Quorn railway station

Last updated

Quorn
Quorn railway station, 2017 (01).jpg
Station building in April 2017
General information
Location Flinders Ranges Way, Quorn
Coordinates 32°12′S138°01′E / 32.20°S 138.02°E / -32.20; 138.02
Operated by South Australian Railways 1879-1978
Commonwealth Railways 1926 - 1972
Australian National 1978-1987
Pichi Richi Railway 1974-present
Line(s) Central Australia Railway, Peterborough-Quorn railway line
Distance374 km (232.39 mi) from Adelaide
Platforms1
Construction
Structure typeGround
Other information
StatusClosed (still open for PRR)
History
Opened15 December 1879
Closed1972
Rebuilt1915
Services
Preceding station Commonwealth Railways Following station
Summit
towards Port Augusta
Central Australia Railway Willochra
towards Alice Springs
Preceding station South Australian Railways Following station
Bruce
towards Peterborough
Peterborough-Quorn railway line Terminus

Quorn railway station was located on the Central Australia Railway, and also the Peterborough-Quorn railway line serving the South Australian town of Quorn.

Contents

History

Quorn station opened on 15 December 1879 as the interim terminus of the Central Australia Railway from Port Augusta. [1] On 28 June 1880, it was extended north to Hawker, and eventually to Alice Springs in 1929. [2] In 1881, Quorn became a junction station with the opening of the Peterborough–Quorn railway line from Peterborough and the south. [3]

In anticipation of the completion of the Trans-Australian Railway across the Nullarbor Plain in 1917, and the line via Quorn becoming part of the East-West route, a new station opened in 1915. In 1937, the East-West services were diverted to a new route via Port Pirie. [1] [4]

In 1957, a new standard gauge Stirling North to Marree line opened, resulting in the closure of the narrow gauge line beyond Hawker. The Stirling North to Hawker section closed on 1 June 1972. [2] The line from Quorn to Peterborough closed on 3 March 1987. [1]

The line from Quorn to Stirling North was progressively restored by the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society from 1974. This section was fully completed in 1999. The final 7 km (4.35 mi) into Port Augusta opened on a new alignment in 2001. [5] Quorn station is the society's headquarters.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Augusta</span> City in South Australia

Port Augusta is a small coastal city in South Australia about 310 kilometres (190 mi) by road from the state capital, Adelaide. Most of the city is on the eastern shores of Spencer Gulf, immediately south of the gulf's head, comprising the city's centre and surrounding suburbs, Stirling North, and seaside homes at Commissariat Point, Blanche Harbor and Miranda. The suburb of Port Augusta West is on the western side of the gulf on the Eyre Peninsula. Together, these localities had a population of 13,515 people in the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quorn, South Australia</span> Town in South Australia

Quorn is a small town and railhead in the Flinders Ranges in the north of South Australia, 39 kilometres (24 mi) northeast of Port Augusta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pichi Richi Railway</span> Heritage railway in South Australia

Pichi Richi Railway is a 39 kilometres narrow-gauge heritage railway in the southern Flinders Ranges of South Australia between Quorn and Port Augusta. For much of its length the line lies in the picturesque Pichi Richi Pass, where the line was completed in 1879 as work proceeded north to build a railway to the "Red Centre" of Australia – the Central Australia Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Australia Railway</span> Former narrow-gauge railway line in the north of South Australia and in the Northern Territory

The former Central Australia Railway, which was built between 1878 and 1929 and closed in 1980, was a 1241 km (771 mi) 1067 mm narrow gauge railway between Port Augusta and Alice Springs. A standard gauge line duplicated the southern section from Port Augusta to Maree in 1957 on a new nearby alignment. The entire Central Australia Railway was superseded in 1980 after the standard gauge Tarcoola–Alice Springs Railway was opened, using a new route up to 200 km to the west. A small southern section of the original line between Port Augusta and Quorn has been preserved as the Pichi Richi Tourist Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rail transport in South Australia</span> Rail transport in South Australia

The first railway in colonial South Australia was a line from the port of Goolwa on the River Murray to an ocean harbour at Port Elliot, which first operated in December 1853, before its completion in May 1854.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commonwealth Railways</span> Australian railway operator (1912–1975)

