This information is presented as a guide to current operations on the ex-South Australian Railways lines on Eyre Peninsula. As circumstances can and often do change, no responsibility can be accepted for the accuracy or timeliness of the details, however the information may be of assistance to visitors to Eyre Peninsula.
Please remember, 'safety first', keep well clear of moving trains and do not trespass.
Train Operations
The only current operations on Eyre Peninsula are the gypsum trains between Thevenard and Kevin. This is an impressive 'conveyor belt' working, with one set of locomotives and wagons making three round trips per day, usually five or six days a week. The trains are normally hauled by two ex-Queensland 2300 Class and consist of up to seven RSG hoppers and eight AHPF hoppers (always leading) and a solid set of ENH and ENHA wagons to a total of 70-72 hoppers. A balloon loop at Thevenard and a triangle at Kevin mean that the same locomotive leads all day. Routine maintenance is carried out at Thevenard. Two 1600 Class locomotives (ex CR NJ Class) substitute for one 2300 when either of the 2300s isn't available.
All grain workings ceased on 31 May 2019 after Viterra opted not to renew GWA's contract. There is now no rail activity on the Port Lincoln Division south of Penong Junction (Ceduna).
Up to the end of April 2014 grain trains commonly consisted of 54 wagons (mixed consists of all available hopper classes: HAN,HBN and HCN). The most common locomotive rostering was an A-830-DA or A-830-830 combination, with quad 830s/DAs when an A was unavailable. NJs in Port Lincoln for servicing usually appear on grain trains until returned to Thevenard.
From 1 May 2014 only one grain train consist of 64 hoppers was used (HAN and HCN hoppers only). Trains for Cummins Bunker are limited to 60 wagons due to shunting restrictions there. Unlike the previous two-train working, there is no predictable pattern to running times. More recently, 31 AHGX class grain hoppers have been transferred from standard gauge to narrow gauge and sent to Port Lincoln. Once all were available for traffic, all HCN class hoppers were withdrawn and scrapped. The grain consist was then normally 62 hoppers, with a block of AHGXs and another of HANs. Power was typically the two A (1200) class and two 830/900 class.
From the 2005-2006 season, grain trains only ran as far as Wudinna and Kimba. The Yeelanna - Kapinnie line saw its last train in October 2002, and the last working to Buckleboo was in early 2005. The only movements between Wudinna and Penong Junction (Ceduna) were light engine transfers between Thevenard and the workshops at Port Lincoln. The very last movement south of Penong Junction was on 26 & 27 June 2019 when 1606-1603-851-905 ran light engine from Port Lincoln to Thevenard.
Radio Frequencies
Radio is/was used for Train Control over much of the network.
Port Lincoln and Ceduna:
- 165.730
- 168.520
- 168.580
- 168.640
Wanilla (between Port Lincoln and Cummins):
- 163.950
- 168.550
Tooligie:
- 165.250
Eyre Peninsula Train Control radio traffic can also be heard elsewhere in the state on ARG's Train Control frequencies (418.675 in the Adelaide area).
Train Numbers
Train numbers on Eyre Peninsula conform to ARG's standard numbering plan for South Australian lines. Numbers are in the form "DRLN", where:
The route code indicates the line segment, A for Port Lincoln - Cummins, B for Ungarra - Buckleboo, C for Yeelanna - Penong Junction (including the Kapinnie branch) and D for Thevenard - Kevin.
The location code specifies the destination siding (forward journeys) or originating siding (return journeys). The codes are duplicated within route segments, so the combinations of route code and location code used are:
The service number is odd for movements away from a major centre (Port Lincoln or Thevenard) and even for movements towards such a centre. Numbers start at 1 each day for each combination of route code and location code.
Some examples:
The first train from Port Lincoln to Cummins on a Thursday would be 5AE1. It would return as 5AE2.
The second gypsum train on a Friday from Thevenard to Kevin would be 6DD3, returning as 6DD4.
The first train from Cummins Bunker to Lock on a Tuesday would be 3CD1, returning as 3CD2. In the event of a second train running to Lock, from Port Lincoln on the same day, it would then be numbered 3CD3/3CD4 (although it is the first train to Lock from Port Lincoln that day, it is the second to use Lock's 'CD' code that day).