MODEL RAILWAY CLUBS AND GROUPS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA

There are a good number of clubs and groups around South Australia that meet on regular basis. Depending on where you live and on your particular interest including gauge, scale and prototype, you may wish to contact one of these groups. They include:-

Adelaide Model Railway Exhibition Inc.
Address PO Box 462, Prospect SA 5082
Telephone 8411-2233 or Chairman Bob 8349 5229
Secretary Bill 8382 4998
Web site www.modelrailwayshow.org.au
Email info@modelrailwayshow.org.au
This organization is comprised of several model railway clubs who combine each year to present the annual Model railway Exhibition at Greyhound Park whose address is corner of South Road and Angle Road, Regency Park. Held on the long week end of June each year, this exhibition comprises over forty different stands including a large number of local and interstate layouts, second hand and trade stalls and stalls from kindred organizations.

Adelaide Model Railway Society
Contact Jeff Barclay 08 8250 8579 or Allan Ziegler 08 8344 8422
The inception of the club can be traced back to 1946, and in more recent years, the club has had layouts at Mt Lofty and Islington. The present club location is at Outer Harbor. Most of the members model USA prototypes, although a few members also run Australian and European outline. Membership is limited to 30, but people with an interest in joining this club are welcome to ring. The club is constructing a large HO layout containing around 70 metres of mainline track.

Blue Lakes Model Railway Club
Club appears to be in recess at present.

British Railway Modellers of Australia Inc. South Australian Branch
Modellers of British Outline
Contact Andrew Emmett 08 8322 2984 16 Nalimba Street, Hallett Cove
South Australia 5158

CTC Classic Train Collectors
Email Secretary kay.leverett@adelaide.edu.au
Phone Kay Leverett 08 8278 6014
Dublo Circle Email popmudie@intermode.on.nt
Phone Bill Mudie 08 8296 9455
Train Collectors Group meets monthly at private homes. The collectors group are interested primarily in "O" gauge and bigger scales and including electric, clockwork and steam models manufactured by the likes of Hornby, Bassett-lowke, Bons, Bowman, Trix, Bing, Lionel, Ferris and Robuilt just to mention a few. The Dublo circle as it suggests run mainly "OO" gauge 3 rail equipment and run on most Monday evenings at private homes.

Digital Experimental Command Control of Australia Inc DECCA
Web www.decca.net.au Phone Secretary 08 8346 5394
Email contact@decca.net.au Postal address PO Box 218, Brompton SA 5007
Monthly meetings are held on the fourth Sunday afternoon and evenings at the Ovingham clubrooms. Digital Control is the latest method to control model railway operations and contains many features not available to normal controllers using 12 volts Direct Current. Anyone with an interest in, or wanting to find out more about DCC is welcome to attend.

Flurieu Railway Operators Group
PO Box 465 Goolwa South Australia 5214
Telephone 08 8555 1116 Allan Kitto
Formal meetings on first Monday of month in Clubrooms at Steamranger Depot
October to March in evenings and April to September in afternoons. Meet at other times to work on the club layout. New members and visitors welcome.

Marklin Club of South Australia
Email dialaribbon@picknowl.com.au
Phone Ralph Wildenauer 08 8298 4941
Marklin equipment is made in Germany and therefore follows European prototype.
HO, N gauge and Z gauge layouts are owned by members. The club is presently looking for new clubrooms.

Mt Barker Model Railway Club Inc
P.O.Box 155, Mt Barker SA 5251
Email mbmrci@yahoo.com.au
Contact the secretary, Gordon Webb 8301 3137, a/h 8391 0185
The club meets on the first and third Sundays of each month at the clubrooms
situated at Fullford Reserve, Littlehampton. Persons of 12 and over are eligible to join.
Club runs mainly Australian outline, but English and American outline also run.

Noarlunga Model Railroaders Inc
Web www.noarail.com
Contact Secretary at PO Box 707, Morphett Vale South Australia 5162. Clubrooms 08 8322 7047.
The Club has meetings on Tuesday evenings,Thursday afternoons and Saturday afternoons in their own air-conditioned clubrooms on Old Reynella Railway Station land. All types of HO/OO trains are run. Visitors are always welcome.

Port Pirie Model Railway Club
The club is presently in recess, but interested modellers are invited to contact The Tourism and Arts center in Port Pirie. The clubs former layout is now owned by the center and members of the public are able to use it at certain times.

