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Front Cover Above: The weekly Goods heads north from Quorn to Hawker. After Federation, the Commonwealth Railways (CR) took over the line north from Port Augusta. When the standard gauge line from Port Augusta to Marree was constructed in the 1950s, it was built west of the original line. SAR maintained the link from Peterborough to Quorn and CR maintained the link from Quorn to Hawker (the Pichi Richi Pass had been closed). Towards the end of running, freight ran weekly, operated by CR crews, with SAR locomotives and a mix of CR and SAR wagons. The bridges on the line were most likely built with wrought iron spans and cast iron supporting columns. Neither material has the structural reliability of steel. Many bridges on the line had timber props added beside the cast iron columns, which may have been required due to concerns about the strength of the cast iron, or partial failure of the original foundations for the bridges. Stephen Buck
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