Wooden caravans

This could well be Australia's most-photographed wooden caravan. Cook was an important stop for Indian Pacific and Trans Australian passenger trains. It was a crew-change point; the locos were refuelled; passengers alighted to stretch their legs, and to buy souvenirs from this caravan (IIRC with funds going to the bush-nursing hospital). Cook was a proper little town, with a club/pub, a general store and the hospital. Today the locos have inline refuelling; the crews go through accommodated in relay vans, and the town has a population of four. I doubt that they run the caravan, although it is still a leg-stretch stop.
See < en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook,_South_Australia> ;

770518W Cook (SA) station, souvenir caravan. R Smith.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

..thanks for the ongoing pictures and info Roderick .. does everyone know why they call the train the ''Indian Pacific''?....(shush for the moment Rodders)

Oceans!

...spot on allan .. travels across the continent from the Indian to the Pacific Ocean

At the time, the name seemed a bit hack, but it took on a life of its own, and certainly expresses national pride. There are not many east-west transcontinental trains in the world, and even fewer north-south ones. The Sydney - Perth route is often dubbed the Indian Pacific route. It was stitched together from various pieces, with additional new construction. Only months after opening an unprecedented steam tour took place: NSWR Pacific loco 3801 crossed the nation (with 3813 doubleheading as far as Port Augusta). In Perth, 3801 could continue to Fremantle Leighton Yard, and pose against an Indian Ocean backdrop. We don't often look fondly on politicians, but one who 'made a difference' and was a 'game changer', Billy Wentworth.
< en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Wentworth_...alian_politician)> ;. ADB may have a more-detailed account.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

I'm not sure if this still applies, but Indian Pacific was Perth to Sydney. The Sydney To Perth was called the East-West.

...either that Geoff ..or at that end she became the Pacific Indian!!...

Mishmashed memories.
From 1970, Sydney - Perth and Perth - Sydney were both Indian Pacific.

Before then was rather vague: the difference between formal naming and nicknames.

The railway, from opening in 1917 (a triumph of the spirit of federation, set against the 'Great War' and harsh geographical conditions), was called Trans-Australian Railway. The passenger train didn't have a name, but became known as 'Trans-Australian Express', then 'Trans Australian' (possibly formalised eventually), and in classic Aussie jargon, the 'Trans'.
'East West Express' may never have been formalised, but was the nickname for the SAR bg link Adelaide - Port Pirie, in both directions.
WAGR's Perth - Kalgoorlie connection was 'Westland'.

While in a historical vein, it is worth reading the biography of Sir Charles Todd, of overland telegraph fame, but he did much more for the development of the nation. Alice Springs is named after his wife.
< en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Todd_(astronomer)> ;.

Roderick B Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor

I worked at Central Station (Sydney) Parcels Office in 1977, loading and sorting parcels from the suburban parcels office and loading onto the mail trains and the interstate trains, like the Gold Coast Motorail a nd Brisbane Limited (Depart 6:30 and 6:40 PM??)Southern Aurora, Intercapital daylight Express, etc.

From my failing memory the train to Perth was always the Indian Pacific and I think departed Sydney 3 times per week.




Paul

The stupid thing is that parcel delivery from suburban sydney to Bathurst is now slower by road than the (I guess highly subsidised and unprofitable) the rail service 35 years ago.

Central station was a fun place to work at the time with the idling ALCOs in the 44 Class and the big GMs (EMD?) in things like the 43s and 41s? I certainly gained an interest in the two strokes.
Paul