There were proposals to make a one-gauge line to the Barrier (Broken Hill), however NSW wouldn't allow BG into NSW. Stillborn.

The were proposals for a BG Land Grant railway across the Nullabour Plain between SA and WA, but this did not get off the ground.

On the other hand, the stupidity of having a Break-Of-Gauge "only" 40 miles from Adelaide would have been solved by extension of the NG from Hamley Bridge to Adelaide and Port Adelaide. Never got off the ground.

There were also proposals for line between South Australia and Queensland, of NG, and probably via Birdsvale.

In the 1920s, there were Federal proposals for a SG line from Port Augusta to Hay. Vetoed by SA and VIC, because it bypassed Adelaide and Melbourne.

There were proposals to make a one-gauge line to the Barrier (Broken Hill), however NSW wouldn't allow BG into NSW. Stillborn.

The were proposals for a BG Land Grant railway across the Nullabour Plain between SA and WA, but this did not get off the ground.

On the other hand, the stupidity of having a Break-Of-Gauge "only" 40 miles from Adelaide would have been solved by extension of the NG from Hamley Bridge to Adelaide and Port Adelaide. Never got off the ground.

There were also proposals for line between South Australia and Queensland, of NG, and probably via Birdsvale.

In the 1920s, there were Federal proposals for a SG line from Port Augusta to Hay. Vetoed by SA and VIC, because it bypassed Adelaide and Melbourne.

Errrrrrrr where the hell is Birdsvale I think you mean Birdsville!

Therefore narrow gauge never made it to Adelaide ?

Not as part of the expanding system. I think that Hamley Bridge was the closest change of gauge station to Adelaide.

It is as well to remember that most country railways in SA were not built with connection to Adelaide in mind. Rather, the intent was to get agricultural produce, grain and wool, from the paddock to the nearest port, cheaply. The era of "pioneer" railways, pushed into under developed regions to encourage development, came later.

The broad gauge system was quite different from the start, and was much more strategic with interstate  traffic the target.

Actually being absolutely pedantic, Dry Creek was the nearest to Adelaide as a change of gauge station with the horse drawn 2ft gauge tramway.  Evidence of its presence was still there as late as the early 1970's with a goods shed just over from Platform 3 with tracks embedded but for common carriage, Hamley Bridge is correct being 44 rail miles from Adelaide. I presume that something was exchanged between the 2 ft and 5'3" because of the proximity of the tracks but as far as I know, the 2 foot line was related to munitions disposal or storage... perhaps someone else can fill me in!

Broad Gauge could conceivably have gone to Marree as Tom Playford offered to regauge Pt Pirie to Pt Augusta and therefore possibly the Leigh Creek line so coal could be transported directly to Adelaide's power station and the coal gas conversion plant at Bowden which was reported in a Railway Transportation in 1954 or 55 but of course nothing happened.


Cheers

Trevor

Is there any further info on this tramway at Dry Creek? I recall seeing some alignment in the AusTracks GE file, but I don't think I've seen it mentioned anywhere for ages.

Roughly when did it cease operations?

There was also a 2ft or there-abouts line in the St Kilda Saltfields.    A bridge can still be seen on the right of the road across the causeway opposite the road into the works.

The Islington Works also had  1067mm guage track.

As for the explosives tramway, go to http://www.sahistorians.org.au/175/bm.doc/high-and-dry-by-the-mangroves-.pdf

Hasn't got all of the answers, but it's a start.

Operation ceased around 1964, by one source, but I think it was much later than that.

There was also a 2ft or there-abouts line in the St Kilda Saltfields.    A bridge can still be seen on the right of the road across the causeway opposite the road into the works.

Which road into the works? I suspect that you mean Magazine Rd, in which case that is the Magazine Tramway. The  magazines remained in use after the horse was put out to pasture: I think that the tracks were never taken up.

The railway served the salt works.

If you head to St Kilda you will pass the Tram Museum on your right, go round an S bend then into the causeway

Just past the museum gate is a level crossing on a road that leads into the works.

Look right immediately and the remains of the salt tramway bridge can be seen

I remember it from the mid to late 1950s but it has been long gone.

As I recall the line ran along the aforementioned road, across the main road, then over the bridge and north into the salt fields.

The railway served the salt works.

If you head to St Kilda you will pass the Tram Museum on your right, go round an S bend then into the causeway

Just past the museum gate is a level crossing on a road that leads into the works.

Look right immediately and the remains of the salt tramway bridge can be seen

I remember it from the mid to late 1950s but it has been long gone.

As I recall the line ran along the aforementioned road, across the main road, then over the bridge and north into the salt fields.

I also remember the magazine tramway which left the western side of Dry Creek yard roughly just south of the platforms and continued in a straight line west to the North Arm.

It lasted into the late 1960s but not for much longer.

The railway served the salt works.

If you head to St Kilda you will pass the Tram Museum on your right, go round an S bend then into the causeway

Just past the museum gate is a level crossing on a road that leads into the works.

Look right immediately and the remains of the salt tramway bridge can be seen

I remember it from the mid to late 1950s but it has been long gone.

As I recall the line ran along the aforementioned road, across the main road, then over the bridge and north into the salt fields.

I look on google earth and all I see is a pipeline that wasn't there when I was there last. I was an irregular visitor to the concentrating pans area to the North of the road from the 1970s to the 1990s (with permit), but saw no trace of a tramway then. The only use for a tramway in that area that I can think of would have been disposal of spoil from levelling the evaporation pans.

There is /was quite an extensive dock at the southern end of Broad Creek, we found it whilst exploring the mangroves from the water

The PDF available from the LRRSA has two references for St Kilda (called Saint Kilda in the file), one for Dry Creek, the other for St Kilda.   Dry Creek - Line to pumping station north of Saint Kilda - ?1935-?1956

http://lrrsa.org.au/Light%20railway%20locations%20in%20South%20Australia%20NT%20and%20Broken%20Hill%2031Dec2015.pdf

The PDF available from the LRRSA has two references for St Kilda (called Saint Kilda in the file), one for Dry Creek, the other for St Kilda.   Dry Creek - Line to pumping station north of Saint Kilda - ?1935-?1956

http://lrrsa.org.au/Light%20railway%20locations%20in%20South%20Australia%20NT%20and%20Broken%20Hill%2031Dec2015.pdf

Now, there's a resource worth knowing about!