The cache contains a train set and batteries we would love to see your photos of the train set up & operating.
The Trans-Australian Railway was completed on 17th October 1917 when the rail lines constructed simultaneously from Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta were linked at 1.45pm, at a site approximately 4kms west of Ooldea.
This was a momentous occasion in the history of Australia. The Trans-Australian Railway provided nation-building infrastructure that not only linked the east and western coasts of Australia, but also provided a platform for successful negotiations to encourage Western Australia to join the Commonwealth of Australia and establish the Australian Federation.
Historical Overview
The linking of the Trans Australian Railway line on 17 October 1917 marked a momentous occasion in Australia’s infrastructure development.
The simultaneous construction of the 1,692km railway line east from Port Augusta and west from Kalgoorlie during 1912-17 was an incredible achievement given the circumstances at the time. Much of the construction occurred during World War One when communications, men, machinery and materials were scarce. The work was manually intensive and the line was built across a remote, vast and desolate environment, which entailed complex and difficult management, operational and supply logistics. The railway was built using two separate track building teams – starting from Kalgoorlie and from Port Augusta. Two Roberts track laying machines, imported from the United States of America, were used to achieve good steady progress with the laying of sleepers and rails – albeit with a lot of manual help. The joining of the rails took place when the two track laying teams met a few kilometres west of Ooldea – approximately 995 kilometres from Kalgoorlie and 697 kilometres from Port Augusta. This occurred at 1.45pm SA time, on Wednesday 17 October 1917.
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Use of the railway line was quickly implemented. The first westbound train left Port Augusta railway station on the morning of Monday 22 October 1917, arriving in Kalgoorlie on the afternoon of Wednesday 24 October – nearly 43 hours after leaving Port Augusta.
The train was hauled by no less than ten separate G class steam locomotives throughout the journey, due to mechanical problems en route.
The first return eastbound train left Kalgoorlie on Thursday 25 October, arriving in Port Augusta on Sunday 28 October 1917.
50th Anniversary Monuments
The monuments unveiled at the 50th anniversary in 1967 were designed, built and installed by the Commonwealth Railways.
The main structure was comprised largely of a timber frame sealed with plywood, supporting rail steels and commemorative signage. However, the timber fabric was not sufficiently robust to withstand the environmental conditions, and the monuments deteriorated and collapsed.
A primary objective of the rail link centenary event, as proposed in Bob Sampson’s 2015 concept paper, is to replace the monuments. Numerous options were subsequently investigated, including replicating the 1967 monuments in more robust materials or designing new monuments to mark and celebrate the 100th anniversary.
Negotiations about these options between the National Railway Museum and the Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) – the owner and operator of the Trans Australian Railway – were fruitful.
ARTC has consequently constructed replicas of the 1967 monuments in steel from the original plans, which are installed at the link site and were unveiled at the 100th anniversary celebration.
Accessing this cache
This cache is in a very remote Australian location requiring a well set up touring 4wd to access.
When you get to this cache, the nearest fuel is 250 kms away!!
As with any outback travel it must be recognised that you are travelling into a relatively remote area, where you must be self-sufficient. Communication along the rail line is possible these days on Telstra mobiles, but a Satellite phone or HF radio is desirable. Make sure you are carrying enough fuel, food & water for the duration of your stay & a margin of safety in case of road closures in adverse weather events.
A 4wd is recommended for most outback travel and I doubt two wheel drive cachers will travel this area, nor would I recommend it.
The cache is a 2 litre ammo can with a log sheet & room for swaps. Do not leave TB/GC here as they may be here for a very long time before moving on. Consider a visit only.
The cache also contains a train set and batteries (see pic) we would love to see your photos of the train set up & operating. But please remember to remove the batteries when finished playing