Proto 4 Model Railway Group
This group is an exact or fine scale model group who model both South Australian and English trains to the scales of HO and OO. Track widths for HO is 18.38mm and for OO (standard Gauge) is 18.83mm Wheels and flangeways are very much finer than on common commercially built locomotives and rolling stock.. A layout is being built at new clubrooms at Salisbury using codes 40 and 55 rail. The group meets either Wednesday afternoons or Saturday afternoons. Contact President Sam Hyde 82420189 or email hydesj@optusnet.com.au. The secretary is Terry Meads phone 8254 6207. The group would welcome new members.

RTR Model Railway Group
(Ready to run)
Email askus@esc.net.au
Contact Rod Williams 08 8326 7111
Run most Thursday evenings at private homes. Happy to run anything on HO track.
All prototypes catered for. As the group meets at private homes, membership is limited

S.A.N.G.S. - The South Australian N Gauge Society Inc.
Email chrisfinney@ozonline.com.au
Phone Chris Finney after hours on 08 8449 4620

An "N" Gauge Model Railway Club that meets weekly in their own club rooms at Semaphore on Saturdays at midday. Members can run on a large club layout, and receive a monthly magazine.

South Australian Railway Modellers Association Inc
Web www.sarma.asn.au
Contact. Secretary PO Box 4 Prospect SA 5082 Infoline 08 8411 5500
Telephone President 08 8271 5327
Meetings presently held at "Log Cabin" Cnr Lyons Road and Balmoral Road, Dernancourt on the second Wednesday of each month. Other activities most Wednesday evenings including construction nights where members are given assistance with model building projects. Members run all types of HO/OO equipment, although there is encouragement to model SAR. The monthly magazine "The Buffer Stop" has been printed since the inception of the club in 1957. Visitors are welcome.

Whyalla Model Railway Club
PO Box 729 Whyalla SA
Meet on Tuesdays at 8pm at the Clubrooms at Whyalla. Contact the President
Jim Cochrane on 0439 653 740 for further details.

OTHER AUSTRALIAN MODEL RAILWAY CLUBS

See the listing of about 75 clubs around Australia prepared by The Australian Model Railway Magazine at www.australianmodelrailways.com/amclubs.htm

OPERATING STEAM OR PRESERVED RAILWAYS

SteamRanger
Depots at Mt Barker and Goolwa
Operate steam and diesel hauled trains and railcars. Between Mt Barker and Victor Harbor. Trains run on part of the line most Sundays.
www.steamranger.org.au

Pichi Richi Railway Preservation Society
Large depot at Quorn in the Flinders Ranges
Operates Steam and Diesel Hauled trains, Brill Railcar and Steam Motor between
Quorn and Port Augusta. Operates in Winter months and School Holidays.
http://www.prr.org.au

Yorke Peninsula Rail Preservation Society
Operates "Red Hen" style railcars on a section of track from Bute through to Wallaroo. Running days and times can be found on their website.
www.ypr.org.au

Cobdogla Steam Friends Society
Situated near Barmera in the Riverland, this intriguing museum has a large steam traction engine, a working "Humphrey pump" and a small "Bagnall" narrow gauge steam loco which operates on over a kilometer of track near the museum. Open days are irregular. Contact Berri Visitor center for details of open days
http://www.berribarmera.sa.gov.au

Limestone Coast Railway
Used to operate "Red Hen" type railcars out of Mt Gambier along otherwise an unused broad gauge railway towards Naracoorte. The assets of this society are now for sale as the society is in the process of being wound up and disbanded.

Moonta Mines Tourist Railway
A small narrow gauge line hauled behind an internal combustion engine of dubious origin. Runs between the well presented Moonta Mines Museum and the former Moonta Railway Station (now restored as a tourist information centre,) a trip of a few kilometers. Further information from the Moonta tourist Information Centre.

Semaphore Tourist Railway
Operates most weekends during the warmer months. Is usually a steam hauled train on narrow gauge (457mm) track that travels two kilometers along the foreshore between the Semaphore Jetty and Fort Glanville.

MUSEUMS

National Railway Museum
Large undercover pavilions house a multitude of Locomotives, Rolling Stock and Railway paraphernalia. Historical records available for research purposes on appointment. Various steam and diesel locos and some railcars still in working order and run on special occasions. There is small railway for children to ride on. Model Railway display in main pavilion. Book shop with Railway Books, slides and Videos. Well worth a visit.
www.natrailmuseum.org.au/

Port of Morgan Historic Museum
Although mainly about river boats, the museum contains a few railway relics.

