Outer Harbor Loop Line

Let's dig a little deeper and fly a little higher. This time it's the old Outer Harbor loop line.
At the beginning of the 20th century, the increasing size of ships and the length of time it took to sail up the Port River to the inner harbour of Port Adelaide, led to the establishment of Outer Harbor at the northern end of the Lefevre Peninsula. The first ocean going ship docked there in 1908.
A railway line was completed in 1903 as part of the Outer Harbour project and extended to the new wharf a few years later. The original Outer harbour station was much closer to the wharves, but it was in the way, so a land swap saw a new station built in 1926. As well as the wharf sidings, there was a siding serving the Mephan Ferguson (later Steel Mains) steel pipe works.
Though Outer Harbour was linked by a road and a railway, the far northern end of the Lefevre Peninsula was left as dunes until the housing and marina development of North Haven began in the 1970s.
The last boat train ran to Outer Harbor in 1971, and the ticket office at was closed in 1979.
The goods lines directly into the wharf area were disconnected in 1974 when the line approaching Outer Harbor was relocated to the northern side of Lady Ruthven Drive. Goods trains accessed the wharf from the north end of the balloon loop until a separate freight line was built to service the area.
By 1982, all freight trains used the industrial Pelican Point line and the connection between the wharves and Outer Harbor station was removed.
The Outer Harbor line became a suburban passenger line only. Decommissioning of the balloon loop and the singling of the last three kilometres of track north of Midlunga occurred in the late 80s.
The Outer Harbor passenger terminal sees ever increasing numbers of cruise liners visiting Adelaide, with around 50 arrivals and departures scheduled for 2024.
Outer Harbor today is the site of the #6 container berth, the Overseas Passenger Terminal and the Royal South Australian Yacht Squadron. Freight trains to and from the container berth and grain handling facility nearby now run via the Pelican Point line - along the eastern side of the peninsula.

[@Antony_Jenner]

As a kid back in the 70's we would catch the Northfield to city redhen and then from the city to Outer harbour with our bikes and rods and spend the weekend fishing and riding around Outer harbour! Thanks Mike.

[@Outdoorstype]

Happy days! Cheers!

[@o8thman812]

Just binge watched lot of your Adelaide train vids. Have great memories of getting around Adelaide by train as an adventurous kid in the 70s. Riding our bikes all about with our fishing rods sticky taped to the bike frame, sleeping on jetties... Was a rite of passage for lot of us 14yr olds back in the day... Sometimes a posse of us would get the train up to Belair with our bikes. (treadlies we used to call em) Then have a mad race down the old Belair road... all downhill back into Adelaide. Imagine 14yr olds today. When they finally hit their sixties will they have "great memories of playing their Xbox"🤔... Thank you, this has made my day...

[@Outdoorstype]

What great memories o8thman660! Thanks for watching and sharing. I'm glad to have been of service. There's more to come.

[@garynewton1263]

I remember january 1985 my father and I took this train ride while on xmas holidays from Melbourne. We were both surprised that a loop existed and that the train didn't go back the same way. I think it was one of those old ren hen trains.

[@jeremykemp5845]

Great video Mike. Love the old photos. Your old track map would explain why there is a very short piece of track, half buried in the dirt & on the opp side of the road, on that corner where the main road turns south away from the line,

[@Paisly17]

The Outer Harbour train station is a majestic building and it’s all locked up and securely shut. Such a shame on whoever is responsible. I remember buying a ticket from there when I was a kid as I lived nearby. Also you didn’t mention Yerlo station, it was the last stop before Outer Harbour just back from the bend on Lady Gowrie drive before the North Haven station was built. It was just an old wooden platform and wasn’t large but trains stopped there as there were some houses (still there) near it.

[@Outdoorstype]

Thanks for watching, Paisly17. Yes, Yerlo was hard to pin down. Thanks for mentioning it! 😊

[@omalleetours3456]

Nice work legend

[@mysteriousshinkachu6149]

Nice story of the harbour the old rails were realiu amazing 🔥🔥

[@Outdoorstype]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@DrewsAdventuresGo]

Awesome research and explore here Mile. Absolutely love your videos. So much history, great narration and fun

[@Outdoorstype]

Cheers, Drew!

[@Rhys4AUFC]

Good work. The station building would be a good site for a cafe, especially for cruise ship passengers

[@vincentthao3497]

It's used by a model train club

[@Rhys4AUFC]

@@vincentthao3497 That’s good

[@Railmanic]

@@vincentthao3497 It still is

[@marcusgraham152]

In case you missed it, there is still a small remnant of rail from the old alignment, near where it would have crossed Lady Ruthven drive

[@Outdoorstype]

I'll have to check that out! Thanks for mentioning it

[@darylephillips6778]

Great video Mike it is a shame how industry has seemed to left the Adelaide Area

[@Outdoorstype]

Cheers, Daryle. I'm not sure we make much of anything except wine and Instagram influencers in South Australia anymore.