THE AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 244 Bulletin No. 493 - November, 1978 North-West Coast towns to Westbury and Hagley. between Evandale and Clarendon on 24th Octo­ These achieved a fair response, but the hugh wage ber, 1977, in which an ACS car and van went over rises of the early 1970's brought ever larger at a 45° angle. Nobody was seriously hurt and the operating losses and by1974 the future of the train cars were soon returned to service, but the in­ was at best uncertain. The tourist trade was in­ cident could hardly have come at a worse time. creasingly concentrated on package deal coach The writer made the last of many journeys on the and fly-driveholidays which offered little scope for Tasman one Saturday in November, 1977. The rail travel, while almost universal car ownership train crew were as welcoming as ever, but even had reduced the number of local people using any with a single ACS car there were many empty form of public transport; furthermore many of those seats, the refreshment service had suffered remaining faithful to the train were students, pen­ economies and the Launceston connection was a sioners and day excursionists travelling at reduc­ road bus. It is true that on a number of other days in ed fares, so that the revenue situation was worse the same month the train was running with either than seat occupancy rates suggested. The long two ACS cars or one ACS and an ordinary saloon, drawn-out transfer of the T.G. R. from State to but there was little evidence of the sort of revival Commonwealth control also created an atmos­ needed to placate the economists. phere of uncertainty which the withdrawal of all From 1st March, 1978, the service was reduced Hobart suburban services and the Friday evening to running (in both directions) on Tuesdays, Thurs­ and Sunday afternoon Hobart - Launceston trains days and Fridays only and on 12th July, 1978, the at the end of 1974 did nothing to reduce. Australian National Railways Commission decided From the beginning of 1975, the Tasman Limited that the Parattah railcar and the Tasman Limited and the Parattah - Hobart railcar (now reduced to would make their last journeys on 21st and 28th running on alternate Fridays) were the only sched­ July respectively. The announcement brought a uled passenger trains in Tasmania. The Tasman last minute rush of patronage and many people continued to be popular during the summer who had supported and appreciated the Tasman months, but in the long off-season there were over the years came to make their farewells. probably days when the competing bus could have The last trains on 28th July were built up to accommodated both its own passengers and lengths reminiscent of happier days : the north­ those on the train. bound train left Hobart with X29 and X17 hauling In February, 1976, the carriage of interstate mail DA2, ACS1, ACS3, AAR2, BBL 11 and SS2, the was lost to air transport and the following Novem­ southbound train arrived at Hobart with X20 and ber Dr. Stewart Joy's report on the future of the X16 hauling AAR4, BBL12, ACS4, ACS2 and DA1 T.G.R. pointed out that the Tasman had earned and the Launceston connection was run by DP28 $250,000 in 1975-76 against expenses of and DP27. It was a not inglorious end to 107 years $850,000 and recommended that the train be of rail passenger services in Tasmania. withdrawn as soon as possible. The 1977 Federal The writer is indebted for assistance with this budget included a specific subsidy to keep the article to Messrs. Don Stephens and David Verrier Tasman running during 1977-78 and an advertis­ of Hobart and to Mr. C.R. Smith, Mechanical ing campaign was launched to boost patronage. Engineer of the Tasmanian Region of the Aust­ Unfortunately, this coincided with the much­ ralian National Railways. publicised derailment of the southbound train AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION IN THE MIDDLE EAST (Misc) (by J. W. Knowles) During World War II, Australians were respons­ Group was made up largely of various grades from ible for the construction of some 225 miles of the various Australian railway systems. Part of the railway in four different places in the Middle East, Group was en route to France when France capitu­ Transjordan, Lebanon, Palestine and Egypt, some lated to the enemy and the Dunkirk evacuation 7500 miles or 12,000 km from the nearest part of took place. These men were diverted to England, Australia. and the remainder held in Western Australia. The These railways were built for war purposes by British War Office then saw need for railway con­ the Australian Railway Construction and Mainten­ struction in the Middle East and early in 1941, the ance Group(ARC & MG) and two of