Re: Isolated Rail Lines

["David Bennetts" <davibenn@pcug.org.au>]

David Bromage wrote in message <3753E17B.3DE77550@omni.com.au>...
>CJBrady wrote:
>>
>> Looking at an Atlas of Oz. recently prior to planning a trip to
>> the Normanton and Croydon line in northern Queensland
>
>It was to have been connected to Cairns via Forsayth, but Croydon ran
>out of gold about the time the railway arrived.
>
Possibly, but this needs some clarification.   The line from Normanton was
originally intended to go south to Cloncurry.  It was built from Normanton,
being a port on the Normanton River, accessible via the gulf.  Rails,
sleepers and rolling stock were shipped in around Cape York.  At that time
gold was discovered inland at Croydon, so plans were hurriedly changed and
the line was pushed east instead.  Normanton never got its line from
Cloncurry, and the line between Normanton and Cloncurry has miraculously
survived in operation until this day, now being used by tourists in the dry
season, and fulfilling a useful transport role in the wet season when roads
in the area become impassable.

Regards

David Bennetts