Marree railway station

Marree station opened on 7 February 1884 at what was then known as Hergott Springs as the terminus of the Central Australia Railway when it was extended from Farina. The line was extended to Coward Springs on 1 February 1888. The town and railway station station were renamed as Marree in 1917.[1][2] In 1891, the line was extended north to Oodnadatta, ultimately reaching Alice Springs in 1929.[3]

On 27 July 1957, Marree became a dual-gauge junction station, when a heavy-duty standard gauge line was opened to convey coal from Telford Cut to Port Augusta since the capacity of the flood-prone, lightly constructed narrow gauge line from Stirling North was inadequate for tonnages required for an additional power station there.[4]^:234 The new line was built from the minesite to Marree to cater more efficiently for transport of cattle. The narrow gauge line remained operational for freight traffic until it was replaced by the Stirling North to Marree line. The station closed in 1980 when a new standard gauge line opened from Tarcoola to Alice Springs and the standard gauge line to Marree was curtailed to Leigh Creek in 1987 after a farewell train was run, marking the end of a 103 year era of Marree having a rail connection.[1][5]

Two NSU class locomotives and 2 wagons have been preserved at the station under the ownership of the Marree Progress Association, while another NSU is within the township, though it is for sale and in derelict condition.

NSU57 and NSU60 displayed at Marree in 2013

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