CLUBS, MUSEUMS, SHOPS AND LINKS
(last updated November 2011)
There are a 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. - AMRE.
Address PO Box 462, Prospect SA 5082
Telephone 8411-2233 Secretary Bill Lewis 0427 824 998
Web site www.modelrailwayshow.org.au
Email web@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 which is situated near the 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 Railroaders Inc.
Contact Jeff Barclay 08 8250 8579 or John Holland 08 8276 1515
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, and people with an interest in joining this club are welcome to ring. The club is constructing a large HO layout on which regular running nights are now held.
British
Railway Modellers of Australia Inc.
South Australian Branch
Modellers
of British Outline in all scales including N, OO, O Gauge and live
steam.
Meet 1st
Thursday night and 3rd
Saturday afternoon at private members homes.
Contact Andrew Emmett 08 8322 2984
- Mobile 0401 126 348, Postal address
29 Tigress Drive, Hallett
Cove. South Australia 5158.
e-mail aem02457@bigpond.net.au
The British modelers publish a quarterly Australia wide "Journal".
Australian web site www.brma.asn.au
CTC Classic Train Collectors
Email
Secretary kay.leverett@adelaide.edu.au
Phone Kay Leverett 08 8278 6014
Dublo
Circle Email popmudie@gmail.com
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.
Bill Mudie is also Vice-President of the Hornby Railway Collectors
Association of Australia whose website can be found at
www.hrcaa.org.au
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 in
private members homes. Digital Command Control (DCC) is the latest
method used to control model railway operations using 18 volt AC and
contains many features not available to older style controllers using
12 -15 volt 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@completenet.com.au
Web http://www.mmrcsa.com.au/
Phone Ralph Wildenauer 08 8298 4941
Marklin three rail HO equipment is
made in Germany and therefore tends to follow European prototype. HO,
N gauge and Z gauge layouts are owned by members. The club has
clubrooms in the former DSTO ballroom at Penfield and is now
upgrading this room.
Mt
Barker Model Railway Club Inc.
P.O.
Box 155, Mt Barker SA 5251
Web www.mtbarkermrc.org.au
Contact
the secretary, Gordon Webb mobile 0405 709 188, or the President,
John Sheppard on 08 8398 3047
The club meets fortnightly on
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
, and email admin@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 clubrooms
on Old
Reynella
Railway Station land. All types of HO/OO trains are run. Visitors
are welcome. A monthly magazine can be found on their website.
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.
RTR
Model Railway Group
(Ready to run)
Email askus@esc.net.au
Contact
Rod Williams mobile 0408 827 789
Meet 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 numbers are limited.
SANGS
- South Australian N Gauge Society Inc.
Email
secretary@sangs.asn.au
PO Box 95, Semaphore SA 5019
Web www.sangs.asn.au
Phone
Chris Finney after hours on 08 8449 4620
An
"N" Gauge Model Railway Club that meets weekly in their own club
rooms in the Semaphore
RSL building on Saturdays at midday. Members can run on a large club
layout, and receive a monthly magazine. All prototypes run at the
club.
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"
Corner Lyons Road and Balmoral Road, Dernancourt
on
the second Wednesday of each month. Other activities most Wednesday
evenings include construction nights where members are given
assistance with model building projects. Members run all types of
mainly HO/OO equipment, with a few N gauger's rebuilding a small N
layout. 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.
South
Australian Protofour Group Inc.
Meets
Wednesdays and Saturdays from 11am at the clubrooms , Military
Vehicle Museum main building, Sturton Road, Edinburgh.
This
group is an exact or fine scale model group who model both South
Australian and British trains to the scales of HO and OO. Track
widths for HO broad gauge is 18.34mm 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 P87 layout is
being built at new clubrooms at Salisbury using codes 40 and 55 rail.
Contact President Sam Hyde 0401 125 757 or email
hydesj@optusnet.com.au.
The secretary is Terry Meads phone 8254 6207. The group would
welcome new members.
Whyalla
Model Railway Club
PO
Box 729 Whyalla SA
Meet on Tuesdays at 8pm at the Clubrooms at
Fisk Street, Whyalla. Contact the President, Jim Cochrane on 0439
653 740 for further details.