Milang Historic Railway Museum
A few pieces of Rolling Stock are displayed at the former Milang Railways Station. The station building has been nicely restored.

Steamtown Heratige Railway Centre - Peterborough South Australia
Has quite a large collection of Narrow Gauge Locos and Rolling Stock stored in and around the former Peterborough Roundhouse. The collection is being established as a Static Railway Museum. Trains no longer run on the section of track from Peterborough to Orroroo.

Old Tailem Town
Situated a few kilometers West of Tailem Bend on the main freeway. Old Tailem Town is a collection of older shops, houses ,churches, a railway station and some rolling stock now totalling over 90 buildings. A remarkable display considering the few people involved. A most interesting day can be spent wandering around the large collection of Buildings and display items. Open 10am to 5pm daily except Christmas day.
www.oldtailemtown.com Telephone 08 8572 3838.

St Kilda Tramway Museum
Quite a large collection of beautifully restored tramcars, most of which are in good working order. Situated on the road to St Kilda Beach ( which runs off the Port Wakefield road about 20 kms north of Adelaide), admission to the Museum includes unlimited rides on the trams that travel about two kilometers between the Tram Museum and the foreshore at St. Kilda. The terminus is situated next to a large children’s adventure playground. The museum is open Sunday afternoons. Possibly open in School holidays, but check. Recommend a visit. www.trammuseumadelaide.com.au/

Jamestown Railway Station National Trust Museum
Most of the objects on display have been donated by local residents relating to non-railway subjects. Of particular interest to Railway Enthusiasts is the oldest preserved South Australian Broad Gauge Passenger Carriage stored in the Jamestown Goods Shed. Originally a Cleminson passenger Car 105, it was converted to a bogie passenger car, then to an Ambulance Car in 1914. After being used as single mens quarters at Booleroo Centre, the broad gauge car is now displayed on narrow gauge bogies.
Phone for details of when the museum is open on 08 8664 0026

Port Lincoln Railway Museum
Run by the Eyre Peninsula Railway Preservation Society Inc., whose address is PO Box 2736, Port Lincoln South Australia 5606, the Museum is housed in part of the Railway Station Building at Port Lincoln. Numerous articles of Railway interest are on display and the museum also contains the J.D.Somerville reading room which houses research material and photographic displays. The Museum is open on Weekends and for a couple of hours on Wednesday afternoons.

OTHER WEB SITES OF RAILWAY INTEREST

ComRails
Chris Drymaliks Commonwealth Railways (and others) pages contain a multitude of information and photos. In particular, photos of many passenger carriages and freight wagons can be found on this web site.
www.railpage.org.au/ then click on "Commonwealth Railways Page"

Inprotrans
Situated at the Islington Railway Workshops at 320 Churchill Road, Kilburn Telephone Mark O’Malley 08 8343 5349. A large collection of plans of Railway Buildings, Rolling Stock, structures, locomotives mainly of the former South Australian Railways and Australian National Railways are available for sale to the public. Some Commonwealth Railways plans are also available. If not available at Inprotrans, their Computer database may be able to find an alternative archive for the item being sought.
Web www.inprotrans.com Email mail@inprotrans.com. Under threat of closure, get in before June 2008.

Christa
Council of Historic Railways and Tramways of South Australia Inc. A society established to promote all railways and tramways in South Australia
The web site for this organization is currently being revamped. (December 2007)

Great Southern Railways
Operates Passenger trains including the Ghan between Adelaide & Darwin, the Indian Pacific between Sydney and Perth via Adelaide, and the Overland between Adelaide and Melbourne.
www.gsr.com.au

National Rail Corp

Operates various Freight Services
www.nationalrail.com.au

Trans Adelaide
Operates the Suburban Railway System in Adelaide, South Australia.
www.transadelaide.com.au

Adelaide Metro
South Australian passenger transport web site with information on all public transport around Adelaide. Recommended are rides on the O’Bahn busway and the Glenelg Tram which now runs the full length of the city from North Terrace. Travelling anywhere from North Terrace to South Terrace on the tram is free.
www.adelaidemetro.com.au

The Dutton Bay Tramway
As you might expect from a person who works for Computer Associates, John Dennis’ website is not only well set out, it is a wealth of information about his layout, numerous photographs and photo galleries are also on display. The site also has a number of links to other Narrow Gauge sites in particular.
members.optushome.com.au/duttonbay/

