History
The Semaphore line was extended from the port on 7 January 1882 by South Australian Railways to serve the new overseas shipping jetty at Semaphore. In 1917 when the Semaphore to Rosewater and Albert Park tram line was opened there was an unresolved dispute over the tramline crossing the railway line near Exeter station.
The Railway Commissioner disallowed trams to cross over the railway line. Trams continued to operate with one isolated tram service between the crossing and Largs, with passengers having to walk across the railway line to use the remaining tramline. After a short period of time the M.T.T continued full service along the line regardless of not having the rail commissioner’s consent. In response to this rail workers threatened to cut the tramline off by dumping a load of sleepers on the tramway tracks.
An agreement was eventually made to allow trams to cross the line on the condition that a signal cabin be installed and a signal man was to cut off power to trams when a train approached preventing trams from proceeding over the railway tracks. This system nearly caused a disaster when a tram happened to be using the crossing when power was cut off. The tram was nearly stranded on the railway line and an accident was barely avoided. The switches for cutting of power was then removed and replaced by a system of traffic lights. The line closed on 29 October 1978. This was partly because traders on the north side of Semaphore road claims of losing business.
Read more about this topic: Semaphore Railway Line
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