Rail conversions

I don't have any photos but Puffing Billy's volunteers newsletter mentions trials of quad bikes with rail wheels. They didn't say whether they were hirail or dedicated rail.

Puffing Billy runs on a gauge of 2ft6in and they have had issues with ute conversions as the wheels end up outside the rails and most hirail designs rely on the vehicles rubber tyres for some or all of the drive and breaking as a one tonne ute is very light by railway standards

Here is South Australian Railways MIC (mechanical inspection car?) 126 at Gladstone on Fri.30.5.69.
My memory was right: based on a prewar Morris 10 (1938-39 model).
See: www.simoncars.co.uk/morris/mtenm.html
The roofline has been modified to make the rear seat more comfortable, and there are three men aboard in this photo. It was being used as a pay vehicle, possibly its main duty. The Morris ohv engine would have been replaced with a Holden one by this date.
The tracks are interesting. Gladstone was a four-way junction of 1067 mm gauge tracks. In the 1920s, the 1600 mm gauge was extended north as the whole western division was converted. By 1969, work was in progress replacing the Broken Hill - Port Pirie 1067 mm with 1435 mm, part of the program to link Brisbane to Perth. The MIC is standing on dual-gauge track; alongside there is triple gauge: on 1067 rail is common for 1600; the other 1067 rail is common for 1435. Since then, lines north and south have been closed; only standard gauge remains today.
Notice also a classic Australian canvas water bag hung from the front bumper bar.
When production resumed postwar, the 1946 model had a different grille.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

Wow. Thanks for posting up these pics.