South Australian Railways (SAR) was the statutory corporation through which the Government of South Australia built and operated railways in South Australia from 1854 until March 1978, when its non-urban railways were incorporated into Australian National, and its Adelaide urban lines were transferred to the State Transport Authority.
Gauge conversion is the change of one railway track gauge to another. This may be required if loads are too heavy for the existing track gauge or if rail cars are of a broader gauge than the existing track gauge. Gauge conversion may become less important as time passes due to the development of variable gauge systems, also called Automatic Track Gauge Changeover Systems.
The Commonwealth Railways NSU class was a class of diesel-electric locomotives built in 1954 and 1955 by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company, England, for the Commonwealth Railways for use on the narrow-gauge Central Australia Railway and North Australia Railway.
The Commonwealth Railways NB class originated in a shipment of four 0-6-0, 1067 millimetres gauge, saddle tank steam locomotives built by the Vulcan Iron Works of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. They were imported to Australia in 1916 for construction work at the naval base at Henderson, Western Australia. Their tractive effort was 9500 pounds.
The South Australian Railways W/Wx class was a class of 2-6-0 steam locomotives operated by the South Australian Railways and some by the Commonwealth Railways.
The NJ class are a class of diesel locomotive built in 1971 by Clyde Engineering, Granville for the Commonwealth Railways for use on the Central Australia Railway.
Port Pirie railway station was the fifth of six stations that operated at various times from 1876 to serve the small maritime town of Port Pirie, 216 kilometres by rail north of Adelaide, South Australia. As with several of Port Pirie's other stations before it, the station was built to accommodate a change of track gauge on railway lines leading into the town.
The South Australian Railways A Class Locomotives arrived for the South Australian Railways in September and October 1868 from Robert Stephenson and Company. A third and final locomotive was ordered and arrived in 1873, these locomotives were withdrawn between 1893 and 1924 from the SAR after many years of hard service.
The South Australian Railways C Class Locomotives were built by the Robert Stephenson and Company for the South Australian Railways in 1856. The first locomotive numbered 5 was in service by November 1856, the second locomotive numbered 6 was in service by January 1857. They spent many years with the South Australian Railways and were both rebuilt over the years. They were both withdrawn from service after having a number of years on their service record with No. 5 being withdrawn after 50 years worth of service for the SAR. No. 6 lasted well into Commissioner Webbs era, after being withdrawn in 1926 with almost 70 years of service for the SAR.
The South Australian Railways G Class Locomotives first appeared on the South Australian Railways in 1869 after being purchased from Beyer, Peacock and Company. More locomotives were purchased and were in service in 1880, then again followed in 1886. The G class lasted up to 1923 until they were all condemned.
The South Australian Railways Ga Class locomotive was built in 1874 by Robert Stephenson and Company for the Adelaide Glenelg & Suburban Railway Company and entered service as No. 3. In November 1881 this locomotive was sold to the Glenelg Railway Company and became their No. 3. On the 16th of December 1899 this locomotive entered service on the South Australian Railways as Ga class No. 157, following the SAR purchasing the Glenelg Railway Company. Ga class No. 157 was rebuilt at Islington Railway Workshops in November 1902 and condemned in May 1915. Seven years later this locomotives was scrapped in 1922.
The South Australian Railways Gb Class locomotives entered service with the South Australian Railways on the 16th of December 1899 following the purchase of the Glenelg Railway Company by the SAR. These locomotives were built by Robert Stephenson and Company in 1874 and 1878. The locomotive built in 1874 enter service on the Adelaide Glenelg & Suburban Railway Company as No. 4. No. 4 was sold to the Glenelg Railway Company in November 1881 and became their No. 4. The locomotive built in 1878 entered service on the Adelaide Glenelg & Suburban Railway Company as No. 5, it was then sold to the Glenelg Railway Company and became their No. 5. They were classed Gb when the SAR purchased the Glenelg Railway Company in 1899 and got renumbered 158 and 159. No. 158 was condemned as of the 12th of December 1904. No. 159 on the other hand a longer career being withdrawn on the 21st of February 1916, then being condemned in December 1921 and ultimately scrapped in 1922.
The South Australian Railways Ge Class Locomotives were built by Beyer, Peacock and Company for the Glenelg Railway Company in 1897. They entered service as numbers 11 and 12. On the 16th of December 1899 they entered service on the South Australian Railways after the purchase of the Glenelg Railway Company in 1899. The SAR classed these locomotives a Ge and numbered them 165 and 166. Ge class No. 166 was condemned on the 8th of April 1929 and Ge class No. 165 was condemned on the 4th of June 1935. They were both eventually scrapped.
The first South Australian Railways I class locomotive was built by Neilson and Company, Scotland, for the Canterbury Provincial Railways, New Zealand, in 1873 and numbered 9. In May 1878 the South Australian Railways (SAR) purchased it. The ship that transported it to South Australia was wrecked, but the locomotive was salvaged and entered service on the SAR in April 1879 as number 38. In 1880 or 1881 it was renumbered 48. It was allocated to "I" class – which was ultimately to be known as the "first I class" – in 1887 or 1888. In October 1905 the SAR withdrew it from service, then sold it in May 1906 to the South Australian Harbours Board for use in the construction of the Outer Harbour breakwater. It was condemned in August 1909 before being scrapped.
The South Australian Railways I Class Locomotive entered service with the South Australian Railways on the 9th of December 1910 as No. 161.
Eighteen South Australian Railways K class (broad-gauge) locomotives were built by Beyer, Peacock and Company for the South Australian Railways (SAR) between 1878 and 1884. Despite having a fundamental design flaw that affected their original role as light-line passenger locomotives, they eventually performed shunting duties exclusively. They operated for six decades.
The South Australian Railways U Class Locomotives were the first built by Beyer, Peacock and Company in 1876 for the South Australian Railways narrow-gauge lines.
Four South Australian Railways L class broad-gauge locomotives with a 4-4-0 wheel arrangement were built by Beyer, Peacock and Company in 1879 and entered service in March–April 1880. They were condemned in 1928 and 1931, and were subsequently scrapped.
The South Australian Railways N Class Locomotives were built in 1881 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the South Australian Railways (S.A.R.). They were rebuilt in 1904, which vastly improved their performance and completely changed their look from a typical American locomotive of the time to a more British one.
The South Australian Railways O Class (2nd) Locomotive was a 4-4-0WT built by Robert Stephenson and Company in 1868 for the Launceston and Western Railway Company. It entered service with the South Australian Railways in 1912 and was cut up in 1930.
