Jump to content

SteamRanger Heritage Railway

Edit links
Coordinates: 35°03′58″S 138°51′56″E / 35.066064°S 138.865665°E / -35.066064; 138.865665
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by SCHolar44 (talk | contribs) at 09:00, 21 December 2022 (Creditation → accreditation. Plus "restoration completed" (for readers who aren't familiar with the accreditation process) and month/year). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

SteamRanger
Rx 224 leaving Port Elliot
in January 2022
Map
Established1986
StandortMount Barker South Australia
Coordinates35°03′58″S 138°51′56″E / 35.066064°S 138.865665°E / -35.066064; 138.865665
TypHeritage Railway
Websitewww.steamrangerheritagerailway.org

The SteamRanger Heritage Railway is a 77 kilometres (48 miles) long 1600 mm (5 ft 3 in) broad gauge tourist railway, formerly the Victor Harbor railway line of the South Australian Railways (SAR). It is operated by the not-for-profit South Australian Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society. As the last operating non-suburban line of the former broad-gauge network, on which Australia's first public railway was opened, the line and its associated rail assets have high historical significance.

History

In the 1970s, the South Australian Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society established SteamRanger as a not-for-profit railway preservation offshoot to operate its train tours from Adelaide, mainly on rural lines throughout the state's broad gauge networks. SteamRanger opened their first purpose-built depot at Dry Creek railway station, 11 kilometres (6.8 miles) north of Adelaide in 1980. From the mid-1980's, SteamRanger gradually took over the operation & maintenance of the Victor Harbor railway line.

When plans were announced for the Adelaide to Melbourne line to be converted to 1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge, SteamRanger had to chose between staying a Dry Creek and losing the investment in the Victor Harbor line, or move and become isolated from the suburban railway lines.Since the first choice would break the society's financial viabiity, in a huge project all of SteamRanger's locomotives and rolling stock were moved. A new depot was built at Mount Barker railway station, in the Adelaide Hills at the northern end of the broad-gauge line to Victor Harbor. As part of the move, the District Council of Mount Barker renovated the station building, at the time derelict, to become SteamRanger's headquarters. The conversion of the interstate line was completed in 1995 as part of the One Nation infrastructure program, and with closures of South Australia's remaining broad-gauge tracks, the line became the last operating memory of locomotive-hauled trains on the state's broad-gauge network.

Operations

Mount Barker station in August 2007

The Cockle Train operates year-round between Goolwa and Victor Harbor. It operates with a steam locomotive in school holidays, and historic diesel locomotives or railcars other weekends.

The Southern Encounter runs from Mount Barker to Victor Harbor from May to November on most of the line.

Some other services along the line are:

  • The Murray River Connector (formerly The Highlander) - from Mount Barker to Strathalbyn and Goolwa. Operates on the second Sunday of each month from May until November.
  • The Bugle Ranger - from Mount Barker to Bugle Ranges using a Redhen railcar set. Services operate on the fourth Sunday each month from June to November.
  • The StrathLink - from Goolwa to Finniss or Strathalbyn using a restored heritage railcar. Operates during School Holiday periods.
  • The Hills Encounter - from Victor Harbor to Mount Barker.

Other special services operate throughout the year.

Fleet

Mainline diesel-electric locomotive 958 and steam locomotive 520 at SteamRanger's Mount Barker workshop in 2006

The SteamRanger fleet as of 2022 was as follows:

Steam locomotives
  • Rx 207 Dean Harvey - built in 1913: operational
  • Rx 224 - built in 1915: operational
  • F 251 - built in 1922: stored awaiting overhaul
  • 520 Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey - built in 1943: under restoration (as funds permit)
  • 621 The Duke of Edinburgh - built in 1936: operational.
Diesel-electric locomotives
Railcars
Carriages

See also

References

http://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/events/

http://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/volunteering-with-steamranger/520-restoration-appeal/

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=SteamRanger_Heritage_Railway&oldid=1128665074"