Re: Old Ghan Cars

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

< Tell > <telljb@OZozemail.com.au> wrote in message
news:3773d6cc.5007270@news.ozemail.com.au...
> "Chris Drymalik" <drymalik@arcom.com.au> wrote:
> > Oops - I keep on forgetting they altered the time table after they
decided
> > to make it a holiday train. Have you ever tried to read a Commonwealth
> > Railway timetable?
> > I have 1930 timetable phamplet and that is fortnightly (ok some a little
> > behind the times). The 1970's Ghan letf weekly at 11:50pm from Maree on
a
> > monday.
>
> AFAIK the Ghan began running twice weekly around
> 1959/1960 when it became all airconditioned.
> It certainly was running twice per week from 1961 until
> 1967.  In 1967 the so called "13 year drought" in
> Central Australia came to an end with torrential rains
> which caused damage to hundreds of kilometres of the
> old track, the worst hit section was between Oodnadatta
> and Alice Springs.  After almost 3 months the track was
> finally reopened through to Alice Springs with speed
> restrictions throughout, the Ghan then resumed a once
> weekly service until its standard gauge replacement.
>
I have a 1961 working time table and it appears that it was running on a
Monday and Thursday leaving Port Pirie junct at 1:00pm, and departing Marree
at 10:15pm. (i'm assuming the Fast Mixed No.63 is the actual Ghan)

I have a 1978 timetable that shows the Ghan running on a monday leaving
marree at 23:50

Only remember it running once a week, but it is a long time ago (its 20
years next year since it ended).