (Wonoka) Neuroodla 105km Hawker 89.6km Wilson 73.0km Gordon Wilkatana 57.5km Willochra Depot Creek 40.1km Peterborough–Quorn Railway 40.0km End of Pichi Richi railway 39.8km Quorn 38.8km Pichi Richi workshops 32.4km Summit 29.6km Pichi Richi 23.6km Woolshed Flat 18.2km Saltia Goods Yard 6.8km Leigh Creek Line underpass 6.5km Stirling North 4.1km Port Augusta Racetrack 0km Port Augusta | |||||
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