OTHER AUSTRALIAN MODEL RAILWAY CLUBS
See the listing of about 100 clubs around Australia prepared by The Australian Model Railway Magazine on www.australianmodelrailways.com/amclubs.html
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. Extremely well restored
equipment running on 3'6" gauge track Operates Steam and Diesel
Hauled trains, Brill Railcar and Steam Motor between Quorn and Port
Augusta. Operates in winter months and school holidays. Web.
http://www.prr.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
www.heritagerailsa.org.au/member06_cobdogla.html
A small narrow gauge line hauled behind an internal combustion engine of indeterminate 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.
Web
www.southaustralia.com/9000601.aspx
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.
Web www.southaustralia.com/9000790.aspx
MUSEUMS
National
Railway Museum
Large
undercover pavilions house a multitude of Locomotives, Rolling Stock
and Railway paraphernalia. Historical records available for
research purposes by 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. Web www.natrailmuseum.org.au/
Although mainly about river boats, the museum contains a few railway relics. Port Milang Historic Railway Museum
A few pieces of Rolling Stock are displayed at the former Milang Railway Station.
The station building has been nicely restored. The Museum is open on weekends or by appointment. Telephone 08 8537 0499. Web enter "Port Milang Historic Railway Museum" Steamtown Heritage Railway Centre - Peterborough South Australia
Has quite a large collection of narrow gauge locos and rolling stock stored in and around the Peterborough heritage listed roundhouse of 23 bays. The collection has been established as a Static Railway Museum and is open daily except Christmas day. Trains can no longer run from Peterborough to Orroroo as the track has been pulled up.
Telephone 08 8651 2173 Web enter "Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre" Old Tailem Town
This large village of over 100 buildings is 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, and each building is chock full of displays and collectables. 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. Plenty of buildings to use as prototypes for modelling. Open 10am to 5pm daily except Christmas day.
Web enter "Old Tailem Town" 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 kilometers 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.
e-mail htram373@hotmail.com
Web
site at http://www.railpage.org.au/aetmsa/
Jamestown Railway Station and Goods Shed Museum.
Most
of the objects on display which have been donated by local residents
to this National Trust Museum relate to non-railway subjects. Of
particular interest to Railway Enthusiasts is the oldest preserved
South Australian Broad Gauge Passenger Carriage stored in the Goods
Shed. Built in November 1882, originally a Cleminson passenger car
numbered 105, it was converted to a bogie passenger car, then to an
Ambulance Car in 1914. After being used as single men's quarters at
Booleroo Centre, the broad gauge car is now displayed on narrow gauge
bogies. The Museum is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10am to
4pm and on Sundays from 2pm to 4 pm.
Phone
08 8664 0026
Web enter "Jamestown Railway Station and
Goods Shed Museum"
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
Wednesdays, Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays from 1pm to 4pm.
www.eprps.org.au
e-mail president@eprps@org.au
or phone Peter Knife
08 8684 3647
Loxton
Historical Village
A
small, but very well maintained and presented village made up from
old buildings brought in from the surrounding area. Included in the
display is a church, a school, a bank, a number of shops, old farm
equipment, a station shelter shed, a few other railways relics as
well as a preserved Rx class locomotive and tender (No 55).
Situated near the river at the end of the main street, the Museum is
well worth a visit if in the Riverland. Open every day. Web
search "Loxton Historical Village"
Millicent
National Trust "Living History" Museum
An
interesting collection including some very well presented horse drawn
vehicles. For the railway enthusiasts, a 4-8-0 narrow gauge T Class
loco and tender (T224) is also nicely preserved at the museum.
Situated at 1 Mount Gambier Road, Millicent, the museum is open every
day of the week. Telephone 8733 3205
If searching on the web,
enter "Millicent Museum"
Port
Pirie National Trust Museum
Situated
in the former Railway Station Building and old Customs House in the
main street of Port Pirie, the Victorian "Pavilion Style" station
building itself is well worth a look, let alone the exhibits. Closed
in 1967 when the trains stopped running down the main street of Port
Pirie, the station building is now owned by the National Trust.
Given that Port Pirie had three gauges of railway for over 30 years,
there is a rich and interesting railway history, snippets of which
can be found in the museum. There is also plenty to be found on the
Ports shipping history.
A
preserved 0-6-0 BHAS Barclay steam loco is also on display in the
museum. Open every day except Christmas day.
