700 class Steam to Willunga South Australia 1967

[@dylanlewis3666]

Love the footage of this train crossing the old railway bridge at Old Noarlunga. I was too young to see that, I wasn't born until 1984. My dad is was born in 1952 and he remembers how much rail we used to have in SA. More should've been done to preserve both machinery & railways. Horse has well and truly bolted...

[@jeanhodgson8623]

Thanks very much for uploading this footage. It is a treasure. It might be the only existing movie of that line. Even stills are few and far between. We used to follow that line from Reynella to Willunga in the 1950s. The road and rail line stayed close to one another. At Willunga, there was an employee in the freight shed, and some freight cars. In the early 60s, I noticed that there were two trains a day on Sundays to Reynella, and I went on one twice. I never saw a train beyond Reynella. Date correction: The last train ran in 1969, but the track was removed in 1972.

[@allstufftrainssa3618]

I use to walk the trail a lot when I lived in the area this is what caught me by surprise

[@MarkHenstridge]

Brings back some good memories thanks so much for posting this fantastic time piece.

[@Paganitzu]

Its a bloody shame that so few of the big SAR locomotives survived. It would have been amazing to see a 500, 600, or 700 in steam.

[@markarthurson7715]

At about 7:30 it crosses the original south rd crossing which is still there but now a bike track. A new car bridge over Pedlers creek was finished that year and is about to be demolished.

[@markymark2689]

I love the footage of Marino and Hallett cove after 0:51. Hardly any houses and lots of farmland. You can see Cove Rd in the footage.

[@BlackDrac82]

2:45 looks like Randell Rd Morphett Vale

[@michaelnaisbitt1639]

Weren’t some of these the ill fated L class from the Commonwealth railways in Northern terroritory ??

[@reidgck]

According to Wikipedia, 40 of these were being made for China but after only 20 were built, a communist government took over in China so therefore 10 locos were taken by the Commonwealth Railways and 10 were taken by the South Australian Railways but they became the 740 class in SA.. The 10 Ls for the Commonwealth Railways would have been standard gauge while the SAR ones were broad gauge.

[@nathandunn5076]

No these were 700 series, as reidgck said the Ls were brothers to out 740s

[@ben-vf]

Where did this train depart from ?

[@reidgck]

Would have been Adelaide Railway station

[@ben-vf]

@@reidgck Yep , stupid question really. I would have loved some more footage of the journey along that line at that point in time though .

[@jeanhodgson8623]

Some of the excursions and 1960s freight trains with a passenger car picked up their passengers at Goodwood, presumably having originated at the Mile End yard. The freight trains would not have gone into the downtown Adelaide station.

[@jamespennington6983]

It would be alot more impressive then static displays, and create a bit of excitment and get more people interested

[@redhen334]

james pennington I’m sure that with enough money, the 500 or 700 class steam Loco from the NRM could operate again. Unfortunately I don’t nrm is keen to tackle such a large task.

[@nathandunn5076]

I think theryre owned by the history trust too

[@jamespennington6983]

it be something to see if the dock railway museum was to get the 500 and 700 they have running and doing trips out to teh barossa, belair and out to noarlunga be a sweet way to raise money running the trains on footy match weekends taking punters to adelaide oval

[@MrGeocidal]

Especially now that SteamRanger is cut off the suburban network. The museum is still connected so they should fulfill that role.