A Rail of Two Cities: A History of the Sydney to Melbourne Railway (AMFB-09)

Product No.: AMFB-09
Title: A Rail of Two Cities: A History of the Sydney to Melbourne Railway
Author(s): Fiddian, Marc
Illustrator(s): N/A
Publisher: Galaxy Print and Design
ISBN: 0958170487
Condition: New
Binding: Softcover
Dust Jacket: No Jacket
Edition: 1st Edition
Publication Year: 2004

Features: 70 Pages with Black/White Photos.

This volume traces the history of the railway linking Melbourne and Sydney, starting in the mid-19th century when engineers put down tracks from either end and eventually met at Albury in 1883. At the time the railway consisted of the standard gauge on the New South Wales side and the broad gauge on the Victorian side. It was not until 1962 that this problem was rectified when a standard gauge line was opened from Melbourne to Albury.

Author Marc Fiddian looks at the major stops between Australia's largest cities, the places where passengers changed trains to branch lines, accidents, incidents and personalities involved with the railway. One of the train drivers was Ben Chifley, who later served as Australia's Prime Minister from 1945-49.