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Completion of Standard Gauge Railway LinePrint Page 
The plaque commemorates the completion of the standard gauge railway line between Port Pirie and Broken Hill.
Peterborough is unique in that it is one of two places in the southern hemisphere (Gladstone, Queensland being the other) where you can still see broad (5'3"), standard (4'8½") and narrow gauge (3'6") railway tracks together.
On the 12th January 1970, the first broad gauge train from Adelaide and the first standard gauge trains from Port Pirie and Broken Hill arrived in Peterborough. Narrow gauge had been in the town since 1881. To mark the occasion a South Australian Politician was supposed to drive a diesel locomotive a short distance through a ribbon and then unveil a plaque at the platform by the Railway Station. However the Federated Engineman’s Union took umbrage to the fact that an untrained and non union member would be given the task of so they placed a black ban on the event. The matter could not be resolved in time for the unveiling so there was a plaque unveiled at the back of the Federal Hotel by the railway crossing by the townspeople to mark the occasion.
Location
| Address: | Silver Street, Back of Federal Hotel near railway crossing, Peterborough, 5422 |
|---|---|
| State: | SA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -32.973642 Long: 138.840267 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Plaque |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Government |
| Sub-Theme: | State |
Dedication
| Actual Monument Dedication Date: | Monday 12th January, 1970 |
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At This Site On January The 12th 1970
The Townspeople Of Peterborough
Held A Ceremony To Commemorate
The Completion Of The Standard Gauge
Railway Line Between Port Pirie And
Broken Hill.
