SteamRanger Heritage Railway

The SteamRanger Heritage Railway is an 82 kilometres (51 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.

SteamRanger

Rx 224 leaving Port Elliot in January 2022
Established	1986
Location	Mount Barker South Australia
Coordinates	35°03′58″S 138°51′56″E
Type	Heritage Railway
Website	www.steamrangerheritagerailway.org

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-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 1435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) 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.

SteamRanger's Mount Barker depot taken from Dutton Road in 2007

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 January 2023^[update], scheduled SteamRanger trips were as follows.^[1][2]

Name	Between (round trips)	Distance and time (round trips)	Days	Steam or diesel?	Notes
Cockle Train – off peak[a]	Goolwa and Victor Harbor	21 km (13 mi). 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)
Cockle Train – during school holidays[b]	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
Southern Encounter[c]	Mount Barker to Victor Harbor	164 km (102 mi). 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**
Hills Encounter[d]	Victor Harbor to Mount Barker	164 km (102 mi). About 8 hours including 2 hours 20 minutes lunch.	As on 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.
StrathLink[e]	Victor Harbor (or board at Goolwa) to Strathalbyn	100 km (62 mi). 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
Bugle Ranger[f]	Mount Barker to Philcox Hill and Bugle Ranges station	18 km (11 mi). About 45 minutes.	Fourth Sunday June to November	Red Hen railcar	Buy tickets on day of travel at SteamRanger's Mount Barker station
* 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. Cockle Train page Cockle Train page Southern Encounter page Hills Encounter page StrathLink page Bugle Ranger page

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

Fleet

SteamRanger's fleet as of March 2025 was as follows.^[3]

Item	Photo	Built	Status
Steam locomotives
Rx class no. 207, Dean Harvey		1913	Operational, Mt Barker
Rx class no. 224		1915	Operational, Goolwa
F class no. 251		1922	Stored awaiting overhaul, Mt Barker
620 class no. 621, Duke of Edinburgh		1936	Operational, Goolwa
520 class no. 520, Sir Malcolm Barclay-Harvey		1943	Under restoration, Mt Barker
Diesel-electric locomotives
350 class no. 350		1949	Operational, Mt Barker (limited shunting use only)
500 class no. 507		1965	Operational, Goolwa
700 class no. 704		1972	Stored, Mt Barker
830 class no. 844		1962	Operational, Goolwa
830 class no. 845		1963	Under restoration, Mt Barker
930 class no. 958		1965	Operational, Mt Barker
930 class no. 963		1967	Stored, Mt Barker
Diesel railcars
300 and 400 class Red Hen railcars nos 334, 412 and 820 class trailer car 824		1958, 1960, 1912	Operational, 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, 1945	Operational, Goolwa
300 and 400 class "Red Hen" railcars nos 364 and 405		1968, 1959	Stored, Mt Barker
Brill Model 75 railcar no. 43		1928	Under restoration, Goolwa
Brill Model 75 railcar no. 60		1928	Out of Service, Mount Barker
2000 class "Jumbo" railcars nos 2010 and 2109		1980	Stored, Goolwa
Passenger cars
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 Power Van PH454 Ex V/Line. Steel CGP class brakevan no. CGP2

See also

• Rail transport in South Australia
• Railways in Adelaide
• Port Elliot railway station
• Goolwa railway station
• Victor Harbor railway line