SteamRanger

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The railway station used by the SteamRanger in Mount Barker

SteamRanger is an 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.


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.

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.

Some shorter services along the line are:

  • The Bugle Ranger - from Mount Barker to Bugle Ranges using a Redhen railcar set. Services operate one Sunday each month from late April to October
  • The Highlander - from Mount Barker to Strathalbyn using steam locomotives when possible. Operates on the second Sunday of each month from June until the end of November (excluding October).
  • StrathLink - from Goolwa to Strathalbyn using a restored heritage "Brill" railcar. Operates during School Holiday periods.

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

See also

External links

Major Townships
Attractions
See also
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