Marree railway station

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Marree
Marree Station.JPG
The former Marree railway station building, with an explanatory sign outside, in 2013
Coordinates29°23′S 138°02′E / 29.38°S 138.03°E / -29.38; 138.03Coordinates: 29°23′S 138°02′E / 29.38°S 138.03°E / -29.38; 138.03
Operated bySouth Australian Railways 1884–1926
Commonwealth Railways1926–1975
Australian National 1975–1980
Line(s)Central Australia Railway, Marree railway line
Distance709 kilometres from Adelaide
Platforms1
Construction
Structure typeGround
Other information
StatusClosed
History
Opened7 February 1884
Closed10 June 1987
Rebuilt27 July 1957

Marree railway station was located on the Central Australia Railway serving the small South Australian outback town of Marree.

History[]

Marree station opened on 7 February 1884 at what was then known as Hergott Springs as the terminus of the Central Australia Railway when it was extended from Farina. The line was extended to Coward Springs on 1 February 1888. The town and railway station station were renamed as Marree in 1917.[1][2] In 1891, the line was extended north to Oodnadatta, ultimately reaching Alice Springs in 1929.[3]

On 27 July 1957, Marree became a dual-gauge junction station, when the extension of a heavy-duty standard gauge line was opened to originally convey coal from Telford Cut to Port Augusta since the capacity of the flood-prone, lightly constructed narrow gauge line from Stirling North was inadequate for tonnages required for an additional power station there, though the extension to Marree was justified because of the cattle traffic.[4]: 234  The narrow gauge line south of Marree remained operational for freight traffic until the standard gauge line was completed.[5] All trains north of Marree ceased when a new standard gauge line opened from Tarcoola to Alice Springs in 1980, replacing the Central Australia Railway in its role as the line to Alice Springs. [6] The standard gauge line remained open for a mixed goods train, though it was replaced by a goods only train in 1985. [7] Marree lost its rail connection on the 10th of June, 1987 when the standard gauge line was closed beyond Leigh Creek, a month after a farewell train was operated using a set of Bluebird railcars. [1][8] [7] The goods platform, passenger platform, and station building are intact with the station building preserved as a museum. Two NSU class locomotives and 2 wagons have been preserved at the station under the ownership of the Marree Progress Association, while another NSU is within the township, though it is for sale and in derelict condition.

NSU57 and NSU60 displayed at Marree in 2013

References[]

  1. ^ a b Bromby, Robin (2004). The Railway Age in Australia. South Melbourne: Thomas Lothan. p. 64. ISBN 0 734407 15 7.
  2. ^ Port Augusta to Marree Chris' Commonwealth Railways
  3. ^ The Ghan South Australian History
  4. ^ Fuller, Basil (1975). The Ghan: the story of the Alice Springs railway. Adelaide: Rigby. ISBN 0727000160.
  5. ^ Hawker Railway Station Hawker Visitor Information Centre
  6. ^ Good times on the Ghan, 90 years after its maiden journey Financial Review
  7. ^ a b FLINDERS RANGES HERITAGE SURVEY VOLUME 6 Department of Environment and Natural Resources
  8. ^ Leigh Creek Coalfield line SA Track & Signal

External links[]

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