Minnipa
Another private web site, presented by Peter Knife who is a computer programmer, about modelling the narrow gauge, especially the station of Minnipa on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. A wealth of information on Narrow Gauge Railways of the Eyre Peninsula can be found on this site including Photos of all of the different types of Rolling Stock that ran on this isolated line. Peter Knife has also published two excellent books on the narrow gauge railways of the Eyre Peninsula including "Peninsula Pioneer" and "Peninsula Memories". These books contain a large number of photos useful for modelling purposes.
www.minnipa.au.com/

Australian Society of Section car Operators
a group who occasionally get permission to run a number of section cars
(read gangers trolleys of three or four wheels) on railway lines.
www.assco.org.au

South Australian Retired Railway Employees Club Inc
www.geocities.com/sarreci/

Victor Harbor Horse Tramway
Horse drawn double decker trams are run between the foreshore at Victor Harbor and Granite Island, a distance of about two kilometers. The broad gauge trams are modelled on the originals which used to operate in Victor Harbor up to the early 1950’s.
The trams run most days leaving about every 40 minutes – more often at peak periods – contact the Victor Harbor Tourist Information Centre.
www.horsedrawntram.com.au

LIVE STEAM MODEL ENGINEERING CLUBS

Adelaide Miniature Steam Railway Society
370 Regency Road, Prospect SA 5082
Large 5" gauge railway with plenty of marshalling yards, turntable, etc.
Run both scratch built rolling stock behind live steam locomotives and also they have riding trucks for members of public to ride on.
Public running days are on the 4^th Sunday afternoon of each month.

Clare Valley Model Engineers Inc
Lake Inchiquin Reserve, Clare South Australia 5453
Telephone Don Springbet 08 8842 3075 PO Box 906, Clare SA 5453
November to March, twilight running on 2^nd and 4^th Saturdays
April to October, running on 2^nd and 4^th Sunday afternoons.

Morphett Vale Railway Inc
Wilfred Taylor Reserve, Wheatsheaf Road, Morphett Vale SA 5162
Telephone 0406 265 732 Large 7.25" gauge layout capable of taking the largest
live steam models there are in this gauge. Features a long main line rune. No entrance fees, so public pay for the rides. Open days for the public are advertised in the "What’s on" column of the Advertiser.

Penfield Model Engineers Society
Woomera Road, Edinburgh Parks SA 5111
Public running days are on the last Sunday afternoon of each month except December.
Secretary Lynn Venning 08 8261 6031. PO Box 792, Salisbury SA 5108
Extensive trackwork of more than one gauge.

Roseworthy Railways Inc
Roseworthy Campus of the University of Adelaide
Secretary 08 8255 4378 PO Box 302, Roseworthy SA 5371
7.25" gauge track. Public running days are on the 3^rd Sunday afternoon of each month
during April to November and evening running on the 3^rd Saturday of each month during the period January to March.

South Australian Society of Model & Experimental Engineers Inc
Millswood Crescent, Millswood SA 5034
Telephone 08 8293 6537 Publicity Officer. PO Box 208, Goodwood SA 5034
Public running days are first Sunday and third Saturday afternoon of each month.
Live steam trains can run on three different gauges giving unlimited rides to the public. A lake/pond? is available for model boat enthusiasts as well.

Port Augusta Model Engineers Society
Homestead Park, Elsie Street, Port Augusta South Australia 5700
Secretary 08 8642 4246 5 Higginson Street, Port Augusta SA 5700
Public running days are on the first and third Sunday afternoons of each month.

Other Model engineering societies
Look at the Australian listing on www.steamengine.com.au

HOBBY SHOPS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA WITH A GOOD SELECTION OF MODEL RAILWAY EQUIPMENT AND ROLLING STOCK

Orient Express Model Railway Shop
2 King William Road, Unley SA 5061 Telephone 08 8271 7861
Ask for Fred or Don.
Open on Monday to Saturday.
oexpress@chariot.net.au

Junction Models
Shop 5, 449 Main North Road Enfield SA 5085 Telephone 08 8349 7464
Ask for Brian or Harry.
Open every day except Public Holidays
www.junctionmodels.com.au

End of the line Hobbies
74 Ocean Street, Victor Harbor SA 5211 Telephone 08 8552 7900
Open on Wednesday to Sunday
www.endofthelinehobbies.com.au

Graham's Corner Model Railway Shop
91 Winston Avenue, Daw Park SA 5041 Telephone 08 8277 2931
Open Tuesday to Friday afternoons and Saturday from 10am.

South Australian Hobby Centre
234 Pulteney Street, Adelaide SA 5000 Telephone 08 8232 0080
Open Mondays to Saturdays from 9.30am.