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Line History:
Opened: 1884-1915
Closed: 1990
Length: 87km - 54mi
Built as a narrow gauge (3ft6in - 1067mm) line from Gladstone to Laura in 1884, it was extended to Booleroo Centre in 1910 and to Wilmington in 1915. There were proposals to extend the line to Port Augusta or to Quorn but these never proceeded.
The line was single track with crossing loops at most locations. There were no signals on the line with Train Order Working in operation.
The 1964 working timetable had six scheduled freight services each week, three of which ran "only when required". Half the services terminated at Booleroo Centre.
A late night passenger service from Gladstone to Wilmington ran Sundays to Fridays, returning early the next morning (Mondays to Saturdays), making connections with a broad gauge (5ft3in - 1600mm) service at Gladstone to and from the state capital Adelaide.
Passenger services ended in 1969 when the Port Pirie-Broken Hill Line was converted to standard gauge (4ft8½in - 1435mm) which isolated the line from the rest of the narrow gauge network. At the same time the steam locos running on the line were replaced by diesel locos.
The 1982 working timetable had just a single freight service to Wilmington each week.
The line was closed in 1990 and, apart from a few places of historical significance, the track has since been removed. The line from just south of Laura to Wilmington is now an 80km walking, cycling and horse riding trail, the Southern Flinders Rail Trail.
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