THE RIESLING TRAIL
This is the story of the railway branch line from Riverton to Clare and Spalding, in South Australia's mid-north.
THIS HISTORICAL TREATISE IS PRESENTED, PARTIALLY COMPLETED. RESEARCH ON THE SUBJECT IS CONTINUING, AND AS MORE MATERIAL IS OBTAINED THE CONTENT WILL BE EXPANDED. A MAJOR ASPECT THAT WILL INVOLVE CONSIDERABLE RESEARCH SURROUNDS THE MANOEUVRING WITHIN PARLIAMENT THAT RESULTED IN THE LINE'S ENACTMENT.
The formation of the railway between Auburn and Clare has now been developed as a walking and riding trail and our website includes information for walkers and cyclists.
CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION FOR WALKERS AND CYCLISTS, AND A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT TRAIL.
The railway was opened to Clare in 1918, and to Spalding in 1922. Operations ceased in February 1983 following major damage in the Ash Wednesday bushfire, although we can be certain that the bushfire only hastened the inevitable by a few years.
Structurally and operationally the Clare line could be best described as "ho-hum". No great bridges, no high-speed timetables, no banking engines, no disasters. If one was pressed on the issue of whether there was anything special about it, one would have to say that, from Adelaide, a return day trip to Clare was a delightful day's jaunt. The running-time from Adelaide to Clare was about three hours. Add in station stops, and whether opposing movements needed to be crossed, along with the watering requirements of both engines and passengers, the trip took about four hours. From Adelaide to Riverton the mainline run was a high speed gallop. Thereafter the "slowly as it goes" progress up the branch line was conducive a to a more relaxed peace of mind as the wheels slowly squealed their way round the tight curves. Just when things were starting to get boring, passengers would find themselves peering down on the ever-changing scenery of vineyards, orchards, mixed farms, and the wonder of whether the exit from the next curve or cutting would find them midst massive bluegums, or chuffing through some hamlet seemingly belonging to another time or land. Come Clare station itself, the visitor was welcomed by an avenue of great oaks, that seemed to be saying "you have arrived at the garden of the north - welcome!"
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