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
  • 1957: South: Standard gauge line from Stirling North (near Port Augusta) to Marree opened replacing line via Quorn. The section between Beltana to Brachina is closed as well as Leigh Creek to Marree.
  • 1958: Brachina to Leigh Creek closed
  • 1972: Port Augusta to Hawker closed
  • Some sections of the narrow-gauge line remain in operation as the Pichi Richi Railway
  • 1980: Line closed, replaced by Tarcoola-Alice Springs line
  • 2016: Telford Cut line mothballed after mine close
 
Central Australia Railway Flooding and Damage
 
Flooding occurred on a regular basis with a number of significant closures including...
  • 1936 A works train engine dived nose-first into Camel Creek near Rodinga with a fireman sustained a broken leg after the 30 foot Camel Creek bridge was undermined. The train was an engine and three carriages and was repairing tracks from recent floods. The driver also sustained unspecified injuries.
  • 1936 16 Passengers and railway engineers were stranded at Finke River will "have to remain there for some days" with water 'four feet over the line'.
  • 1937 Reports of flooding delaying trains for at least 3 days
  • 1939 Reports of six weeks of disruptions and headlines of "Train Weeks Late". Food shortages in Alice Springs after the train was delayed 34 days.
  • 1963 (May) 114 of the 140 Ghan passengers were airlifted to Alice Spings on five special flights after a week of delays. The floods "were the worse since 1938" and bread was dropped to the train.
  • 1967 The track was closed for approximately 27 days after the track was breached in more than 32 places including destroying the Finke River Bridge. A "minor Berlin airlift" was required for Alice Springs. There were three proposals to improve the line were mentioned by the Commissioner of Commonwealth Railways. This included a new route from Tarcoola to Alice Springs which the current Adelaide–Darwin railway may be based on,
  • Extending the Standard gauge from Marree to Alice Springs
  • Improving the existing narrow gauge line.
  • 1974 All roads cut around Alice Springs.
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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