Broken Hill railway line, New South Wales
Encyclopedia
The Broken Hill railway line is now part of the transcontinental railway from Sydney
to Perth
.
New South Wales
's first line opened from Sydney to Parramatta Junction (near Granville Station) in 1855 and was extended as the Main Western line
in stages to Orange
in 1877. The Broken Hill line branched off the Main Western line at Orange and was opened to Molong
in 1885. It was extended to Parkes
and Forbes
in 1893. This line was extended from Parkes to Bogan Gate
and Condobolin
in 1898 and Roto
and Trida
in 1919.
An isolated section of standard gauge line was also opened from Menindee
to Broken Hill
in 1919, which met the 1067 mm gauge Silverton Tramway
at a break-of-gauge
. At Cockburn, South Australia
, the Silverton Tramway connected with the South Australian Railways
system to Port Pirie and via a break of gauge at Terowie
to Adelaide
. The final missing link between Trida and Menindee was completed in 1927. The Broken Hill Express, running from Sydney to Broken Hill, was introduced from November, 1927. Included in its composition was Dining Car, AB90, making it the first regularly scheduled Dining Car in that state. In 1969 the Broken Hill - Port Pirie line was standardised, completing the Sydney–Perth standard gauge link.
in 1907, Tullamore
in 1908 and Tottenham
in 1916.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
's first line opened from Sydney to Parramatta Junction (near Granville Station) in 1855 and was extended as the Main Western line
Main Western railway line, New South Wales
The Main Western Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Blue Mountains, Central West, North West Slopes and the Far West regions.- Description of route :...
in stages to Orange
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
in 1877. The Broken Hill line branched off the Main Western line at Orange and was opened to Molong
Molong, New South Wales
Molong is a small town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, in Cabonne Shire.Molong is located on the Mitchell Highway about 300 kilometres west of Sydney and about 30 kilometres from the city of Orange. It is elevated at 529 metres above sea level. At the 2006 census, Molong...
in 1885. It was extended to Parkes
Parkes, New South Wales
- Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...
and Forbes
Forbes, New South Wales
-Notable residents:*Carolyn Simpson - Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Member of the first all-female bench to sit in an Australian court*NSW Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt was born and raised in Forbes....
in 1893. This line was extended from Parkes to Bogan Gate
Bogan Gate, New South Wales
Bogan Gate is a small village in Parkes Shire of the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Bogan Gate and the surrounding area had a population of 253....
and Condobolin
Condobolin, New South Wales
Condobolin is a town in the west of the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia, on the Lachlan River. At the 2006 census, Condobolin had a population of 2,847.- History :...
in 1898 and Roto
Roto, New South Wales
Roto is a small settlement situated in the far-west of New South Wales, Australia. It lies at the junction of the Broken Hill railway line and the partly closed branchline to Temora via Griffith...
and Trida
Trida, New South Wales
Trida is a locality in Central Darling Shire in the Far West region of New South Wales, Australia.-Village:Records show that a Hotel existed at Trida with the license being established in 1889 by an Alexander Pearce...
in 1919.
An isolated section of standard gauge line was also opened from Menindee
Menindee, New South Wales
Menindee is a small town in the far west of New South Wales, Australia, in Central Darling Shire, on the banks of the Darling River, with a sign-posted population of 980.-History:...
to Broken Hill
Broken Hill, New South Wales
-Geology:Broken Hill's massive orebody, which formed about 1,800 million years ago, has proved to be among the world's largest silver-lead-zinc mineral deposits. The orebody is shaped like a boomerang plunging into the earth at its ends and outcropping in the centre. The protruding tip of the...
in 1919, which met the 1067 mm gauge Silverton Tramway
Silverton Tramway
The Silverton Tramway was an Australian long narrow gauge railway running from Cockburn on the South Australian state border to Broken Hill in New South Wales. Operating between 1888 and 1970 it served the mines of Broken Hill, and formed the link between the standard gauge New South Wales...
at a break-of-gauge
Break-of-gauge
With railways, a break-of-gauge occurs where a line of one gauge meets a line of a different gauge. Trains and rolling stock cannot run through without some form of conversion between gauges, and freight and passengers must otherwise be transloaded...
. At Cockburn, South Australia
Cockburn, South Australia
Cockburn is a town on the border of South Australia and New South Wales near Broken Hill. The town population consists of roughly 25 people with a greater regional community of 180 as of 2005.-Town history:...
, the Silverton Tramway connected with the South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways
South Australian Railways built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 to the incorporation of its non-urban railways into the Australian National Railways Commission in 1975, together with the former Commonwealth Railways and the former Tasmanian Government Railways...
system to Port Pirie and via a break of gauge at Terowie
Terowie, South Australia
Terowie is a small town in the mid-north of South Australia located north of Adelaide. It is located in the Regional Council of Goyder. Terowie retains a number of authentic and well preserved 1880s buildings, and has been declared a "historic town". It also remains a town of interest to those...
to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. The final missing link between Trida and Menindee was completed in 1927. The Broken Hill Express, running from Sydney to Broken Hill, was introduced from November, 1927. Included in its composition was Dining Car, AB90, making it the first regularly scheduled Dining Car in that state. In 1969 the Broken Hill - Port Pirie line was standardised, completing the Sydney–Perth standard gauge link.
Branch line
A branch line was opened from Molong to Dubbo as an alternative route with better grades in 1925. It was closed in 1987. Another branch line was opened from Bogan Gate to TrundleTrundle, New South Wales
Trundle is a small town in Parkes Shire in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. It had a population of 379 in 2006, including 23 indigenous people and 23 foreign-born people ....
in 1907, Tullamore
Tullamore, New South Wales
Tullamore is a small town in Parkes Shire in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Tullamore had a population of 211....
in 1908 and Tottenham
Tottenham, New South Wales
Tottenham is a small town in Lachlan Shire in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia. It had a population of 343 in 2006, including 21 indigenous people and 20 foreign born people ....
in 1916.