# 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.

## 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.
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, scheduled SteamRanger trips were as follows.
| Name | Between (round trips) | Distance and time (round trips) | Days | Steam or diesel? | Notes |
| Cockle Train – off peak | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 | 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 ||||||

## Fleet

SteamRanger's fleet as of March 2025 was as follows.
| Item | Built | Status |
| Steam locomotives |||
| Rx class no. 207, Dean Harvey | 1913 | Out of Service, 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, Goolwa |
| 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) Steel CGP class brakevan no. CGP2 |||