Question: what gauge will be used in the railway: narrow (1067mm common
in Australia ?) or European (1435mm) ? I don't know which gauge the
ADL-ASP line has and assume ASP-DRW will continue at the same gauge.I assume it will be single track without catenary. Is this true ?
thanks, rick
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Hmmm. Obviously not a local :-)
While 1067mm is used in places in Australia, it's no longer common, except in Queensland where it is the predominant gauge. The Tasmanian railways, or what little bit is left of them uses 1067mm as well. There is a limited amount in Western Australia, but much track there now is 1435mm. It was widely used in South Australia, the only bit still in revenue service is in the far west of the state which is isolated from the rest of the state. There are also 2 preserved 1067mm lines here in SA.
Victoria used Irish Broad gauge (1600mm). Recently a number of lines have been regauged to 1435mm and other 1600mm lines closed. Victoria also had four 762mm NG lines, one has survived into preservation (The Puffing Billy Railway), the rest are long gone.
SA had three gauges over the years, 1067mm, 1435mm and 1600mm. At some places (Peterborough and Pt Pirie) all three gauges met!
NSW is almost entirely 1435mm.
The long closed North Australia Railway, which ran south from Darwin was 1067mm. It represented a war time effort, mostly bankrolled by the US military, to connect to the then 1067 gauge line in Alice Springs. It was closed, I think, in 1976 or 77.
The original line to Alice Springs was 1067mm, but that was replaced in sections over the years to become 1435mm. In fact, part of that original line is one of the preserved SA 1067mm lines (The Pichi Richi Railway).
The main cross country lines are now all 1435mm, and are diesel hauled. They include the line to Alice Springs of which the line to Darwin will be an extension. Only promised in 1911, started in 1942, closed in the late 1970's and finally about to happen (we hope!).
Cheers,
Jackson
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