Mount Lofty railway station, Adelaide
Encyclopedia
Mount Lofty Railway Station is a railway station in South Australia
, on the former Adelaide-Bridgewater railway line, located in the Adelaide Hills
suburb of Stirling
. The station opened in 1883 and it is located 31.0 km (19m41c) by rail from the Adelaide Railway Station
. It is the highest railway station between Adelaide
and Melbourne
.
Two platforms were provided. The north or 'Down' platform is 125.0 metres long and the south or 'Up' platform is 103.6 metres long. Both platforms are still in place, although no longer in use. The wooden stairs leading down from the footbridge to the south platform are still in place and have been refurbished, but are not serviceable. The station signs on both platforms, which were mainly used at stations in the hills and near the beach (eg Belair and Semaphore respectively) from early in the 1900s to the 1980s, are also still in place. The small traditional wooden shelter which once graced the north platform no longer exists. Neither does the signal box which once stood high next to the bridge on the south platform. This was demolished when main building was extended to include a new signal box in 1929.
Until 1987 Adelaide suburban trains serviced the station and went further east to Bridgewater
. The trains were withdrawn in that year because of high cost of operating the trains and low passenger numbers. All railway stations beyond Belair, including Mount Lofty railway station were closed to suburban trains, and most of the other stations have since been demolished .
In 1995 the main railway line from Adelaide to Melbourne was converted from Broad Gauge
(1600mm) to Standard Gauge
(1435mm), thus preventing any restoration of local trains to Mount Lofty and beyond, as the Adelaide suburban system remained as broad gauge. At the station there are three standard gauge railway tracks, two for interstate freight, and the third is used to stable track machines. The southern track is the main line and the northern track is the crossing loop. As the length of the crossing loop is 629 metres, the crossing of trains at Mount Lofty is rare.
Today, Mount Lofty Railway Station is holiday & tourist accommodation with a comfortable and quaint railway theme. Bookings can be made throughout the year. From a derelict state, the station building was rebuilt in the mid 1990s in a project managed by Stirling Council using Federal Government retraining funding. In 1999-2000, the Emmett family of Stirling completed the rebuild to suit it's current use as accommodation, and still operate it today (2011) on lease from the South Australian Government. Interstate freight trains and the interstate passenger express "The Overland" pass through the station each day, but the platforms are only used for special trains or in an emergency .
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, on the former Adelaide-Bridgewater railway line, located in the Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills
The Adelaide Hills are part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is unofficially centred on the largest town in the area, Mount Barker, which has a population of around 29,000 and is also one of Australia's fastest growing towns.- History :The...
suburb of Stirling
Stirling, South Australia
Stirling is a town located in the Adelaide Hills. It is administered by the Adelaide Hills Council. Its population is about 2500, though the town has largely merged with neighbouring townships such as Crafers and Aldgate. The towns closely surrounding it are: Aldgate, Crafers, Bridgewater and...
. The station opened in 1883 and it is located 31.0 km (19m41c) by rail from the Adelaide Railway Station
Adelaide Railway Station
Adelaide Railway Station is the central terminus of the Adelaide Metro railway system. It is at on the north side of North Terrace, west of Parliament House. The Adelaide Casino is in part of the building that is no longer required for the station....
. It is the highest railway station between Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
Two platforms were provided. The north or 'Down' platform is 125.0 metres long and the south or 'Up' platform is 103.6 metres long. Both platforms are still in place, although no longer in use. The wooden stairs leading down from the footbridge to the south platform are still in place and have been refurbished, but are not serviceable. The station signs on both platforms, which were mainly used at stations in the hills and near the beach (eg Belair and Semaphore respectively) from early in the 1900s to the 1980s, are also still in place. The small traditional wooden shelter which once graced the north platform no longer exists. Neither does the signal box which once stood high next to the bridge on the south platform. This was demolished when main building was extended to include a new signal box in 1929.
Until 1987 Adelaide suburban trains serviced the station and went further east to Bridgewater
Bridgewater, South Australia
Bridgewater is a town in the Adelaide Hills, southeast of Adelaide in South Australia.It is the former end of the Adelaide-Bridgewater railway line; this route was closed in 1987...
. The trains were withdrawn in that year because of high cost of operating the trains and low passenger numbers. All railway stations beyond Belair, including Mount Lofty railway station were closed to suburban trains, and most of the other stations have since been demolished .
In 1995 the main railway line from Adelaide to Melbourne was converted from Broad Gauge
Broad gauge
Broad-gauge railways use a track gauge greater than the standard gauge of .- List :For list see: List of broad gauges, by gauge and country- History :...
(1600mm) to Standard Gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
(1435mm), thus preventing any restoration of local trains to Mount Lofty and beyond, as the Adelaide suburban system remained as broad gauge. At the station there are three standard gauge railway tracks, two for interstate freight, and the third is used to stable track machines. The southern track is the main line and the northern track is the crossing loop. As the length of the crossing loop is 629 metres, the crossing of trains at Mount Lofty is rare.
Today, Mount Lofty Railway Station is holiday & tourist accommodation with a comfortable and quaint railway theme. Bookings can be made throughout the year. From a derelict state, the station building was rebuilt in the mid 1990s in a project managed by Stirling Council using Federal Government retraining funding. In 1999-2000, the Emmett family of Stirling completed the rebuild to suit it's current use as accommodation, and still operate it today (2011) on lease from the South Australian Government. Interstate freight trains and the interstate passenger express "The Overland" pass through the station each day, but the platforms are only used for special trains or in an emergency .