The Kingston SE railway line was a railway line on the South Australian Railways network.
| Kingston SE railway line | |
|---|---|
| Overview | |
| Status | Closed and removed |
| Locale | Limestone Coast, South Australia |
| Termini | |
| Continues from | Mount Gambier - Wolseley line |
| Stations | Naracoorte, Stewarts, Lucindale, Bull Islands, Reedy Creek, Avenue Range (Avenue), Kingston S.E. |
| Service | |
| System | South Australian Railways |
| Operator(s) | South Australian Railways (1876–1978), Australian National (1978–1987) |
| History | |
| Opened | June 1876 |
| Closed | 28 November 1987 |
| Technical | |
| Line length | 94.95 km (59.00 mi) |
| Track gauge | 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) |
| Old gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) (1876–1957) |
History
editAn isolated line was authorised by the South-Eastern Railway Act in 1871 and completed in June 1876[1] from the port at Kingston SE inland via Lucindale to Naracoorte as narrow gauge. For the first six months after the line was completed, no locomotives were available, so wagons on the line were towed by horses.
On the night of 26 February 1941, a fire broke out at the Avenue Range (Avenue) station grounds completely destroying the station office and its contents.[2] The immediate cause of the fire was unknown, prompting an investigation by Constable L. P. Hansberry. An official inquest into the incident was ordered and scheduled for 7 March 1941. The cause of the incident was not found. The railway subsequently replaced the building with a basic corrugated iron waiting shed.[2]
The line was converted to broad gauge with a new terminus one kilometre east of Kingston, on the edge of the port township in 1957. Freight and passenger services ceased on 28 November 1987.[3][4]
The last train on the line was a Rail Tourist Association tour on 9 December 1987 with Bluebird railcar 255 'Pelican'. The line was temporarily reopened for the once-off event.[5] The line was dismantled on 15 September 1991.[6]
Stations
edit| Station / Siding | Opened | Closed | Current Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naracoorte | 1876 | 12 April 1995 | Closed | Junction with the Wolseley–Mount Gambier line. |
| Stewart Range | 1876 | - | Demolished | - |
| Lucindale | 1876 | 28 November 1987 | Preserved | Station building survived; repurposed as a local museum. |
| Avenue | 1876 | 28 November 1987 | Demolished | Original weatherboard building destroyed in fire |
| Reedy Creek | 1876 | - | Demolished | - |
| Kingston SE | 1876 | 28 November 1987 | Demolished | Relocated 1 km inland during the 1957 broad-gauge conversion. |
References
edit- ↑ "The Overland Mail to Victoria". Milang Historical Society. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- 1 2 "Avenue Railway Station Destroyed by Fire". The Border Watch. 4 March 1941. p. 3. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ Bell, Peter; Marsden, Susan (29 September 2010). "Kingston SE – An Overview History". Professional Historians Australia (SA) Inc. p. 21. Archived from the original on 1 April 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2019.
- ↑ "Light Railways" (PDF). Light Railways. 252. Light Railway Research Society of Australia. December 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Final Train Visits Kingston" 9 December 1987
- ↑ Diesel Days on the Kingston S.E. Goods Milne, Rod Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, October, 1997 pp356-364
External links
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