Re Sovereign Hill, I'm inclined to think that Valvegear has the right of it.

It doesn't really seem to need one; and where, without disturbing overmuch the current set-up, could one be put?

And if the place is intended to be strictly covering the period encapsulated within 1851-61, [pedant's hat]the railway didn't arrive in Ballarat until 1862[/pedant's hat].

Throwing the pedant's hat in the corner, to be fair to RustyRick, the railway, from its arrival in Ballarat, would have played no small part in the whole gold thing, considering that much mining continued in the ensuing decades.

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'nuff of that, back on topic.

Jim Longworth has recently written a book, Amusement Railways of Australia. It has been sold through the LRRSA bookshop; on checking the link below, I find that it's currently unavailable but maybe that could change in the future.

http://lightrailwayresearchsocietyofaustralia.cart.net.au/epages/lightrailwayresearchsocietyofaustralia.sf/en_AU/?ObjectPath=/Shops/lightrailwayresearchsocietyofaustralia/Products/aroa

I don't know, but it might be possible that it's available elsewhere.

The Seaworld railway is out of service. The station is barricaded off, parts of the track have been built over.

The Seaworld railway is out of service. The station is barricaded off, parts of the track have been built over.

For either upgrading or complete removal  do you think?

I went on it back in 2000 and it was a good trip around the park but like everything else, if its costing more than its being used, then out it goes.

No idea why it stopped. My guess would be changing accreditation requirements, but thats only a guess.

That the track has been built over indicates no imediate plans to reinstate it.

Newington Armaments Depot has a fantastic train that travels the site at Homebush Olympic Park. Runs Sundays or by weekday bookings for groups. The train has push/pull diesels and a great interpretation of the depot.

They are battery electric, not diesel. The passenger rolling stock was specially built for the 'tourist' running and features remote locking doors and continuous automatic brakes. The railway didn't run for quite a few years while they got things sorted on the railway safety act front. For a while it looked like the coming of the rail safety act had killed them off.

I gather most of the locomotives used at the Armaments Depot were battery electric. Everything has to be 'explosion protected'. The battery electric locomotives having every thing that could possibly generate a spark well enclosed. This is harder to do with a diesel.

There were a number of other 'attractions' that had railways as part of the attraction. The rail safety act killed most of them off when they went from being under 'amusement park rides' to 'railways'.
I understand at least one of these attractions regauged their railway to get it back under 'amusement park' rules instead of 'railway' rules.

Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in QLD has a pretty decent loop of track and goes under the Gold Coast Hwy.

Sovereign Hill does have a railway. "The Mine Tram" offers a tour underground.
I think from Memory it is 2 foot gauge.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMwMfubOe_U

Here is a video I found online.

They also have a Funicular Railway to take you down into the Mine.

Dullest ghost train ride ever.

Sovereign Hill does have a railway. "The Mine Tram" offers a tour underground.
I think from Memory it is 2 foot gauge.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMwMfubOe_U

Here is a video I found online.

They also have a Funicular Railway to take you down into the Mine.

Just did Sovereign Hill, we only got in one mine tour and this involved a steep cable "tram" as they call it (more like Katoomba railway) into the mine and out again. But also underground there was a internal miniature train ride back through the mine that was up down, left and right through the tunnel with some speed to it and quite fun. Last about 5min and the train was about 6 to 7 cars long.

There was a 2nd cable powered tram to another location but we didn't do that.

The Seaworld railway is out of service. The station is barricaded off, parts of the track have been built over.

For either upgrading or complete removal  do you think?

I went on it back in 2000 and it was a good trip around the park but like everything else, if its costing more than its being used, then out it goes.

I cannot even see it on the satellite photos. Seaworld brought in the Monorail years ago to move people around and get a higher view. Looking at the site now you have to wonder where a railway would fit?

From the station the line curved east, before turning south on the eastern side of the lake. It proceeded to a balloon loop before returning.

South of the station was another balloon loop that curved around underneath the present sea lion stadium.

The station is the most visible sign of the railways former presence.

Sovereign Hill does have a railway. "The Mine Tram" offers a tour underground.
I think from Memory it is 2 foot gauge.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMwMfubOe_U

Here is a video I found online.

They also have a Funicular Railway to take you down into the Mine.

Oh I stand corrected then.

I've only been there a few times, once or twice in the eighties, and an all too brief visit in 2011. Didn't notice the quasi-ghost train nor the funicular on any of those occasions

El Caballo Blanco in Sydney had one, you can see it in this video


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Uv_Ck4-q0

There is also a railway at the Menangle steam museum near Sydney


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtiTLrtFljc

Sovereign Hill does have a railway. "The Mine Tram" offers a tour underground.
I think from Memory it is 2 foot gauge.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMwMfubOe_U

Here is a video I found online.

They also have a Funicular Railway to take you down into the Mine.

Oh I stand corrected then.

I've only been there a few times, once or twice in the eighties, and an all too brief visit in 2011. Didn't notice the quasi-ghost train nor the funicular on any of those occasions

Its looks fairly new when I was there last month.

When I was a kid a Melbourne drive-in cinema had a little train under the screen that ran in a circle. I forget which drive in, at the time I thought every drive-in had the same setup, it was part of a childrens amusement park setup under the screen and ran when it was still daylight. I even remember a curved tunnel.

Jim Longworth has recently written a book, Amusement Railways of Australia. It has been sold through the LRRSA bookshop; on checking the link below, I find that it's currently unavailable but maybe that could change in the future.

I don't know, but it might be possible that it's available elsewhere.

Try Transit Australia Publishing, who are the actual publishers of the book, not LRRSA.
TAP Box 114 Canterbury VIC 3126.