Port Elliot

[Chris Brownbill <cbrnbill@enternet.com.au>]

I've just returned from a jaunt to said place.

First observation is how little is made of the claim to fame Port Elliot
has to being the terminus of Australia's first railway.  There is a
barely readable plaque (dated 1966) near the former wharf, and another
carefully worded example on the Steamranger station, but other than that
- nothing.  The former trackbed from the junction at the up end of Port
Elliot to the wharf is very easily walked - much of it now being public
roadway.  At the terminus is a bathing shed frequented by that species
the population of which is waning in the remainder of Australia but is
still going strong in South Australia: the Anglo-Saxon teenage paralytic
bitter yobbo.

Nobody seems to know let alone give a stuff about the significance of
this place.  I know it depends on your definition of what constitutes a
railway, but surely this historic section of line deserves better
recognition than this.

Also observed was that the sleepers holding up the former loading bank
at PE are made from sleepers with spike holes indicating they were used
formerly on a narrow gauge line.  Strange?  Were there ever any narrow
gauge lines in that vicinity?

Some of the track is laid in what I understand to be the American style
- that is with the rail-joints offset from each other.  The fishplates
are dated 1928, so is it right to conclude that this was an American
practice imported to SA by the good Mr Webb?  If so, is/was this used
more generally in the State?

On the platform is a white circular signal with two black vertical
stripes on each side.  It can be turned to face trains or turned away. 
What is this?

Noticed also that the Station Nameboard at Victor Harbor contains the
letter "u".  It seems the place is a bit schzophrenic because the high
school also uses the u also but everywhere else is without.

Finally, I can thoroughly recommend a ride on the Victor Harbor horse
tram.  Its a great re-construction and something a bit different.  I
must admit I hadn't realised the scale of the operation - they have 4
trams.  I only saw one in operation at any one time, but the track has a
double-track terminus at the up end and a crossing loop on the island so
I guess they could operate up to 3 trams at a time even without convoys.