Kadina–Brinkworth railway line

The Kadina–Brinkworth railway line was a railway line on the South Australian Railways network.

Kadina–Brinkworth railway line
Overview
StatusPartially closed and removed, remaining section dormant
LocaleMid North, South Australia
Termini
Continues fromBalaklava-Moonta line
Continues asHamley Bridge-Gladstone line
Service
SystemSouth Australian Railways
Operator(s)South Australian Railways
Australian National
History
OpenedKadina-Snowtown: 1 October 1879
Snowtown-Brinkworth: 2 July 1894
ClosedSnowtown-Brinkworth: 20 February 1990
Kadina-Snowtown: 3 March 1993
Technical
Line length95.3 km (59.2 mi)
Track gauge1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in)
1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Old gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Route map

Brinkworth
Condowie
Snowtown
Barunga Gap
Bute
Mona
Willamulka
Kadina
dual gauge Balaklava–Moonta line
Wallaroo Mines
Wallaroo

[1]

History

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The first section of the line opened on 1 October 1879 from Kadina to Snowtown, branching off from the Balaklava-Moonta line. It was extended to Brinkworth on 2 July 1894 where it joined the Hamley Bridge-Gladstone line. On 1 August 1927, the line was gauge converted from 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) to 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in).[2][3]

The section from Kadina to Snowtown was converted to dual gauge on 2 December 1982 with an extra 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+12 in) rail laid following the conversion of the Adelaide-Port Augusta line. The Snowtown to Brinkworth section closed on 20 February 1990 followed by the rest of the line on 3 March 1993.[3]

After closure, part of the line from Wallaroo to Bute was used by the Lions Club of Yorke Peninsula for heritage tourist train services, but this ceased in 2009. The line between Wallaroo and Kadina has since been pulled up and replaced with the Copper Coast Rail Trail and retail stores on both ends.

References

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  1. ^ South Australia. Chief Engineer for Railways; Vaughan, A. (Alfred); South Australia. Surveyor-General's Office (1910), Map showing lines of railways in South Australia, November 1910, Surveyor General's Office, retrieved 25 February 2016
  2. ^ Callaghan, W. H. (2002), "Horse and Steam, Wheat and Copper", Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin (January/February): 9–27, 46–63
  3. ^ a b Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John (2000). Australian Railway Routes 1854 - 2000. Redfern: Australian Railway Historical Society. pp. 56–58. ISBN 0 909650 49 7.