293:) broad gauge including some lightweight horse-drawn lines. But following the success of the narrow gauge in Queensland, several narrow-gauge lines were started. Because of the geography of the state with deep gulfs of the ocean, the various narrow-gauge lines were isolated from each other to begin with. In the 1920s several narrow gauge lines were converted to broad gauge. The South Eastern narrow gauge lines were converted to broad gauge in the 1950s, with steel sleepers able to be converted to standard gauge at a later date if required.
787:
728:
25:
423:
212:
331:
167:
was to build a semi-mountainous line in very sparsely populated territory, and it chose light rails, sharp curves, a small loading-gauge, light engines and rolling stock, 32 km/h speeds to make a limited budget go a long way. A clever salesman convinced the
Queensland government that a narrow
171:
In the intervening century, the rails have been replaced with heavier rails, there are now concrete sleepers and colour light signals, sharp curves have been straightened, tunnels have been opened out. The one thing that hasn't changed is the narrow gauge, even though the rest of the country is
235:) gauge. These cane tramways sometimes use second-hand standard-gauge shunting locomotives suitably regauged. The cane trams regularly haul over 500 tonnes of raw cane at a time, and because there are no continuous brakes, they may have a radio-controlled brake van coupled to the rear.
481:. Because the Puffing Billy Railway has nearly all of the remaining locomotives and rolling stock known to exist from the four NG lines, this line has had to modify rolling stock from elsewhere or build new, but non-original style, rolling stock.
374:
Because there are no tunnels or narrow bridges on the old narrow-gauge line, the line received a lot of second-hand standard-gauge rolling stock, this rolling stock being noticeably larger than the original narrow-gauge wagons and carriages.
41:. In some states they formed the core statewide network, but in the others they were either a few government branch lines, or privately owned and operated branch lines, often for mining, logging or industrial use.
391:
where the large silver-lead mine is only 30 km from the South
Australian border, but separated by hundreds of kilometres of desert from the main NSW standard-gauge railway system. As a result, in 1888 the
484:
In addition to the main rail network of the
Victorian Railways and successors, a number of narrow-gauge private railways and tramways have also existed for logging and mining purposes. These included the
465:
communities. There was also widespread usage of narrow-gauge forestry railways and tramways. Sections of two lines (Belgrave to
Gembrook and Thomson to Walhalla) have been restored as tourist railways.
168:
gauge would save money, and do the job for a hundred years. Queensland
Railways was the first mainline narrow-gauge railway in the world. Its tracks would eventually extend to around 9000 km.
934:
44:
Prior to becoming an independent unified country in 1901, each of the six
British colonies in Australia was responsible for rail transport infrastructure. Of the six colonies, only three (
160:) coal trains of the Queensland Railway with 100 wagons and 2 midtrain electric locomotives show what is possible with narrow gauge with modern equipment and tracklaying techniques.
473:
is maintained and operated by volunteers as a steam-hauled preserved railway and tourist attraction. The last of the four narrow-gauge railways to open, the Moe to
Walhalla line in
344:
The
Northern Territory adopted narrow gauge when it was still part of South Australia, and a north–south transcontinental line was planned from Adelaide to Darwin in the 1870s. The
271:), but following the success of the narrow gauge in Queensland, a third rail was fitted, to allow conversion to narrow gauge. The state's rail network is now entirely narrow gauge.
109:
As a result of this legacy, Australian railways are a confusing mix of all three gauges. Over time most of the mainland lines of whatever gauge linked up with inconvenient
859:
446:
417:
528:, and the inner east of the Great Dividing Range; primarily between the 1850s and the 1950s, with only one surviving into the 1960s. They were primarily of
960:
929:
716:
811:
894:
843:
838:
255:
864:
855:
322:, there was the only narrow-gauge tramway network (of any considerable extent) on mainland Australia. The final portion was closed in 1958.
924:
869:
477:, which was opened in 1910 and then closed in 1954, has been partially reopened from Thomson Station into Walhalla in recent years as the
874:
771:
313:
201:, with a recommended maximum speed of 165 km/h. This train currently holds the Australian Railway Speed Record of 210.7 km/h.
638:
296:
The privately owned iron ore mines at Iron Knob and Iron Baron are connected to the steel works at
Whyalla by an isolated narrow-gauge
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To avoid speed restriction where some cane trams cross the main line, several of these crossings have been converted to
147:
368:
318:
Inspired by the success of the narrow gauge in
Queensland, Western Australia adopted the same gauge. In the capital of
939:
732:
478:
32:
19:
208:. Dual gauge is also proposed to convert the standard-gauge interstate line for use by narrow-gauge commuter trains.
