Where Queensland narrow gauge meets New South Wales standard gauge

Just a few pics of Wallangarra Railway Station I took on my fleeting visit to Brisbane… Wallangarra is on the Queensland/New South Wales Border and the station there is very unique, being that the western side of the platform is of Queensland architecture and hosts the narrow gauge (3'6") and the eastern side is of the New South Wales architecture and hosts standard gauge. My father, who grew up there (85 years ago), told me it was a sight to see when both trains arrived to take passengers or freight either direction to their respective capital cities, Brisbane or Sydney. Wallangarra never had a turntable suitable to turn either QLD Railways or NSWGR locomotives but did have a very large triangle north of the platform, which they used to turn whole passenger trains.



My two boys under the main station name. Qld Rail trains arrived on the left and NSWGR trains on the right.



Commemorative plaques situated on the southern end of the platform.





Above is some iron work on the platform pillars sporting traditional NSWGR design. Below is QLD Railway ironwork on pillars.





Above. Overall western view of station building and below is a pic of the former railway yards (looking south) which were stiuated in Jennings, NSW. Approximately 20-25 feet of the actual station platform lies in NSW, with the border crossing diagonally across the platform itself.

 

I had been to Wallangarra as a boy and remember seeing trains there. The former yards were a maze of standard and narrow gauge tracks hosting many different wagons and a few freight locomotives. Unfortunately the NSW Government (or I should say the State Rail Authority) has let the line south to Tenterfeild end up in disrepair. Such a pity as it would make a great tourist attraction with both standard and narrow gauge trains.

Cheers, Gary.

Hi Gary,

Great pictures and historical background story. I like the excellent example of Corinthian Capitals sitting on top of these pillars. There are lots of fine examples of these all over Edinburgh.

No surprise really as the three Greek Architectural Orders ( Doric, Ionic & Corinthian ) have travelled and been received well all over the world.

The story behind it all makes it though.

Cheers for now

Toto

Thanks for posting this Gary.

Up to now I had assumed, quite wrongly, that Australia was all 'standard gauge'.

Made me look it up and I was surprised to find different states had originally adopted different gauges.

You learn something every day on here :thumbs


Ed

Actually, Australia had Irish Gauge at 5' 3" as well, along with some short lengths of other gauges.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_gauge_in_Australia

I recall seeing a photo of a turnout in all 3 gauges :shock:  Can't find it now of course.

John

 

Quite right John. Australia hosted 3'6" in Queensland, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Western Australia and some in South Australia. Victoria and South Australia has 5'3" broad gauge and finally New South Wales has standard gauge, 4'8 1/2", with a little broad gauge running in across the border from Victoria in the south west. All this confusion was due to an Englishman, a Scotsman and an Irishman, but that is another story…

The standard gauge runs to, Melbourne (Spencer Street Station), Vic completed in 1962, Melbourne to Adelaide (SA), completed in 1995,  Brisbane (Roma Street Station) Qld completed 1932 (via Kyogle, Northern NSW), Perth (WA) completed in 1970 and Adelaide to Darwin (NT), completed in 2004.

Albury, on the New South Wales/Victorian border was another station on the east coast where once you had to change trains to continue your journey to Sydney or Melbourne.

Cheers, Gary.

Made me think how do you model Australian railways and while searching about last night I found this.

Scale and Gauge

So, HOn31/2 for 3' 6" gauge and HOb5^_1/4 for 5'3" gauge.

Just out of interest, anybody know any layouts in either of these?


Ed

Hi Ed,

Majority of Australian models are manufactured in HO scale. No matter if that is narrow gauge, broad gauge or standard gauge. I have yet to see a layout that offers/runs both narrow gauge and standard gauge or even broad gauge and standard gauge. Although some years ago there was a layout named 'Broadford' (prototype model of a town in Victoria), which used code 75 track as broad gauge and code 100 for standard gauge and it did look convincing…

Here is a link to one of Australia's leading HO scale model train suppliers, who produce locomotives for a range of modellers across Australia ; http://www.auscisionmodels.com.au/products_page.htm

Now, before you ask why I don't model Australian model railways, well here is the answer…  Just to give an idea of what a quality model costs 'down under', here is the prices for XPT (HST) 7 car sets, locomotives and coaches ;

http://www.auscisionmodels.com.au/PDFs/XPT%20Order%20Form%20Page%202.pdf  :shock: 

Now, take a look at what HO wagon kits are sold for ; http://www.bergshobbies.com.au/components_arkits/3 :shock: 

I will say that I did model NSWGR many years ago and still have all my locomotives and rollingstock. But these days RTR British outline is far cheaper and the models are excellent. I would easily say 'more bang for your buck…'

Cheers, Gary.

 

Gary

Blimey :shock:

Take your point, exchange rate is about AUD $1.7 = £1 GBP

Hopper wagon about £18

AN3 The Ghan Locomotive £173 (saw a program on TV recently about that particular line)

7 car set about £526

Imagine space would also be a problem with such vast distances involved on the prototype.


Ed