https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Pacific
Surprisingly good article on wikipedia.
If memory serves right from Broken Hill to Kalgoorlie AN used CLs and GMs and WAGR used the Ls to Perth. Someone else should be able to shed more light....
We might as well cover the whole run...
Out of Sydney to Lithgow the train originally had two 46 class.
These were supposed to be from 4601-4604 which all had the buffers removed on the Sydney end in order to couple to the train. One assumes that the one coupled to the train had to be turned in Lithgow to work the up service.
Later, of course, 86 class were used.
From Lithgow to Broken Hill two 44 class were used (although there was only one on my train at Broken Hill in 1975).
Again, these were replaced by double 80 class up to the adaption of the CLP class (1994?)
The South Australian railways worked the train to Port Pirie, often with a 600 and an 830, but sometimes just a 600. In 1970, the 600s were red and silver and the 830s were yellow and maroon. (The later ANR era photo on the Auscision site shows the colours reversed - there were only ever one or two red and silver 830s). Later 700 class would have been used, in red and silver.
From Port Pirie to Kalgoorlie two GM class back to back were usual. One or both of these were often GM1 class since the freight trains were getting too heavy for the four motor units. I have seen the train with a single CL class. The first train had CL1 and two GMs.
In Western Australia a single L class was used. However, by 1975 the track had been damaged by the Koolyanobbing-Kwinana iron ore trains. Thus double GMs, often one four motor and one six motor, worked through to Perth. By 1978, single or double K class were sometimes used since these, like the GMs were lighter than the L class and could keep time while doing less damage to the track. From Avon Yard to Perth, it was only the westbound track that had been damaged by the loaded ore trains.
AN tried to run back to back green and yellow GM-1 class from Adelaide to Sydney but these were unsuitable for the Blue Mountains and the idea went away. But there are a few photos around to prove they tried
From 1994, double CLP class worked the train (until privatisation) from Sydney to Adelaide and back, with a single CLP west of Adelaide.
After GSR took over, NR class were used. I think I saw the first westbound train (possibly a Ghan and not an IP) run through Glenbrook on Boxing Day 1997(?). We were all amazed that it seemed to be climbing faster than the twin CLPs had.
The Ghan ran for some time under GSR control with the faded yellow stripe and GSR decals covering the AN lettering.
As I've said in the other thread, Auscision aren't making any sitting cars.
In the early days, two NSW cars, often an SDS and an RDH (so one RUB car and one HUB car) were coupled ahead of the leading van for sitting passengers as far as Broken Hill, and later to Port Pirie (I think) but I don't think NSW cars ran through to Adelaide. By that time standard gauge D cars (or G cars) might have been available. I'm pretty sure D cars with their original numbers ran on SG for a while.
Auscision aren't even offering a pair of RUB set cars as sitting cars (not yet anyway)...
Peter