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114:
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24:
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431:
37:
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401:
122:
49:
646:
594:
205:
384:
164:
103:
675:"Australian and New Zealand Logging Tramways – Differences from North American Practice"
204:
Dual gauge has been added to give access from the interstate standard-gauge line to the
490:
443:
110:
87:
133:. Some lines remained isolated because they were cut off by long stretches of desert.
954:
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198:
521:
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system, the line lasting until gauge standardisation bypassed the line in 1970.
261:
99:
352:
in 1929, and closed in 1980 when a parallel standard-gauge railway was built.
239:
45:
525:
474:
330:
126:
64:) narrow gauge railways. The other colonies (later states) opted for either
462:
53:
674:
367:, opening in 1889 and closing in 1976. The 3000 km standard-gauge
102:
railways, maintaining only limited narrow-gauge rail lines, except for
130:
616:
421:
329:
595:"Potential railway world heritage sites in Asia and the Pacific"
698:
387:
used standard gauge from the beginning. An exception was at
28:
A narrow-gauge sugar cane train in Queensland during 2015
260:
The first railway in the island state of Tasmania was
887:
830:
794:
739:
597:. Institute of Railway Studies, University of York
172:converting its main lines to the standard gauge
113:stations where they met, including the infamous
619:. Light Rail Research Society of Australia Inc
710:
8:
418:Narrow gauge lines of the Victorian Railways
717:
703:
695:
106:, which wavered between narrow and broad.
348:was built northwards from 1878, reaching
197:Queensland Rail also operates the iconic
457:) narrow gauge standard, to serve local
210:
23:
585:
639:"A History of Rail in South Australia"
617:"Queensland sugar cane railways today"
520:Most logging tramways operated in the
285:The first railways in this state were
256:Railways on the West Coast of Tasmania
643:National Railway Museum Port Adelaide
404:was opened between the mines and the
7:
668:
666:
664:
673:Frank Stamford (14–15 April 2001).
314:Rail transport in Western Australia
961:Narrow gauge railways in Australia
865:Brisbane and South East Queensland
812:Brisbane and South East Queensland
14:
337:diesel locomotive as used on the
281:Rail transport in South Australia
785:
726:
359:was constructed southwards from
495:Fyansford Cement Works Railway
223:Queensland also has extensive
1:
935:Former government authorities
442:) broad gauge. However four
163:In 1865, the brief given to
148:Rail transport in Queensland
940:National Faster Rail Agency
733:Rail transport in Australia
479:Walhalla Goldfields Railway
33:Rail transport in Australia
20:Rail transport in Australia
977:
576:) and variants also used.
415:
311:
278:
252:Rail transport in Tasmania
249:
145:
17:
914:High Speed Rail Authority
783:
493:open cut coal mines, the
426:The Puffing Billy railway
406:South Australian Railways
346:Central Australia Railway
339:Central Australia Railway
152:The massive narrow-gauge
570:5 ft 3 in
554:2 ft 6 in
530:3 ft 6 in
451:2 ft 6 in
436:5 ft 3 in
394:3 ft 6 in
298:3 ft 6 in
287:5 ft 3 in
265:5 ft 3 in
154:3 ft 6 in
92:5 ft 3 in
58:3 ft 6 in
369:Adelaide–Darwin railway
357:North Australia Railway
487:Yallourn 900mm Railway
430:Most railway lines in
427:
341:
220:
115:Albury railway station
29:
471:Puffing Billy Railway
425:
416:Further information:
333:
312:Further information:
279:Further information:
250:Further information:
214:
146:Further information:
38:narrow-gauge railways
35:involves a number of
27:
593:Lee, Robert (2003).
503:Tyers Valley Tramway
649:on 21 February 2008
225:sugar cane tramways
165:Queensland Railways
752:Northern Territory
740:By state/territory
511:Powelltown Tramway
449:were built to the
434:were built to the
428:
342:
326:Northern Territory
221:
30:
948:
947:
925:Railway companies
879:Western Australia
772:Western Australia
402:Silverton Tramway
308:Western Australia
215:Sugar train near
50:Western Australia
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930:Former companies
888:Related articles
789:
731:
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729:
719:
712:
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689:
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679:
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659:
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645:. Archived from
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531:
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383:The railways of
371:opened in 2004.
