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 (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 | + | 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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| + | 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 (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'''.<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 (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'''.<br> | ||
| − | 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 part of the standard gauge '''Transcontinental''' railway from '''Sydney''' to '''Perth'''. | + | 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.<br> |
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| + | The line is now a vital part of the standard gauge '''Transcontinental''' railway from '''Sydney''' to '''Perth'''. | ||
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Revision as of 11:00, 10 December 2020
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