Re: Re-Gauging other than to Standard Gauge

[John Duncan McCallum <mccallum@melbpc.org.au>]

Maurie Daly wrote:

> Whilst not directly related to guage conversions ,does anyone have a good
> historical account of why SA went both BG and NG.
> We all know the folklore of the 3 guage fiasco between NSW,VIC and SA and this
> in part explains why SA went BG ,but I havnt seen any rationale explanation
> for the NG bits ,given that some of the NG lines were major lines (eg terowie
> to BH )
> Also having initially Wolseley to Mt Gambier as NG connecting to a BG main
> line makes no sense at all.
> The only part of the NG Network that does make some sense is the Pt Lincoln
> Div.
 
> MD

I do not know why SA used broad gauge initially. It may have been
because Victoria 
and New South Wales had selected that gauge at that time.
The change to narrow gauge for more outlying railways was for the same
reason that
Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania went narrow - cheapness.
BTW when the SE lines were built, there was no BG in the area. In fact,
the line from
Wolseley to Serviceton was built as narrow gauge, making Serviceton the
only Victorian
station to be dual gauge 5'3" and 3'6". This only lasted for about 2
years before the
SA 5'3" reached the area.


-- 
==========================================
John McCallum, member Melbourne PC User Group,
email <mccallum@melbpc.org.au>