Railways and Tramways of Australia
19 January
Melbourne Express crossing the Sleeps Hill Viaduct in South Australia, hauled by two Rx Class locomotives. Photo: State Library of South Australia, B 58892/510.
Inter-colonial express train
Express trains from Melbourne and Adelaide made their inaugural journeys on 19 January 1887.
Victoria and South Australia both used broad gauge railways, so when their lines met near the border at Serviceton, a direct train trip between the cities was possible.
The passenger train between Melbourne and Adelaide was referred to in early timetables simply as ‘Express’. However, it was commonly known as the Inter-colonial Express. Later the names Adelaide Express and Melbourne Express came into widespread usage.
The first westbound train departed from Adelaide at 3.30 pm, while the eastbound service left Melbourne at 4.05 pm. They passed each other at Dimboola. The train from Melbourne probably departed behind an A Class 4-4-0 locomotive, while the service from Adelaide was almost certainly hauled between Adelaide and Murray Bridge by an R Class 4-6-0 locomotive, and then a Q Class 4-4-0 locomotive to Serviceton. One of the carriages on each service was a Mann boudoir sleeping car, with four of these imported from the United States of America. They were reported by some newspapers to be the ultimate in comfort and elegance.
From the inauguration of train services, the express passenger carriages running between Melbourne and Adelaide were owned jointly by Victorian Railways and South Australian Railways. The train stopped for dinner and breakfast at Ballarat and Murray Bridge, with a refreshment stop at Serviceton.
The interstate train between Victoria and South Australia became known as The Overland in June 1926. Today The Overland continues to run twice weekly in each direction between Melbourne and Adelaide. The line was converted to standard gauge in 1995.
The inter-colonial express of 1887 is now Australia’s oldest interstate train.
Read more
www.railtram.com.au/the-overland-history
Bibliography
JY Harvey, ‘Named trains of the Victorian Railways’, Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, no. 283, May 1961, pp 69–79.
EC Rowland, ‘An introduction to The Overland story’, Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, no. 471, January 1977, pp 1–16.
The Overland hauled by South Australian Railways 500 Class locomotive no. 507 at Mile End, near the Adelaide terminus. Photo: State Library of South Australia, B 58892/514.
