Mount Barker Junction railway station, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Mount Barker Junction railway station is a railway station in South Australia
located on the Melbourne-Adelaide railway, 50km (31mi 25ch) by rail from Adelaide Railway Station
. It is west of the junction of the Victor Harbor railway line. The station consists of an abandoned station building and a 120 metre-long platform.
, with a tall signal box next to the building. An 'island' platform was built as well. The timber building and signal box were replaced with a brick building in 1943 (which still stand today). The island platform was demolished around the time the station closed to passenger
s by 1984 when the passenger service to Victor harbor ceased. Until 2005, Steamranger
ran a 'Junction Jogger' service from Mount Barker railway station, South Australia|Mount Barker]] station to this location, but ceased probably due to a worn-out track along this section.
Until 1995, the station stood beside the broad gauge
line, and as the station's name suggests, to the east of the station there was a junction: the eastern fork continued on to Melbourne
; the southern fork went to Victor Harbor
.
In 1995, the Adelaide-Melbourne line was converted to standard gauge
, thus disconnecting the broad gauge fork to Victor Harbor from the rest of the South Australia
n rail network. Accordingly, SteamRanger
relocated from Dry Creek
to Mount Barker
, and runs broad gauge services south from Mount Barker station.
There are some closed stations beyond Mount Barker Junction:
(Along the Adelaide-Melbourne line - broad gauge until 1995, converted to standard gauge in 1995)
(Along the Victor Harbor line - broad gauge)
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
located on the Melbourne-Adelaide railway, 50km (31mi 25ch) by rail from Adelaide Railway Station
Adelaide Railway Station
Adelaide Railway Station is the central terminus of the Adelaide Metro railway system. It is at on the north side of North Terrace, west of Parliament House. The Adelaide Casino is in part of the building that is no longer required for the station....
. It is west of the junction of the Victor Harbor railway line. The station consists of an abandoned station building and a 120 metre-long platform.
History
The station opened in 1883, and consisted of a main platform with a timber station building identical to the one at BalhannahBalhannah railway station, South Australia
Balhannah railway station is a railway station on the Adelaide-Melbourne line, but is now not in use. The station is in the Adelaide Hills town of Balhannah, and is located by railway from Adelaide Railway Station....
, with a tall signal box next to the building. An 'island' platform was built as well. The timber building and signal box were replaced with a brick building in 1943 (which still stand today). The island platform was demolished around the time the station closed to passenger
Passenger
A passenger is a term broadly used to describe any person who travels in a vehicle, but bears little or no responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination....
s by 1984 when the passenger service to Victor harbor ceased. Until 2005, Steamranger
SteamRanger
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...
ran a 'Junction Jogger' service from Mount Barker railway station, South Australia|Mount Barker]] station to this location, but ceased probably due to a worn-out track along this section.
Until 1995, the station stood beside the broad gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
line, and as the station's name suggests, to the east of the station there was a junction: the eastern fork continued on to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
; the southern fork went to Victor Harbor
Victor Harbor, South Australia
Victor Harbor is a city located on the coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula, about 80 km south of Adelaide, South Australia. The city is the largest population centre on the peninsula, with an economy based upon agriculture, fisheries and various industries...
.
In 1995, the Adelaide-Melbourne line was converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
, thus disconnecting the broad gauge fork to Victor Harbor from the rest of the South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n rail network. Accordingly, SteamRanger
SteamRanger
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...
relocated from Dry Creek
Dry Creek, South Australia
Dry Creek is a mostly industrial suburb located north of Adelaide, containing significant wetlands and a substantial area devoted to salt crystallization pans, managed by Cheltenham Salt Limited....
to Mount Barker
Mount Barker, South Australia
Mount Barker is an expanding city, home to 10 258 residents that is 33 kilometres up the South Eastern Freeway, east of Adelaide, in South Australia. It is the seat of the District Council of Mount Barker, is the largest town in the Adelaide Hills, and is one of the fastest growing areas in the...
, and runs broad gauge services south from Mount Barker station.
There are some closed stations beyond Mount Barker Junction:
(Along the Adelaide-Melbourne line - broad gauge until 1995, converted to standard gauge in 1995)
- Nairne
- Petwood
- Callington
- Monarto South
- Murray Bridge
- Tailem Bend
(Along the Victor Harbor line - broad gauge)
- Littlehampton
- Mount Barker
- Bugle Ranges
- Gemmells
- Strathalbyn
- Sandergrove
- Nurragi
- Milang
- Finnis
- Black Swamp
- Currency Creek
- Goolwa
- Middleton
- Port Elliot
- Victor Harbor
See also
- Rail transport in South AustraliaRail transport in South AustraliaThe first railway in colonial South Australia was a horse-drawn tramway from the port of Goolwa on the Murray River to an ocean harbour at Port Elliot in 1854...
- List of Adelaide railway stations
- List of closed Adelaide railway stations
- Railways in AdelaideRailways in AdelaideThe rail network in Adelaide, South Australia, consists of five lines and 81 stations, totalling 125.9 km. It is operated by Adelaide Metro, and is part of the city-wide Adelaide Metro]public transport system. Apart from the Glenelg Tram, Adelaide's railway system is serviced entirely by...