 |
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. 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.
|
|
 |
ALSO AVAILABLE ON DVD
CLICK HERE |
|
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.
Back to List |
|