SteamRanger
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SteamRanger is a historic train society in South Australia running trains on the Victor Harbor railway line. They are the only group regularly running broad gauge steam locomotives in South Australia. It is run by volunteers of the South Australian Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society.
[edit] History
Prior to 1995 when the Adelaide to Melbourne line was converted to standard gauge, SteamRanger was based at Dry Creek, an industrial suburb in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, and home to the main road-rail freight depots in Adelaide. The Southern Encounter operated from Adelaide instead of Mount Barker, including six tunnels through the Mount Lofty Ranges. Special services were also operated to other places on the South Australian broad gauge network including Burra (near the Clare Valley), Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley and shorter services on the metropolitan network.
[edit] Operations
The Cockle Train operates year-round between Goolwa and Victor Harbor along the route of Australia's first railway. 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 during winter, utilising most of the remaining broad gauge branch from the main Adelaide to Melbourne line. There are also shorter services operated to Strathalbyn from both Mount Barker and Goolwa.
[edit] Fleet
Steam locomotives operated by SteamRanger:
- SAR 621 The Duke of Edinburgh - 1936
- SAR 520 Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey (named after Sir C. Malcolm Barclay-Harvey, KCMG the Governor of South Australia when it commenced service in 1943) - not currently serviceable
- Rx 207 Dean Harvey - built in 1913
- Rx 224 - 1915 - not currently serviceable
- F251 - built in 1922 in Gawler, South Australia (previously hauled suburban Adelaide trains)
Others:
- Diesel Locomotive 958 - Built for the SAR in 1965
- Diesel Locomotive 507 - Built by the SAR in 1965
- Diesel Locomotive 350 - Built by the SAR in 1949
- Brill railcar 60. (also known as a Barwell Bull after the premier of South Australia at the time of their introduction, Henry Barwell). Brill 60 was completely rebuilt by Volunteers from Brill trailer 207
- Redhen railcars 412, 428, 364 1968
[edit] External links
- SteamRanger website
- SteamRanger enthusiasts
- Unoffical SteamRanger Fan Site
- SteamRanger (Unofficial) MySpace
[edit] See also
- Pichi Richi Railway
- Victor Harbor railway line
- Rail transport in South Australia
- Railways in Adelaide
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