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206:Port of Brisbane
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910:High-speed rail
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839:New South Wales
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767:South Australia
747:New South Wales
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385:New South Wales
381:
379:New South Wales
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277:
275:South Australia
268:
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232:
228:
188:
184:
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179:
178:4 ft
177:
173:
157:
153:
150:
144:
139:
104:South Australia
95:
91:
83:
76:
72:
69:
67:
66:4 ft
65:
61:
57:
22:
12:
11:
5:
974:
972:
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963:
953:
952:
946:
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743:
741:
737:
736:
724:
722:
721:
714:
707:
699:
691:
690:
660:
630:
608:
584:
583:
581:
578:
544:) gauge, with
515:Yarra Junction
491:Latrobe Valley
444:common carrier
413:
410:
380:
377:
327:
324:
309:
306:
276:
273:
247:
244:
143:
140:
138:
135:
111:break-of-gauge
88:standard-gauge
18:Main article:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
973:
962:
959:
958:
956:
941:
938:
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880:
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871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
857:
854:
850:
847:
845:
844:Sydney Trains
842:
841:
840:
836:
835:
833:
829:
823:
820:
818:
815:
813:
810:
808:
805:
803:
800:
799:
797:
793:
788:
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760:
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748:
745:
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742:
738:
734:
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715:
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648:
644:
640:
634:
631:
618:
612:
609:
596:
589:
586:
579:
577:
574:1,600 mm
566:1,219 mm
534:1,067 mm
527:
523:
518:
516:
512:
508:
507:Mount Baw Baw
504:
500:
496:
492:
488:
482:
480:
476:
472:
467:
464:
460:
448:
445:
440:1,600 mm
433:
424:
419:
411:
409:
407:
403:
398:1,067 mm
390:
386:
378:
376:
372:
370:
366:
362:
358:
353:
351:
350:Alice Springs
347:
340:
336:
332:
325:
323:
321:
315:
307:
305:
302:1,067 mm
294:
291:1,600 mm
282:
274:
272:
269:1,600 mm
263:
257:
253:
245:
243:
241:
236:
226:
218:
213:
209:
207:
202:
200:
199:QR Tilt Train
195:
174:1,435 mm
169:
166:
161:
158:1,067 mm
149:
141:
136:
134:
132:
128:
124:
120:
116:
112:
107:
105:
101:
96:1,600 mm
89:
84:1,435 mm
62:1,067 mm
55:
51:
47:
42:
40:
39:
34:
26:
21:
16:
900:Narrow-gauge
899:
849:Sydney Metro
681:. Retrieved
651:. Retrieved
647:the original
642:
633:
621:. Retrieved
611:
599:. Retrieved
588:
522:Otway Ranges
519:
483:
468:
429:
382:
373:
354:
343:
317:
295:
284:
259:
237:
222:
203:
196:
170:
162:
151:
108:
56:) opted for
43:
36:
31:
15:
837:Sydney and
683:22 December
558:762 mm
550:610 mm
542:914 mm
455:762 mm
389:Broken Hill
262:broad gauge
240:drawbridges
233:610 mm
100:broad-gauge
920:Signalling
905:Rail gauge
795:By capital
762:Queensland
601:31 October
580:References
509:, and the
142:Queensland
125:line from
46:Queensland
856:Melbourne
807:Melbourne
562:4 ft
546:2 ft
538:3 ft
526:Gippsland
475:Gippsland
335:NSU class
229:2 ft
127:Melbourne
955:Category
870:Adelaide
860:Victoria
831:Stations
817:Adelaide
777:Tasmania
757:Victoria
463:forestry
432:Victoria
412:Victoria
304:) line.
246:Tasmania
192: in
137:By state
80: in
54:Tasmania
895:History
653:5 March
623:12 June
499:Geelong
489:in the
459:farming
219:in 1995
217:Mossman
187:⁄
123:Wodonga
117:on the
75:⁄
802:Sydney
501:, the
365:Birdum
361:Darwin
131:Sydney
119:Albury
52:, and
875:Perth
822:Perth
678:(PDF)
536:) or
513:from
497:near
447:lines
320:Perth
877:and
858:and
685:2007
655:2008
625:2017
603:2006
469:The
461:and
355:The
254:and
568:),
560:),
552:),
505:at
363:to
227:of
194:).
129:to
90:or
957::
663:^
641:.
524:,
517:.
400:)
242:.
98:)
86:)
48:,
916:)
912:(
718:e
711:t
704:v
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627:.
605:.
572:(
564:(
556:(
548:(
540:(
532:(
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438:(
396:(
300:(
289:(
267:(
231:(
189:2
185:1
182:+
180:8
176:(
156:(
121:–
94:(
82:(
77:2
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70:+
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