Re: 37 Car Ghan to leave Adelaide, November 16.

[telljb@ozemail.com.au (< Tell >)]

arthur marsh <marsh@ties.itu.int> wrote:
>
>That would be a bit longer than the 665 metre long Indian Pacific that I
>travelled in just after the October 1996 long weekend from Sydney to
>Adelaide. What is the record length for an Australian passenger train
>(excluding mixed trains)?


The longest pass trains in Australia were run by the
CR/ANR/AN, no surprise there.  
Double consists were inevitable after derailments or
floods etc.  Regular trains like the early standard
gauge Ghan's into Alice Springs were very long.

Some examples noted and photographed;

23/1/81
CL9 & GM18 The Ghan
16 pass cars, 1 luggage van, 1 HRD brake van, 1 power
van, 1 pay car, 21 motorail flats.  41 plus loco's.

24/4/81
CL7 The Ghan
16 pass cars, 2 luggage vans, 1 power van, 17 motorail
flats.  36 plus loco.

After the 1984 Marla floods, the only time that the
Tarcoola to Alice Springs line has been flood bound.  
<< The "all weather" Stuart Highway has been knocked
out a few times. >>
25/1/84
CL8 & GM38 The Ghan and Alice combined.
33 pass cars, 27 motorail flats, 1 van.
AN described this as the longest passenger train ever
run in Australia.
At 61 vehicles plus a good o'l CL and GM, it was the
longest pass train I have ever seen, 1.3 Kms long.
Tonnage unknown.
 
Cheers
  
----Terry Burton