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SteamRanger Heritage Railway

{{Short description|Preserved railway line in South Australia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}

{{Use Australian English|date=December 2022}}

{{more citations needed|date=February 2023}}

{{Infobox museum

|name=SteamRanger

|logo=SteamRanger logo.png

|image=Rx_224_leaving_Port_Elliot.jpeg

|caption=Rx 224 leaving Port Elliot
in January 2022

|coordinates = {{coord|35.066064|S|138.865665|E|format=dms|display=inline,title}}

|established= 1986

|location=Mount Barker

South Australia

|type= Heritage Railway

|car_park=

|website=[http://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/ www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org]

}}

The SteamRanger Heritage Railway is an {{convert|82|km|mi|abbr=off}} long {{Track gauge|1600mm|comma=off}} 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, {{convert|11|km|mi|abbr=off}} north of Adelaide in 1980. From the mid-1980s, SteamRanger gradually took over the operation and maintenance of the Victor Harbor railway line in the Adelaide Hills.

When plans were announced for the Adelaide to Melbourne line to be converted to {{Track gauge|1435mm|comma=off}} standard gauge, SteamRanger had to choose between staying at Dry Creek and losing its investment in the Victor Harbor line, or move and become isolated from Adelaide's suburban railway lines. Since the first choice would break the society's financial viability, in a huge project all of SteamRanger's locomotives and rolling stock were moved.

File:Mtb steamranger 2.jpg

A new depot was built at Mount Barker railway station, 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, derelict at the time, to become SteamRanger's headquarters. Conversion of the interstate line was completed in 1995 as part of the One Nation infrastructure upgrade program. Following that most of South Australia's broad-gauge tracks have been closed, the line has become the last operating memory of locomotive-hauled trains on the broad gauge.

Services

{{As of|2023|January}}, scheduled SteamRanger trips were as follows.{{cite web |url=https://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/events/ |title=Archives |author= |date=January 2023 |website=SteamRanger |access-date=29 January 2023 |archive-date=29 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230129024555/https://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/events/ |url-status=live }}{{cite web |url=https://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/ |title=Welcome to South Australia's SteamRanger Heritage Railway |author= |date=January 2023 |website=SteamRanger |access-date=29 January 2023 |archive-date=30 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230130185537/https://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/ |url-status=live }}

class="wikitable floatleft mw-collapsible mw-uncollapsed" border= "1" style= "width:95%; font-size: 86%; float:left; margin-left:2em; margin-right:2em; margin-bottom:2em"

! scope="col"|Name

! scope= "col"|Between (round trips)

! scope= "col"|Distance and time (round trips)

! scope= "col"|Days

! scope= "col"|Steam or diesel?

! scope= "col" |Notes

style="vertical-align:top;"

|Cockle Train
– off peak{{efn-la|[https://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/our-trains/cockle-train/ Cockle Train page]}}

| |Goolwa and Victor Harbor

| |{{convert|21|km|mi|abbr=on}}.
About 1 hour, 30 minutes.

| |Most Wednesdays and weekends

| |Heritage diesel locomotives or railcars*

| |Buy tickets on day of travel at SteamRanger stations (does not have reserved seats)

style="vertical-align:top;"

|Cockle Train
– during school holidays{{efn-la|[https://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/our-trains/cockle-train/ Cockle Train page]}}

| |As above

| | As above

| |Every day during school holidays

| |Normally steam locomotives; diesel when a total fire ban for the Mount Lofty Ranges is in force*

| |As above

style="vertical-align:top;"

|Southern Encounter{{efn-la|[https://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/our-trains/the-southern-encounter/ Southern Encounter page]}}

| |Mount Barker to Victor Harbor

| {{convert|164|km|mi|abbr=on}}.
About 8 hours 45 minutes including 2 hours 40 minutes lunch and several 10-minute stops.

| |First, third and fifth Sundays May to November

| |Steam locomotives

| |Bookings essential**

style="vertical-align:top;"

|Hills Encounter{{efn-la|[https://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/our-trains/the-hills-encounter/ Hills Encounter page]}}

| |Victor Harbor to Mount Barker

| |{{convert|164|km|mi|abbr=on}}.
About 8 hours including 2 hours 20 minutes lunch.

| |As on [https://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/our-trains/thehills-encounter/ website]

| |Normally steam locomotives; diesel when a total fire ban for the Mount Lofty Ranges is in force*

| |Passengers can optionally leave train at Strathalbyn for lunch and shopping then join return trip. Bookings essential.

style="vertical-align:top;"

|StrathLink{{efn-la|[https://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/our-trains/the-strathlink/ StrathLink page]}}

| |Victor Harbor (or board at Goolwa) to Strathalbyn

| |{{convert|100|km|mi|abbr=on}}.
About 5 hours 20 minutes including 2 hours lunch.

