Tourist Services and
Minor Railways in

Australia

Luxury Cruise Trains

• Great Southern Railway The Ghan (Adelaide to Darwin), Indian Pacific (Sydney to Perth), The Overland (Adelaide to Melbourne) and The Southern Spirit (Adelaide to Brisbane)
• Rail Australia single point source of tickets and information for luxury cruise trains and other long distance services

Tourist services, minor railways and tramways

Australian Capital Territory

• The Australian Railway Historical Society operates short journeys heritage railcars from its museum in Canberra to Fyshwick, regular steam or diesel hauled trains to Bungendore and Tarago in New South Wales, and occasional longer journeys by luxury train.

New South Wales

• Cockatoo Run diesel hauled heritage tourist train running from Sydney over Cityrail lines to Wollongong, and thence via the little used line via Robinson to Moss Vale in the Southern Highlands
• Cooma Monaro Railway tourist line using heritage railcars, between Cooma and Chakola (19km)
• Glenreagh Mountain Railway tourist line operating occasional steam trains on a short section of line from Glenreagh West. Eventual extension proposed to Ulong, a distance of some 35km
• Katoomba Scenic Railway funicular in Scenic World at Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. The line descends 415m through a cliff tunnel into rain forest.
• Lachlan Valley Railway steam and diesel hauled trains and heritage railcars operating from Cowra
• Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park the State Mine Colliery Branch provides internal transport and is an important exhibit in its own right
• Richmond Vale Railway Museum offers train rides within the Museum grounds on certain days. Steam or diesel hauled
• Zig Zag Railway steeply inclined tourist railway operated by adhesion, with switchbacks. Located at Clarence, near Lithgow
• Sydney Tramway Museum operating preserved trams
• Valley Heights Steam Tramway carriages hauled by steam tramway and other locomotives at the Loco Depot Heritage Museum in Valley Heights

Northern Territory

• Old Ghan Historical Railway tourist trains on an 8km section of the original 3ft 6in (1067mm) gauge Ghan railway route, located about 10km south of Alice Springs. Operates most Sunday mornings, and other times by prior arrangement. Usually diesel hauled, with a steam locomotive available for special events and charters. Dining facilities for pre-booked evening groups.

Queensland

• Australia Sugar Cane Railway 2ft (610mm) gauge railway about 1km in length, located in the Botanic Gardens, Bundaberg. Steam or diesel hauled using equipment from the former sugar cane industry.
• Bally Hooley Steam Railway in Port Douglas, Marina to St Crispin’s station. About 4km, 600mm gauge, steam hauled
• Durundur Railway 2ft (610mm) gauge railway at Woodford. Steam or diesel hauled using equipment from the former sugar cane industry.
• The Gulflander Normanton to Croydon in a heritage diesel railcar. Outward from either terminus for a single journey in one day, or return journey with an overnight stop. Short return journeys of up to a few hours are also available from Normanton.
• Kuranda Scenic Railway Cairns to Kuranda via the Barron Valley, about 75km.
• Mary Valley Heritage Railway steam hauled tourist railway between Gympie and Imbil
• Queensland Pioneer Steam Railway 3ft 6in (1067mm) gauge tourist railway in Ipswich, with stations at Swanbank and Bundamba Racescouse. Usually steam hauled
• Rosewood Railway 3ft 6in (1067mm) gauge tourist railway between Cabanda and Kunkala, near Ipswich. Usually steam hauled.
• The Savannahlander Cairns to Forsyth in a heritage diesel railcar. The whole line can be covered in a four day tour with overnight hotel stops; shorter journeys are available as day trips.
• Archer Park Steam Tram operating preserved steam tram at Archer Park Station in Rockhampton
• Brisbane Tramway Museum operating preserved electric tram in Ferny Grove, near brisbane

South Australia

• Pichi Richi Railway steam and diesel hauled tourist railway between Port Augusta and Quorn. The line formed part of the original 3ft 6in (1067mm) gauge Ghan line to Alice Springs
• Steamranger steam and diesel hauled tourist railway between Victor Harbor and Mount Barker, southeast of Adelaide. The total length of the 5ft 3in (1600mm) gauge line is some 77km, although the entire line is not necessarily covered on all operating days
• Victor Harbor historic horse drawn trams

Tasmania

Tasmania has a network of 3ft 6in (1067mm) gauge lines reaching most parts of the island. There are no regular passenger services but several tourist operations some of which use the freight lines of Tasrail.

