AusRailBuz 2004

   Narrow Gauge (760mm) Operating at Walhalla - March 2002

Model Railroading

Enterprise Mining Co

Rails 2004  -   

 Australia celebrated its Centenary in 2000 as the third millennium began and in 2004 the North-South line began operations into Darwin.  

Today trains crisscross Australia East to West and North to South. Standard gauge is established as the national mainline gauge. Some broad and narrow gauge trackage remains, but it is a wisp of memory compared with the heyday of rail development. The narrow gauge has largely been torn up. Tasmania and Western Australia have no significant branch rail infrastructure.

In the West, the Trans-Australian crossing of the Nullabor continues fully operational on the nationally operated standard gauge.  Construction on the Darwin - Alice Springs link,connecting to the existing Adelaide line, at 'The Alice', was completed to provide a north-south Australian transcontinental line for the first time.

The Queensland tilt train began operation in 1999 and within 6 months carried its first 100,000 passengers. It is the first Tilt and fastest narrow gauge train in the world. Its development differed from the established European systems in that it has been designed by a joint venture between Australian and Japanese engineers. Constructed at Maryborough in Queensland it follows a long line of outstanding rail equipment built there.

Queensland's Heritage train began operations in December 1998,  running new custom crafted cars with coachwork built to resemble Edwardian period rolling stock. It appears to have suffered the financial fate of other ambitious experiments in luxury tourist rail service. It has been withdrawn as there were insufficient passengers in Australia who will pay premium fare for rail. The rail line to Cairns competes with those who want to get to the Barrier reef quickly. Today rail costs more than the airfare so it must offer additional advantages to survive,