Here are some facts for this day. You are welcome to log your interesting, quirky or fun fact/s with your log.
On This Day - March 27th 1930
Brisbane and Sydney are joined by standard-gauge rail link.
From the beginning of the development of a railway network in Australia, each of the colonies adopted their own gauge, or width of railway track. In Victoria, Tasmania and parts of South Australia, the gauge was 1600 mm; in Western Australia, Queensland and the remainder of South Australia, it was a narrow 1067 mm, while Tasmania also changed to 1067 mm in the late 1800s; and New South Wales adopted the standard European gauge of 1435 mm. Passengers crossing Australia from Brisbane to Perth were required to change trains six times.
There were also difficulties for train travellers between Sydney and Brisbane. For decades, the only rail link between Queensland and New South Wales was at Wallangarra, near the northern New South Wales town of Tenterfield. Here, because of the different gauges, passengers were required to transfer to a new train, while freight had to be transhipped in freight sheds. It was clear that a direct rail link was needed between the capital cities of these two eastern states.
On 27 March 1930, a standard-gauge rail link was opened at South Brisbane, with the ribbon being officially cut by Mrs A E Moore, wife of the Premier of Queensland. The coastal route shaved 101 miles, or 162 km, off the inland route, and saved five to six hours in travel time.