Johnny's Pages - Old SAR Shunter

Johnny's Pages
Old S.A.R. Shunter's Memories

PETERBOROUGH TRIP MAY 2005

PART 2

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TEROWIE

Today the small town of Terowie still survives even though it has been abandoned by the railways and the main road detours around it. In the days of steam there was always the noise of locomotives on the move. In the later years Rx class 4-6-0's on the Broad gauge were replaced by 500 class diesel electric shunting engine, but on the narrow gauge steam reigned supreme in the form of two T class engines right up until the end in 1970.

Terowie was a busy transhipment centre with both broad and narrow gauge tracks serving the goods shed. The transferring of goods from a broad gauge wagon to a narrow gauge wagon and vice versa was both labour intensive and slow. Bogie exchange was the answer in the 60's. Progress has to come and the goods shed, like the almost forgotten coal tippler of the mid 40's and 50's, was finally abandoned. The opening of the broad gauge link from Terowie to Peterborough in 1970 was to put an end to this once bustling railway centre. The final blow came when the broad gauge line was later closed and ripped up. Terowie entered the 90's with no railway, just a few surviving relics of more prosperous times. The 10th January 1970 was the last official day for narrow gauge operations at Terowie.

Looking east

Looking South towards Adelaide

Terowie Station

Looking North towards Peterborough

Station master residence

Looking out the station yard towards Main street.
(zoomed)

Main street from station yard.
(zoomed)

Water tower for steamers

Station Yard from crossing looking North.

Station Yard from crossing looking North. (zoomed)

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JAMESTOWN

Took this shot of the old Jamestown railway station as we drove went past on our way to Port Pirie from Peterborough.
The rail line in front of station is the main standard gauge line Sydney - Perth. The old narrow gauge track that was once was, is other side of station.
The left end of station was the SM's residence, that was were I lived and worked 7 years till closure of narrow gauge in January 1970.

Chucked in a typical Jamestown rural area shot of some 2kms out of Jamestown.

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GLADSTONE

Gladstone was a main depot and meeting point for end of line Broad gauge from Adelaide. Narrow gauge line to Wilmington through Flinders Ranges. Also narrow gauge trains from Broken Hill to Port Pirie. A busy place once.

FIRST: A rare view of old GLADSTONE March 1966 in its heyday.
Before standardisation hit the area.

This day particular day in March 1966 I got a cab ride from Jamestown on 274 down train to Gladstone on twin 830 class diesels where we crossed 274 up train and changed our twin engines over with the single engine on 274.

Gladstone end of yard looking east in the direction of Jamestown

That train in the distance was 275 that we came into Gladstone with these twin engines.
We have just done an engine change.

We had previously stopped short of that road crossing where other 830 engine is in distance. That single 830 was from Pt Pirie and had already been removed from off 274 as that train had already arrived earlier. We had then detached our twin 830's off 275 and ran them in onto 274 and pumping up the air while other train gets out of the way. The picture above shows we are now on 274 from Pt Pirie pumping up the air ready for a continuity air test. The single 830 is just about to couple to 275 and would return to Port Pirie after their air test is done.

Now a view of Gladstone yard looking west in direction of Port Pirie.

275 has now gone through yard on its way to Port Pirie
and we are now leaving Gladstone yard for Peterborough.

Gladstone as Jamestown have both had their guts ripped out and is only a whistle stop these days. So sad.

Now we have a look see at Gladstone today looking from that same crossing.
The old narrow gauge track was a little further over to the right.. Look at lighting gantry in distance of both pictures shows this standard line is to left. I forgot to take old picture with me so when I took picture below I could stand in same exact place. (bummer)

Looking west Gladstone yard.

Looking west
towards Port Pirie.

Looking East towards
Jamestown. Loco sheds
and everything gone.

Gladstone station has a cyclone fence all around it.

Old cheese knob with 2 gauges (Broad and narrow). Though I think its damaged as the knob does not normally sit that high. Anyway they had to be pinned and that one could no way be pinned.

Old narrow gauge wagon that was used to bring groceries etc from Adelaide (broad gauge) for Jamestown (narrow gauge) that were transferred at Gladstone.

Looking east in direction of Jamestown towards the crossing where I took first shots. The fellow is my wife's uncle Joe Meadows who took me around on our trip. He was a train examiner at Peterborough in the good old S.A.R. days.

Was Station Master's residence

Old Weightbridge

Looking west down main line.

Gladstone station from roadway
all fence in like prison camp.

GM these were the old Commonwealth Railways main engine power when Government owned till the 70's. They use to be brown.

Loading wheat at bulk handling installation. (zoomed) Sign on gate stated unauthorized personnel strictly forbidden.

View from outside installation

Loading wheat at bulk handling installation

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PORT PIRIE

Port Pirie yard looking west from roadway bridge. (This was full of rail tracks once). May 2005

A closer view, is like rubbish dump. The 700 class engine is operational, it does the shunting for the Broken Hill ore trains for Pirie smelters. Orange wagons in background were used in construction of the Darwin rail line.
The old loco sheds area behind are used by recyclers of paper and plastic. May 2005.

Updated picture Pirie Yard. 24th April 2009.
(photo Wayne Morris)

Tom took this standing on the end of the Standard Gauge Platform. (this photo by Tom Christy)

Port Pirie sub looking East from over roadway bridge. No Port Pirie (solomontown) station & cabin anymore. Track on right is main line to the main standard gauge network.

Main line to entrance to Port Pirie yard

Looking towards the main Adelaide - Port Augusta main line network that by-passes Port Pirie.
The beautiful Flinders Ranges in distance. Flinders Ranges is big tourist industry now.

Part of Port of Port Pirie Smelters area. Behind me is a lot of wheat silos, er forgot to take picture of them. (naughty boy)

Ore concentrates in the smelters alongside of wharf. NOTE: In our day the silver, Lead and Zinc ore concentrates were never cover up. Now they are on account of lead dust particles.

Old Port Pirie station is now a Museum. Other station is about 1klm to right and that is not used either now as the Standard Gauge Passenger trains bypass Port Pirie. The Broad and narrow gauge rail line use to go up through the middle of the main street where that garden centre is. That was the railway line to this station and onwards to the smelters. The rail track to smelters now goes behind the station and wharf area.

Trip back in time to those good old railway days

Port Pirie Junction (Solomontown) c.1960s.
Photo taken from footbridge.
Signal cabin can be seen on other side of the narrow gauge tracks.
(pic by Graeme Lanham Qld)

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