73-77 Ellen Street,
Port Pirie. Phone 08 8632 3435. Web enter "Port Pirie
Museum"
Locomotives
Other
railway relics in the form of locomotives in various states of
disrepair can be found at Kapunda Children's playground (Rx 5);
Nuriootpa park (Rx 217); Tailem Bend Station area (Rx 201);
Victor Harbor Children's playground (Rx 191); Gawler Railway
Station (F 230 or F177?); Murray Bridge Wharf area (Rx 160);
Naracoorte Park narrow gauge 0-4-4 loco (V9); Kadina Park (Rx231);
Port Augusta Homestead Park 0-6-0
Barclay Tank called "Passchendale"
OTHER WEB SITES OF RAILWAY INTEREST
ComRails
Chris
Drymalik's 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"
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.
Lists of available plans and photos are on their web site. Plans can be delivered in hard copy or electronically.
Web www.inprotrans.com e-mail mail@inprotrans.com.
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.
http://www.gsr.com.au
Operates various Freight Services
www.pacificnational.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 to the Tea Tree Gully shopping centre and the Glenelg
Tram which now runs the full length of King William Street and part
of North Terrace out as far as the Entertainment Centre at Hindmarsh.
Glenelg has beaches, a jetty, lots of shops and eating places.
Travelling anywhere from North Terrace to South Terrace on the tram
is free. The best train ride is probably up to Belair through the
foothills. Best views are from the right hand side of the train as it
travels up into the hills.
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.
http://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.com.au
South
Australian Retired Railway Employees Club Inc
Meet
fortnightly in the City.
www.sarreci.yolasite.com
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 horse 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 Society370 Regency Road, Prospect SA 5082 or P.O. Box 205, Prospect SA 5082
Large 5" gauge railway with plenty of marshalling yards, turntable, etc.
Runs scratch built rolling stock behind live steam locomotives and the club also has riding trucks for members of public to ride on.
Public running days are on the 4th Sunday afternoon of each month. Usually in "Whats on" column in Saturday's paper.
Clare
Valley Model Engineers Inc
Melrose
Park, White Hut Road, Clare South Australia 5453
Telephone Don
Springbet 08 8842 3075 PO Box 906, Clare SA 5453
Melrose
park contains a lake, playground, BMX bike track and walking
paths.
November
to March, twilight running on 2nd
and 4th
Saturdays
April to October, running on 2nd
and 4th
Sunday afternoons.
Morphett
Vale Railway Inc
Wilfred
Taylor Reserve, Wheatsheaf Road, Morphett Vale SA 5162
Telephone
John on 0418 859 857 or contact the secretary Jeff Hague at PO Box
743, Morphett Vale SA 5162 Telephone 08 8387 6564.
Large
7.25" gauge layout capable of taking the largest live steam models
there are in this gauge. Features a long main line run of around 1.6
km. 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 track work of more than one gauge.
.
Roseworthy
Railways Inc
Roseworthy
Campus of the University of Adelaide on Mudla Wirra Road,
Roseworthy.
Secretary 08 8264 1997 or PO Box 208, Modbury North
SA 5092
7.25" gauge track. Public running days are on the 3rd
Sunday afternoon of each month
during April to November and
evening running on the 3rd
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. An admission fee is
payable, but an unlimited number of rides is then available to the
public. A lake is also used by a growing number of model boat
enthusiasts. Group bookings for birthday parties etc. taken.
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. Good selection of European and Australian Model
Trains.
This shop only stocks model railway equipment. Open on
Monday to Saturday.
oexpress@chariot.net.au
Junction
Models
Shop
5,(but about to move next door to a bigger shop) 449 Main North Road
Enfield SA 5085 Telephone 08 8349 7464
Ask for Brian or
Harry. Stock lots of different types of model railway equipment
including
Australian, British and American prototypes. 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 Good selection of Australian
model railway equipment including many of their own kits of South
Australian prototype. Plenty of cars, planes and kits also available.
Ask for Rod or Paul.
www.endofthelinehobbies.com.au
234 Pulteney Street, Adelaide SA 5000 Telephone 08 8232 0080
Open Mondays to Saturdays from 9.30am. A few train sets available. Hobby Habit
Have a large hobby shop at 144 Daws Road, Melrose Park. SA. Model car enthusiasts should check out the racing tracks behind the shop. Although dealing mainly with model cars, there are plenty of other plastic kits and some model railway equipment in stock.