SAR Port Pirie-Broken Hill

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<span style="font-weight: 700; background-color: black; color: white;">Length:&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;127km (Gladstone to Paratoo) of 390km total length<br><br>
 
<span style="font-weight: 700; background-color: black; color: white;">Length:&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;127km (Gladstone to Paratoo) of 390km total length<br><br>
  
Built as a narrow gauge (3'6" - 1067mm) line from '''Port Pirie''' to '''Gladstone''' in 1875, it was extended to '''Cockburn''' on the '''South Australia - New South Wales''' border in stages by 1888. Because the South Australian Railways were not allowed to operate over the border into New South Wales, a private railway, the '''Silverton Tramway''' (which was a fully operating railway and not a "tramway"), was built to connect the line to the mines at '''Broken Hill'''.<br>
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Built as a narrow gauge (3'6" - 1067mm) line from '''Port Pirie''' to '''Gladstone''' in 1875, it was extended to '''Cockburn''' on the '''South Australia - New South Wales''' border in stages by 1888. Because the South Australian Railways were not allowed to operate over the border into New South Wales, a private railway, the '''Silverton Tramway''' (which was called a "tramway" for legal reasons but it was a fully operating narrow gauge railway), was built to connect the line to the mines at '''Broken Hill'''.<br>
  
 
The main purpose of the line was to transport the mineral ores from the mines at '''Broken Hill''' to the smelters and port at '''Port Pirie''', a function it still performs today.<br>
 
The main purpose of the line was to transport the mineral ores from the mines at '''Broken Hill''' to the smelters and port at '''Port Pirie''', a function it still performs today.<br>

Revision as of 07:59, 12 January 2021

Port Pirie-Broken Hill Line Location Index
Gladstone - Paratoo Section

Gladstone

Junction for Wilmington LineBroad Gauge

FuelCoalWaterShedTurntableLoopPassengersGoodsGrainLivestockWool

Yangya
Passengers
Caltowie
LoopPassengersGoodsGrain
Jamestown
CoalWaterTurntableLoopPassengersGoodsGrain
Belalie North
LoopPassengersGoods
Yongala
WaterLoopPassengersGoodsGrain
Peterborough Junction for Quorn LineTerowie Line
CoalWaterShedTurntableLoopPassengersGoodsGrainLivestock
Ucolta
WaterLoopPassengersGoodsLivestock
Oodla Wirra
WaterLoopPassengersGoodsLivestock
Nantabibbie
Loop
Peechara
Loop
Nackara
WaterLoopPassengersGoodsLivestock
Methuen
Loop
Paratoo
CoalWaterWYELoopPassengersGoodsLivestock
Symbols:
Coal Loco Coal Stage Fuel Loco Diesel Fuel Point
Water Loco Water Tank Passengers Passenger Stop
Shed Loco Shed Turntable Loco Turntable
Goods Goods Facility Grain Grain Storage or Processing
Stockyard Stockyard Oils_Fuels Oil and Fuel Terminal
Loop Passing Loop WYE Turning Triangle or WYE
Wool Wool Bales  

Line History:

Opened:  1875-1888
Closed:  still in operation
Length:  127km (Gladstone to Paratoo) of 390km total length

Built as a narrow gauge (3'6" - 1067mm) line from Port Pirie to Gladstone in 1875, it was extended to Cockburn on the South Australia - New South Wales border in stages by 1888. Because the South Australian Railways were not allowed to operate over the border into New South Wales, a private railway, the Silverton Tramway (which was called a "tramway" for legal reasons but it was a fully operating narrow gauge railway), was built to connect the line to the mines at Broken Hill.

The main purpose of the line was to transport the mineral ores from the mines at Broken Hill to the smelters and port at Port Pirie, a function it still performs today.

Several narrow gauge branch lines were added at Gladstone (to Wilmington), Peterborough (to Quorn and Terowie) and to mines between Paratoo and Cockburn. A broad gauge (5'3" - 1600mm) line from Adelaide (the state capital) was extended to Gladstone in 1894. The narrow gauge line from Peterborough to Terowie was converted to broad gauge in 1970, providing a second broad gauge line to Adelaide.

During 1969-1970 the entire Port Pirie-Broken Hill line was converted to standard gauge (4'8.5" - 1435mm) as part of a continuous single gauge transcontinental line to replace the multiple different gauge links that had existed. The conversion closed many of the locations along the old narrow gauge line. By 1990 all the connecting narrow and broad gauge lines were also closed.

The line is now a vital part of the standard gauge Transcontinental railway from Sydney to Perth.

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