Re: THE GHAN

["Chris Drymalik" <drymalik@arcom.com.au>]

This is the unofficial story. Originally Gahan was, I think, Chief Engineer
at Port Augusta. This made him responsible for the construction of the new
narrow gauge rollingstock used on the Oodnadatta night train when the
Commonwealth took over in 1926. The joke was that this train was always
referred to officially as "The Express", despite it being extremely slow and
actually being run as a mixed train. Gahan was not very well like by the
staff at Port Augusta (when he retired as Commissioner, the Port Augusta
manager advised the Melbourne office not to attempt doing a collection to
buy him a farewell present).

I have seem early telex/telegrams address to Port Augusta when the New
Express rollingstock was being constructed address to
"Gahan re Express". It is possible that this became known locally as the
"Gahan's Express" project eventually becoming "Ghan".

The first reference to GHAN I have come across was in the Newspaper story
dated 1936. By this time they were talking about Afghan camels etc. The
usual story. Personally I find it hard to believe that anyone would bother
to change Afghan Express to Ghan Express except to try to hide from the
Commissioner a private internal railway joke at the Commissioner expense.

Ron BEST <ronbest@bigpond.com> wrote in message
fp5%2.30534$MB3.46402@newsfeeds.bigpond.com">news:fp5%2.30534$MB3.46402@newsfeeds.bigpond.com...
> A letter in the Oct-Dec 1998 issue of "Australian Geographic" magazine
> suggests that the name "Ghan" is a corruption of "Gahan". A Mr Gahan was
the
> CR Commissioner from 1929-1948. Can anyone shed any light on this?
>
> Ron BEST
>
>