ings . ▁The ▁Trans - Austral ia ▁was ▁built ▁to ▁standard ▁gauge ▁and ▁the ▁section ▁towards ▁Alice ▁Spr ings , ▁mainly ▁due ▁to ▁budget ▁constraints , ▁was ▁built ▁to ▁narrow ▁gauge . ▁This ▁would ▁cause ▁many ▁problems ▁until ▁its ▁conversion ▁to ▁standard ▁gauge ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁▁ ▁Bell ▁is ▁remembered ▁as ▁a ▁vision ary : ▁while ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁Australia ▁looked ▁at ▁their ▁rail ways ▁par och ial ly , ▁Bell ▁pushed ▁for ▁national ▁consist ency ▁within ▁the ▁railway . ▁He ▁argued ▁that ▁standard ▁gauge ▁should ▁be ▁adopted ▁as ▁the ▁national ▁railway ▁gauge ▁and ▁spoke ▁often ▁about ▁the ▁log ist ical ▁problems ▁of ▁operating ▁" break ▁of ▁gauge " ▁railway ▁stations . ▁Bell ▁played ▁a ▁significant ▁role ▁in ▁assist ing ▁Sir ▁George ▁D ib bs ▁in ▁found ing ▁the ▁Australian ▁Stand ards ▁Association . ▁Bell ▁retired ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁just ▁after ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁steam ▁train ▁( N M 3 5 ) ▁into ▁the ▁tiny ▁town ▁of ▁Stuart ▁( now ▁Alice ▁Spr ings ), ▁and ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁George ▁A . ▁G ah an . ▁ ▁Bell ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 7 ▁aged ▁ 7 6 . ▁His ▁remains ▁were ▁buried ▁at ▁the ▁Ch el ten ham ▁C emetery . ▁ ▁Other ▁interests ▁Bell ▁was ▁appointed ▁J P ▁for ▁Norm anton ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 3 . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁Melbourne ' s ▁Y or ick ▁Club , ▁a ▁keen ▁gol fer , ▁bow ls ▁player ▁and ▁gard