• Don River Railway tourist railway near Devonport. Steam and diesel hauled
• Derwent Valley Railway steam and diesel hauled tourist operation based at New Norfolk, using Tasrail lines
• Redwater Creek Railway steam hauled, 600mm gauge tourist line 1km in length, in Sheffield
• Ida Bay Railway Lune River to Elliott's Beach, about 7km. 2ft (610mm) gauge bush railway now converted for tourist operation, using original diesel locomotives
• Wee Georgie Wood Steam Railway steam hauled, 2ft (610mm) gauge tourist line 1.6km in length, in Tullah
• West Coast Wilderness Railway steam and diesel hauled tourist line from Strahan to Queenstown through the gorge of the King River, a distance of 35km, part rack equipped

Victoria

• Alexandra Timber Tramway steam hauled trains on a short 2ft 6in (610mm) gauge line at a museum in Alexandra
• Bellarine Railway 3ft 6in (1067mm) gauge tourist railway with steam hauled trains and luxury railcars between Queenscliff and Drysdale, a distance of 16km
• Coal Creek Bush Railway steam and diesel hauled trains on a 2ft 6in (610mm) gauge line in the Coal Creek Heritage Village at Korrumburra
• Daylesford Spa Country Railway 5ft 3in (1600mm) gauge tourist with heritage railcars between Daylesford and Bullarto. Dining facilities on certain trains.
• Kerrisdale Mountain Railway 2ft (610mm) gauge tourist line at Kerrisdale (between Seymour and Yea). The steeply graded line has diesel hauled trains using former industrial locomotives
• Mornington Railway 5ft 3in (1600mm) gauge tourist railway with steam and diesel hauled trains between Mornington and Moorooduc
• Perisher Skitube modern rack railway, 8.5km in length of which 6.3km is in tunnel, serving the Kosciuszko National Park near Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains
• Puffing Billy steam hauled 2ft 6in (762mm) gauge tourist railway between Belgrave and Gembrook in the Dandenong Ranges (a distance of 23km), also serving Emerald Lake Park
• Red Cliffs Historical Steam Railway steam hauled trains on a 2ft 6in (610mm) gauge line, 2km in length, at Red Cliffs (Website provided by ATR)
• South Gippsland Tourist Railway 5ft 3in (1600mm) gauge railway with diesel hauled trains and heritage railcars between Nyora and Leongatha, a distance of about 38km. The principal station is at Korumburra
• Victoria Goldfields Railway 5ft 3in (1600mm) gauge tourist railway with steam and diesel hauled trains between Castlemaine and Maldon
• Walhalla Goldfields Railway 2ft 6in (762mm) gauge tourist railway with steam hauled trains on the spectacular river gorge line between Thomson and Walhalla, a distance of 4.5km
• Yarra Valley Railway the 5ft 3in (1600mm) gauge line from Healesville to Yarra Glen and Lilydale is in the course of restoration as a tourist railway. At present, trips operate only on a short section of the line
• Ballarat Tramway Museum operating preserved trams
• Bendigo historic trams in the city centre
• Portland Cable Trams diesel powered replica of former cable trams, serving various tourist attractions in Portland
• Tramway Museum Society of Victoria operating preserved trams in the grounds of the museum at Bylands
• Altona Miniature Railway 5in (127mm) and 7¼in (184mm) gauge miniature railway some 1.5km in length, in Lynch Reserve, Melbourne. Steam and diesel hauled
• Diamond Valley Railway extensive 7¼in (184mm) gauge miniature railway in Eltham Lower Park, Melways

Western Australia

• Bennett Brook Railway 2ft (610mm) gauge line some 6km in length, in Whiteman Park near Perth. Steam and diesel hauled
• Etimlyn Forest Railway 3ft 6in (1067mm) gauge line with steam and diesel hauled trains over an 8km stretch starting at Dwellingup. The company operates some through excursions from Perth
• Pemberton Tramway Company 3ft 6in (1067mm) gauge line with steam and diesel hauled trains from Pemberton to Lyall (21km) and diesel powered trams from Pemberton to Northcliffe (36km)
• Castledare Miniature Railways 7¼in (184mm) gauge miniature railway, in two sections totalling over 6km, located in Wilson Park in the suburbs of Perth. Steam and diesel hauled
• Pilbara Railways Historical Society railway museum near Karratha with a miniature railway

© 2005-2011 Glyn Williams
Flag image from CIA World Factbook