SAR Port Pirie-Broken Hill
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<span style="font-weight: 700; background-color: black; color: white;">Length: </span> 127km (Gladstone to Paratoo) of 390km total length<br><br> | <span style="font-weight: 700; background-color: black; color: white;">Length: </span> 127km (Gladstone to Paratoo) of 390km total length<br><br> | ||
− | Built as a narrow gauge ( | + | Built as a narrow gauge (3ft6in - 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.<br> |
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 '''SAR''' and '''Silverton Tramway''' simply swapped locos at '''Cockburn''' on the border.<br> | 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 '''SAR''' and '''Silverton Tramway''' simply swapped locos at '''Cockburn''' on the border.<br> | ||
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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> | ||
− | 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 ( | + | 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 (5ft3in - 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'''.<br> |
− | During 1969-1970 the entire '''Port Pirie-Broken Hill''' line was converted to standard gauge ( | + | During 1969-1970 the entire '''Port Pirie-Broken Hill''' line was converted to standard gauge (4ft8.5in - 1435mm). The conversion closed or bypassed many of the locations along the narrow gauge line. By 1990 all the connecting narrow and broad gauge lines were closed.<br> |
The line is now a vital part of the standard gauge '''Transcontinental''' railway from '''Sydney''' to '''Perth'''. | The line is now a vital part of the standard gauge '''Transcontinental''' railway from '''Sydney''' to '''Perth'''. |