David Benton wrote:Never heard of it George . When did it run ?
the standard gauge track from the NSW border to Brisbane is relatively new (post war ? ) .
Im not aware of any wheel gauge changing facilities in Australia .Practice in south australia was to load the narrow gauge wagons onto standard gauge flat tops . Everywhere else it was trans ship .
It was a luxury Orient Express type of train. It has been cancelled because of lack of custom. But it advertised itself as a single journey from Sydney or Melbourne to Cairns.
There were gauge changing facilities at Port Augustus or Port Pirie (can't remember which) where Irish gauge met the standard gauge. Possibly at Peterborough too. When I was on the Indian Pacific I saw where the changer had been.
I took the overnight train to Brisbane (March 1986) and saw that the track into Roma Street was just being laid - due to open a month or so later. The standard gauge terminal was then at Melbourne South.
So, what you say suggests that it was in fact two trains: one standard, the other Cape gauge.