them are still in whole Group was sent there. Along with a small use. The lines built by the group are shown on the New Zealand Unit, this was the only military railway accompanying map. construction unit in the Middle East, although a Formation of the Australian Railway Construc­ South African unit was later added. tion and Maintenance Group The ARC & MG comprised the following units: The Australian Railway Construction and Main­ Headquarters, 1st 2nd and 3rd Survey Companies, tenance Group, Royal Australian Engineers, was and 1st, 2nd and 3rd Construction Companies. raised at the request of the British War Office, to Middle East Strategic Background construct and maintain railways in France. The Early in 1941, Egypt was developed as a base for THE AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY Bulletin No. 493 - November, 1978 245 A general view of work on the bridge over the Nahr El Keib, taken on 5th January, 1943. Thebridge on the left is that of the former Tramway Libanias. ( above) Another view of the bridge over the Nahr El Keib taken in January, 1943. The rugged terrain through which the line passed is very evident in this illustration. (below) (Photos: Australian War Memorial) THE AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 246 Bulletin No. 493 - November, 1978 ROUTES TO THE EGYPTIAN BASE AREA - JUME. 1941 I __ j7 I HAIFA) J (I J� ) ;_: \I \. MEDITERRANEAN : ' SEA Ii : ( ·, ,.i(�I f..._/ JAFFA : · I / 0�• I 'AMMAN •• /� ER����,/I ;? \ .·· SEA C I < I ./ �J I Ci • .• -,, I ,,, I •••• - l_l -;;,�--=--c,•• ·····\\ ,::- \ ;: ,· • • •••••• •••••••• ••.• •••..• I i.-, I -) j :.•··· \ L�/ I �'J 1• ;• ' _.., I :::-: . I :!- I <l' I \ LL / ,C( • I ' ··- I\ ( . \ ) ) MA'AN \ I >< \ \ I \ f .,../ ...._ t:' l '- I /1. I NA� �HTAA•l _, I l'..,11-"\ I ¥9. E:c,V:='T \ � ',\ I n·'t,_ c::::::P /� I �__, ! f( ---\- .\ LEGEND STD. GAUGE KANTARA- EL SHATT (ARC&.M.G.) EXISTING PRE.-WAR • ••• • • ••• • •• •• BUILT DURING WAR 1050mm. GAUGE HED_!AZ RAILWAY -•-•-•- " MA'AN -NAQB ASHT.I.R (ARC L M.G.) + + + + + " MA'AN - MEOIIJA (DISUSED Sl>JCE: W.W. 1) • ++- • off, COUNTRY BORDERS AS AT 1941- - - - - - - - - - Scale!. oF Mile!.S 50 O,T. anticipated campaigns in the Balkans, Syria and gauge railway built along the east bank of the canal North Africa. The Mediterranean Sea was too dan­ to Kantara, on the Trans-Sinai Railway linking gerous for supply ships, and the Suez Canal had Egypt and Palestine. Other ports on the Red sea been closed by German aerial mining. Egypt was were to be developed, and a pipeline built across therefore supplied from England via the Cape of the isthmus of Suez for naval oil. In the second half Good Hope and the Red Sea, and from India and of 1941, German air attacks on the canal increas­ Australia, through the port of Suez at the southern ed. end of the canal. This required enlargement of port Syria and Lebanon were French mandated terri­ facilities and of railway capacity inside Egypt. tories between the two world wars. After the fall of To supply Palestine, the port of Aqaba in France, the French authorities in Syria declared for Transjordan, at the northern end of the gulf of the the Petain (Vichy) Government, which had made same name, was to be developed, and a railway peace with Nazi Germany. Turkey adopted a built to Ma'an on the Hedjaz Railway. As this route neutral stand. In January, 1941, the Germans sent was difficult, and of limited capacity, a port was an emissary to Syria, and after a coup d'etat in Iraq also opened at El Shatt near the southern end of in April, made moves towards inciting anti-British the canal, but on the east side, and a standard feeling in the Middle East. THE AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY HISTORICAL SOCIETY 248 Bulletin No. 493 - November, 1978 carry sleepers and other permanent way material. during the 1960's to rebuild this line were not The 70-mile line was completed in three months. successful. North of the Ma'an the line was The route included frequent curves to make damaged by the retreating Turks, and not restored "straight-run" aerial bombing impossible. Various until the 1920's. depots and installations, including railway depots, The only port in Jordan is Aqaba, on the gulf of were opened up along the line, away from vulner­ the same name, a branch of the Red Sea The able large towns, in what had previously been nearest point on the Hedjaz line was Ma'an, some uninhabited desert. 50 miles away by a poor and mountainous road. The line became part of the Egyptian State Rail­ ways, but has been in Israeli occupied territory To provide a "back door" supply line for the since the Six Day War between Egypt and Israel in Syrian campaign, and an alternative route to the 1967.