Quorn railway station

This article is about the station on the Pichi Richi Railway in South Australia. For the station on the Great Central Railway (heritage railway), see Quorn and Woodhouse railway station.

Quorn
Station building in April 2017
General information
LocationFlinders Ranges Way, Quorn
Coordinates32°12′S 138°01′E / 32.20°S 138.02°E / -32.20; 138.02
Operated bySouth Australian Railways 1879-1978
Commonwealth Railways 1926 - 1972
Australian National 1978-1987
Pichi Richi Railway 1974-present
Line(s)Central Australia Railway, Peterborough-Quorn railway line
Distance374 km (232.39 mi) from Adelaide
Platforms1
Construction
Structure typeGround
Other information
StatusClosed (still open for PRR)
History
Opened15 December 1879
Closed1972
Rebuilt1915
Services
Preceding station Commonwealth Railways Following station
Summit
towards Port Augusta
 Central Australia Railway Willochra
towards Alice Springs
Preceding station South Australian Railways Following station
Bruce
towards Peterborough
 Peterborough-Quorn railway line Terminus

Quorn railway station was located on the Central Australia Railway, and also the Peterborough-Quorn railway line serving the South Australian town of Quorn.

History

Quorn station opened on 15 December 1879 as the interim terminus of the Central Australia Railway from Port Augusta.[1] On 28 June 1880, it was extended north to Hawker, and eventually to Alice Springs in 1929.[2] In 1881, Quorn became a junction station with the opening of the Peterborough–Quorn railway line from Peterborough and the south.[3]

In anticipation of the completion of the Trans-Australian Railway across the Nullarbor Plain in 1917, and the line via Quorn becoming part of the East-West route, a new station opened in 1915. In 1937, the East-West services were diverted to a new route via Port Pirie.[1][4]

In 1957, a new standard gauge Stirling North to Marree line opened, resulting in the closure of the narrow gauge line beyond Hawker. The Stirling North to Hawker section closed on 1 June 1972.[2] The line from Quorn to Peterborough closed on 3 March 1987.[1]

The line from Quorn to Stirling North was progressively restored by the Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society from 1974. This section was fully completed in 1999. The final 7 km (4.35 mi) into Port Augusta opened on a new alignment in 2001.[5] Quorn station is the society's headquarters.

References

  1. ^ a b c Bromby, Robin (2004). The Railway Age in Australia. South Melbourne: Thomas Lothan. p. 69. ISBN 0 734407 15 7.
  2. ^ a b Port Augusta to Marree Chris' Commonwealth Railways
  3. ^ Peterborough Archived 2016-02-28 at the Wayback Machine National Railway Museum
  4. ^ History of the Pichi Richi Railway Pichi Richi Preservation Society
  5. ^ Pichi Richi Preservation Society line Archived April 2, 2015, at the Wayback Machine SA Track & Signal

Media related to Quorn railway station at Wikimedia Commons