| |Several days during the school holidays

| |On the Cockle Train Victor Harbor to Goolwa, then via heritage railcar to Strathalbyn

| |Booking advisable since some trains fill quickly

style="vertical-align:top;"

|Bugle Ranger{{efn-la|[https://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/our-trains/the-bugle-ranger/ Bugle Ranger page]}}

| |Mount Barker to Philcox Hill and Bugle Ranges station

| |{{convert|18|km|mi|abbr=on}}.
About 45 minutes.

| |Fourth Sunday June to November

| |Red Hen railcar

| |Buy tickets on day of travel at SteamRanger's Mount Barker station

colspan= "6" |* When the forecast for Victor Harbor is 35 degrees Celsius or above, the Cockle Train does not operate.
** First-class tickets include compartment in an art deco carriage with morning tea, lunch and a paddle steamer voyage.

{{notelist-la}}

{{clear}}

File:South Australian Railways 520 class loco at the SteamRanger Museum.jpg and steam locomotive 520 at SteamRanger's Mount Barker workshop in 2006]]

Fleet

SteamRanger's fleet as of March 2025 was as follows. SteamRanger Heritage Railway fleet, https://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/our-locomotive-fleet/

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! scope="col"|Item

!Photo

! scope="col" |Built

! scope="col" style= "width: 33%;"|Status

colspan="4" style="text-align:left" |Steam locomotives
|Rx class no. 207, Dean Harvey

|

1913Out of Service, Mt Barker
|Rx class no. 224

|thumb

1915Operational, Goolwa
|F class no. 251

|thumb

1922Stored awaiting overhaul, Mt Barker
|620 class no. 621, Duke of Edinburgh

|thumb

1936Operational, Goolwa
|520 class no. 520, Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey

|thumb

1943Under restoration, Mt Barker
colspan="4" style="text-align:left" |Diesel-electric locomotives
|350 class no. 350

|

1949Operational, Mt Barker (limited shunting use only)
|500 class no. 507

|

1965Operational, Goolwa
|700 class no. 704

|

1972Stored, Mt Barker
|830 class no. 844

|thumb

1962Operational, Goolwa
|830 class no. 845

|

1963Under restoration, Mt Barker
|930 class no. 958

|

1965Operational, Mt Barker
|930 class no. 963

|

1967Stored, Mt Barker
colspan="4" style="text-align:left" |Diesel railcars
|300 and 400 class Red Hen railcars nos 334, 412 and 820 class trailer car 824

|

1958, 1960, 1912Operational, Goolwa
400 class "Red Hen" railcar no. 428

|

|1968

|Accident damaged, undergoing repair, Mt Barker

|400 class "Red Hen" railcar no. 424 and 860 class trailer car no. 875

|

1968, 1945Operational, Goolwa
|300 and 400 class "Red Hen" railcars nos 364 and 405

|thumb

1968, 1959Stored, Mt Barker
|Brill Model 75 railcar no. 43

|

1928Under restoration, Goolwa
|Brill Model 75 railcar no. 60

|

1928Out of Service, Goolwa
|2000 class "Jumbo" railcars nos 2010 and 2109

|

1980Stored, Goolwa
colspan="4" style="text-align:left" |Passenger cars
colspan="4" style="text-align:left" |thumb

  • Wooden "Centenary" cars nos 52, 54, 56, 60, 61, 62 and 66
  • Wooden suburban cars nos 70, 71 and 73
  • Wooden suburban baggage cars nos 81, 82 and 83
  • Wooden 4400 class brakevan no. 4420
  • Steel 500 class first class car no. 503 (Limited use only)
  • Steel 600 class second class car no. 602
  • Steel 700 class second class cars nos 701, 704, 706 and 710
  • Former V&SAR joint stock sleeper car Finniss (Limited use only)
  • H type carriage sets SH21 (BCH121, BIH181 and BTH161) and SH25 (BCH125, BIH185 and BTH165) Both Ex. V/Line
  • Steel CGP class brakevan no. CGP2

{{clear}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

External links

  • [http://www.steamranger.org.au/ SteamRanger Heritage Railway website]
  • [http://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/events/ SteamRanger Heritage Railway events]
  • [http://www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org/volunteering-with-steamranger/520-restoration-appeal/ SteamRanger Heritage Railway volunteering]
  • [http://www.steamranger.org.au/enthusiast/home.htm SteamRanger Heritage Railway enthusiasts]

{{Adelaide Hills|state=collapsed}}

Category:Fleurieu Peninsula

Category:Tourist railways in South Australia

Category:Museums in South Australia

Category:Railway museums in South Australia