Outback Railwaymen: Life on the Commonwealth Railways

RAILWAYS

This book explores the life and times of three extraordinary railways, through the recollections and humorous stories of a selection of retired railwaymen and women. These were the hardy souls who kept the trains running through some of the harshest and most forbidding landscapes on Earth, in the great ‘Back of Beyond.’ They endured appalling climatic conditions, with scorching summer temperatures, howling dust storms and raging floodwaters, plus the ever-present danger of derailment and accident, along with the overwhelming isolation and loneliness that is the Australian Outback.

• xiv, 248 pages, 36 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some colour), maps, portraits (some colour) ; 20 cm
• #120424
• Commonwealth Railways (Australia) — History
• Central Australia Railway — History
• North Australian Railway — History
• Trans-Australian Railway — History
• Railroads — Australia — History
• Railroads — Australia — Anecdotes
• Railroads — Western Australia
• Railroads — Northern Territory
• Railroads — South Australia
• Railroads — Australia — Employees — Anecdotes
• Railroads — Australia — Employees — Biography
• Australian

Author’s note — Introduction — Part One – Central Australia Railway — Railway to the back of beyond –Don KeneallyThe gentleman driver –Murray ChandlerWartime guard and train controller –Wolfgang “Wolf” MarkowswkoiFrom Berlin to Quorn –Ambrose “Aspro” LyonsA life on the Ghan –Patrick “Paddy” GreenfieldThe piano playing chef –Kym GreenfieldGhan waiter –John TheelLast days of the narrow gauge –Graham CampbellLeigh Creek coal –Ron BartonCharacters of the CR –Phil WyattNorth line fettler — Part Two – North Australia Railway — The line to nowhere –Jim PrenticeA year on the North Australia Railway –Jeffrey EamesThe North Australia Railway at war –Robin JessupLife on the Never-Never line –Steve FullerThe NAR in the 1970s — Part Three – Trans-Australian Railway — Rails across a continent –Joe HoganTrans-Australian childhood –Jack SlatteryTwo years at Cook –Stan HoddinottCurtin’s cattle and dieselisation –Des SmithCR Civil engineer –Cathy BeekLife on the Nullabor –Phil “Mick” BellOn the Tea and Sugar –Alf HarrisThe sunburnt Santa –Ron Howrie21 years across the Nullabor.