Mount Barker Junction railway station explained

Mount Barker Junction
Type:Former Australian National regional rail
Style:Australian Rail Track Corporation
Country:Australia
Coordinates:-35.0242°N 138.8591°W
Distance:50.00 kilometres from Adelaide
Line:Adelaide-Wolseley
Victor Harbor
Structure:Ground
Platform:1
Tracks:3
Opened:1883
Closed:1980s
Rebuilt:1943
Operator:South Australian Railways / SteamRanger
Status:Closed

Mount Barker Junction railway station is a disused station on the Adelaide to Wolseley line serving the South Australian city of Mount Barker.[1]

History

Mount Barker Junction station opened in 1883, and consisted of a main platform with a timber station building identical to the one at Balhannah, with a tall signal box next to the building. An island platform was built as well. The timber building and signal box were replaced with the current brick building in 1943. The island platform was demolished around the time the station closed to passengers by 1984 when the passenger service to Victor Harbor ceased.

It became a junction station when the Victor Harbor line opened. When the Adelaide-Wolseley line was gauge converted to standard gauge in 1995, the Victor Harbor line was isolated from the rest of the Australian National network. SteamRanger subsequently relocated from Dry Creek to Mount Barker, and runs broad gauge services south on the line from Mount Barker station.[2] Until 2005, SteamRanger ran a Junction Jogger service from Mount Barker station to this location, but ceased probably due to a worn-out track along this section.[3]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.sa-trackandsignal.net/Pdf%20files/ARTC/AR105.pdf Balhannah - Mount Barker track diagram
  2. http://www.steamranger.org.au/enthusiast/history.htm A Short History of the SteamRanger Heritage Railway
  3. http://www.steamranger.org.au/enthusiast/guides/guide0.htm Mount Barker Junction