The Commonwealth Railways were established in 1917 by the Government of Australia with the Commonwealth Railways Act to administer the Trans-Australia and Port Augusta to Darwin railways. In 1975, all assets were acquired by the Australian National Railways Commission, branded as Australian National Railways and subsequently Australian National, trademarked as AN.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steamtown Peterborough Railway Preservation Society</span>

The Steamtown Peterborough Railway Preservation Society Inc. was a not-for-profit incorporated society that operated a heritage steam railway from Peterborough, South Australia, north along a section of the Peterborough to Quorn railway line, between 1977 and 2002. The society based its operations on the former South Australian Railways roundhouse at Peterborough and purpose-built sheds and yard at Peterborough West.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commonwealth Railways NC class</span> Two light, narrow-gauge diesel-hydraulic locomotives of the Commonwealth Railways, built in 1956

The Commonwealth Railways NC class consisted of two diesel-hydraulic locomotives built by Clyde Engineering, Granville, New South Wales in 1956. The Lakewood Firewood Company, Kalgoorlie was the first owner; the Commonwealth Railways purchased them in 1965. They ceased revenue service in the early 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commonwealth Railways NSU class</span> Narrow-gauge diesel-electric locomotive class of the former Commonwealth Railways, Australia

The Commonwealth Railways NSU class was a class of diesel-electric locomotives built in 1954 and 1955 by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, England, for the Commonwealth Railways to be deployed on the narrow-gauge Central Australia Railway and North Australia Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commonwealth Railways NT class</span> Australian diesel-electric locomotive

The NT class were a class of diesel-electric locomotives built between 1965 and 1968 by Tulloch Limited, Rhodes for the Commonwealth Railways. They saw service on the Central Australia Railway and North Australia Railway, and on the Port Lincoln Division of Australian National.

Telford Cut was an open-cut coal mine, now closed, in the Leigh Creek Coalfield in South Australia. For the 72 years between its opening in 1943 and its closure, the mine supplied sub-bituminous coal to fire power stations first in Adelaide then, from 1954, Port Augusta. Production ceased in November 2015 but stockpiled product was transported to Port Augusta until the last power station closed down in May 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Australian Railways T class</span> 4-8-0 locomotive of the former South Australian Railways

The South Australian Railways T class was a class of 4-8-0 steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways. Several were sold to the Tasmanian Government Railways; some others operated on the Commonwealth Railways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Augusta railway station</span> Railway station in South Australia

Port Augusta railway station is a rail station located on the Adelaide-Port Augusta railway line in Port Augusta, South Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marree railway station</span> Railway station in Marree, Australia

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

The Marree railway line is located in the Australian state of South Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sedan railway line</span>

The Sedan railway line branched off from the South Australian Railways' Adelaide to Wolseley line at Monarto South running 70 kilometres north to Sedan.

Hammond is a town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia located in the southern Flinders Ranges.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Commonwealth Railways NDH class railcar</span>

The NDH class railcars are a class of self propelled diesel-hydraulic railcars designed by Commonwealth Engineering and built by the Gloucester Railway Carriage & Wagon Company in England for the Commonwealth Railways, Australia in 1954. They were known as Gloucester railcars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farina railway station</span> Railway station in Farina, Australia

Farina railway station was located on the Central Australia Railway, and later the Marree railway line serving the small South Australian outback town of Farina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copley railway station, South Australia</span> Railway station in Copley, Australia

Copley railway station was located on the Central Australia Railway, and later the Marree railway line serving the small South Australian outback town of Copley.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Bromby, Robin (2004). The Railway Age in Australia. South Melbourne: Thomas Lothan. p. 69. ISBN   0 734407 15 7.
  2. 1 2 Port Augusta to Marree Chris' Commonwealth Railways
  3. Peterborough Archived 2016-02-28 at the Wayback Machine National Railway Museum
  4. History of the Pichi Richi Railway Pichi Richi Preservation Society
  5. Pichi Richi Preservation Society line Archived April 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine SA Track & Signal

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Quorn railway station at Wikimedia Commons