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Pichi Richi and the North Australian
Railway Dream
The Pichi Richi Railway has a dramatic past. It is all that now remains of South Australia's never-completed North-South
Transcontinental railway. After completion of the 1800 mile Overland Telegraph from Adelaide to Darwin, Adelaide's
politicians turned their attention to a narrow (3ft 6in) gauge line to Darwin. But the project was overambitious,
underfunded, and was captured by parochial concerns. Diverted to serve newly settled marginal lands near Quorn,
the line became an expensive white elephant after crops failed and cultivation was abandoned in the 1880s and 1890s.
It never extended beyond Alice Springs and has now been totally bypassed by new lines. The Pichi Richi Railway
Preservation Society preserves the last remnant of the old Central Australia Railway and keeps alive the memory
of South Australia's northern narrow gauge lines and their connection with Commonwealth Railways. The video shows
ex-WAGR and Silverton Tramway "W" 4-8-2s, ex-SAR "T" 4-8-0 No. 186, ex-Commonwealth Railways
"NM" class 4-8-0 No. 25, the tiny "Coffee Pot" steam rail motor, and Brill Type 75 diesel rail
motor No. 106 at work between Quorn and Port Augusta during typical weeks in high season. An ex-CR diesel hauls
a work train, and historic SAR and CR passenger stock is seen on the "Pichi Richi Explorer," "Afghan
Express," and "Wizards Explorer" workings. This DVD video production was filmed in October 1999
and October 2005. It is a full 120 minutes long, and all digital, with natural sound. Diagrammatic maps are included,
and, with many stills, help tell the story of the Pichi Richi Pass. Length 120 min. approx.
DVD ONLY. RRP: $39.95
Click here to purchase through PayPal |
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For the shorter VHS version, see below. |
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Pichi Richi and the North Australian
Railway Dream (VHS)
The Pichi Richi Railway has a dramatic
past. It is all that now remains of South Australia's never-completed North-South Transcontinental railway. After
completion of the 1800 mile Overland Telegraph from Adelaide to Darwin, Adelaide's politicians turned their attention
to a narrow (3ft 6in) gauge line to Darwin. But the project was overambitious, underfunded, and was captured by
parochial concerns. Diverted to serve newly settled marginal lands near Quorn, the line became an expensive white
elephant after crops failed and cultivation was abandoned in the 1880s and 1890s. It never extended beyond Alice
Springs and has now been totally bypassed by new lines. The Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society preserves
the last remnant of the old Central Australia Railway and keeps alive the memory of South Australia's northern
narrow gauge lines and their connection with Commonwealth Railways. Our video shows ex-WAGR "W" 4-8-2s,
ex-SAR "T" 4-8-0 No. 186, the tiny "Coffee Pot" steam rail motor, and Brill Type 75 No. 106
at work between Quorn and Saltia during a typical week in high season. Filmed October 1999. All digital, with natural
sound. Diagrammatic maps are included, and, with many stills, help tell the story of the Pichi Richi Pass. 59 minutes.
VHS ONLY. RRP: $10.00
Click here to purchase through PayPal |
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The following thumbnails lead to stills taken directly
from the video. Just click on the thumbnail to see the full picture. The stills have been slightly compressed for
faster loading, with possible minor loss of definition in some cases.
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| The following scenes appear only in the DVD version
of Preserved Steam in Queensland: |
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