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Welcome to the Eyre Peninsula train page.

The Eyre Peninsula is situated in the West of South Australia stretching from Port Augusta in the North East to Ceduna in the North West and South to Port Lincoln. Much of the area's wealth is generated through the grain industry. In the early 1900's the then South Australian Railways built a network of 3foot 6 inch gauge rail links to assist in the movement of grain and provided freight and passenger services to the country communities. This isolated railway was known as the Port Lincoln Division.

The original link between Pt Lincoln and the central country town of Cummins was opened for service on the 18th of November 1907. At this point the line separates in two travelling as far West as Penong, opened on the 7th February 1924, and North East as Buckleboo, opened on the 5th August 1926. A spur line was completed from Yeelana to Mt Hope in 1914 however it was reduced to Kapinnie on the 12th July 1926. The Gypsum line to Kevin was opened on the 13th February 1966.

Passenger and general goods services have sadly been replaced by road transport. The railway, now operated by private company Australian Railroad Group , continues to transport grain from the rural silos to the Ports of Thevenard and Port Lincoln and Gypsum from the mine at Kevin to Thevenard.

The age of the track and the narrow gauge have placed restrictions on the speed at which much of the remaining line can be  operated. The line to Kappinnie has been closed from Yeelanna as has the line from Kimba to Buckleboo. The line between Wudinna and the Thevenard junction has been closed to Grain traffic however emains open to light engine traffic in support of the Gypsum traffic.

Grain loading

Grain and gypsum are the only major commodities transported on the Eyre Peninsula by rail today.

Wheat, barley, conola, oats, lupens and some peas are stored "up country" during the harvest season in a network of silos, bunkers and storage sheds mainly along the rail route. Progressively the harvest is moved to Port Lincoln and Thevenard for loading onto the ships which carry the grain to the world markets.

Shunting Tractors are used on the country silo sites to push the wagons throught the outloaders to recieve grain.

Grain is gravity fed into the open tops of the wagons through an outloading chute. Seen here a HAN wagon is loaded at the Kimba silos. Ausbulk has announced the planned construction of possibly 3 1000 tonne an hour mobile fast rail loaders for the Eyre Peninsula. They are designed to load straight out of valves cut into the sides of the existing concrete silos and consist of a large tubulator mounted on a semi trailer. It is believed that the introduction of these fast/ mobile loaders will significantly increase the speed and efficiency that trains can be loaded at all sites.

All wagons are now fitted with ground operated opening systems including roll top tarps and air operated roof hatches.