Editing Railways in Adelaide (section)

=== The Webb Era ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2024}}
Despite the earlier geographic expansion, by 1920 the infrastructure and rolling stock of [[South Australian Railways]] (SAR) had become run down, inadequate and outdated. Many of the operating practices, such as train control and signalling, were backward by the standards of the time.

However the 1920s saw substantial and expensive improvements in most facets of the SAR's operations under the leadership of Railways Commissioner [[William Alfred Webb|William Webb]]. Webb was an American who had substantial operational experience with US railroads, and served as Commissioner between 1922 and 1930.

During his reign, track, bridges, railway workshops, rolling stock and especially steam locomotives were all modernised and upgraded along essentially American lines. [[Adelaide railway station|Adelaide station]] was rebuilt with a handsome sandstone building as a showpiece of the city on [[North Terrace, Adelaide|North Terrace]]. The building still stands; the lower level remains as the railway station, but the upper levels have been converted into a casino.