Railways and Tramways of Australia
Further Information
Various sources provide further details and up to date information about aspects of railways and tramways in Australia. Links to information are below.
Books
The following books are recommended for information about particular topics.
A Guide to Australasian Locomotion
Chris Walters
2023 edition, 368 pages, published by the Australian Railway Historical Society, NSW Division.
Provides information about diesel and electric locomotives currently operating in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
An Australian Locomotive Guide
Peter Clark
2015 edition, 368 pages, published by Rosenberg.
Provides information about diesel and electric locomotives currently operating in Australia, as well as operational steam locomotives.
Australian Railway Heritage Guide
Compiled by Robert McKillop
2010 edition, 320 pages, published by the Australian Railway Historical Society, NSW Division.
Provides information about railway and tramway museums, organisations and heritage sites throughout Australia.
Great Rail Journeys in Australia & New Zealand
David Bowden
2020, 2nd edition,160 pages, published by John Beaufoy Publishing Limited.
Provides information about trains and travel descriptions for significant rail journeys throughout Australia and New Zealand, most of which are long-distance trains, but some short-distance journeys and tourist railways are also included.
Urban Rail Down Under
Robert Schwandl
2011, 142 pages, published by Robert Schwandl.
Provides information about suburban railways and tramways throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Magazines
The following sources provide current news and feature articles about railways in Australia. Magazines are available by subscription and can also be purchased in local hobby shops. Some titles are sold through selected newsagents.
Australian Railway History
www.arhsnsw.com.au/australian-railway-history
Monthly magazine published by the Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division. Contains historical articles about railways throughout Australia. Membership of the Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division, includes subscription to Australian Railway History. Digital editions can be purchased through <www.pocketmags.com.au>. Previous issues of Australian Railway History and its predecessor magazines from 1937 to 2009 can be purchased on a series of DVDs.
Catch Point
www.nrm.org.au/publications/36-catch-point-magazine
Bi-monthly magazine published by the National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide. Includes news and feature articles regarding current and historical aspects of railways in South Australia.
Light Railways
Bi-monthly magazine published by the Light Railway Research Society of Australia. Includes news and feature articles regarding light industrial railways in Australia. PDF versions of the magazine can be purchased through the LRRSA website.
Motive Power
Bi-monthly magazine about locomotives in Australia. Motive Power eMags can be purchased through the Motive Power website.
Newsrail
Monthly magazine published by Victorian Rail Publishing. Includes news and feature articles regarding current and historical aspects of railways and tramways in Victoria.
Railway Digest
www.arhsnsw.com.au/railway-digest
Monthly magazine published by the Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division. Includes news and feature articles regarding contemporary railways and tramways throughout Australia. Digital editions can be purchased through <www.pocketmags.com.au>. Previous issues of Railway Digest and its predecessor magazine from 1963 to 2012 can be purchased on a series of DVDs.
Roundhouse
www.transportheritagensw.com.au
Quarterly magazine published by Transport Heritage NSW. Includes news and feature articles regarding transport heritage in New South Wales, including details of activities at the NSW Rail Museum at Thirlmere and major transport heritage events in the state. Membership of Transport Heritage NSW includes subscription to Roundhouse.
Sunshine Express
www.arhs-qld.org.au/sales-and-publications
Bi-monthly magazine published by the Australian Railway Historical Society, Queensland Division. Includes news and feature articles regarding current and historical aspects of railways in Queensland.
Table Talk
www.timetable.org.au/ttalk.html
Monthly magazine published by the Australian Timetable Association. Focuses on recent timetable news and public transport information, mostly regarding Australia. Membership of the Australian Timetable Association includes subscription to Table Talk.
The Times
www.timetable.org.au/times.html
Monthly magazine published by the Australian Timetable Association. Focuses on timetable history and current public transport scheduling trends, mostly regarding Australia. Membership of the Australian Timetable Association includes subscription to The Times.
Trolley Wire
www.cotma.org.au/trolleywire.html
Quarterly magazine published by the South Pacific Electric Railway Co-operative Society Limited. Includes news and feature articles regarding tramway museums and aspects of tramway operations throughout Australia and New Zealand.
Websites
Many railway industry organisations, railway operators, enthusiast groups and heritage organisations have an online presence. Various websites are listed throughout this website. Search engines can assist with finding websites regarding particular topics. The following online sources provide a range of information regarding railways and tramways in Australia.
AusRAIL
AusRAIL is an annual railway industry conference and exhibition held in a different Australian city each year. It includes numerous exhibitors, speakers, networking opportunities and social events. The AusRAIL website contains information about coming events and highlights of previous events.
Australasian Rail Directory
The Australasian Rail Directory is a comprehensive listing of businesses involved in the Australian, Oceanic and Asian rail industries. These include network managers, operators, professional services and suppliers. Listings can be searched online by name or nature of business. The Australasian Rail Directory is also published annually in hard copy.
Australian Steam – Preserved Steam Locomotives Down Under
Comprehensive listings of preserved steam locomotives and steam trams from the various government railways and private railway operators throughout Australia.
Australian Rail Maps
Displays a range of maps showing railway lines currently in service throughout Australia. Also includes timetables, journey planners and fares.
Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF)
www.australasiantransportresearchforum.org.au
The Australasian Transport Research Forum (ATRF) is the major transport research conference in Australasia. It is held annually and covers a wide range of transport topics.
The ATRF website contains news about its latest conference and all peer-reviewed and presented papers since 1975.
Chris’s Commonwealth Railways Information
Provides information and photographs regarding Commonwealth Railways, Australian National Railways, Great Southern Rail and South Australian Railways. Includes mostly historical information but also some contemporary data.
Numerous Facebook pages and groups exist regarding various aspects of Australian railways. A search for topics can be made within Facebook.
Hairyleg’s Tracks
www.drive.google.com/file/d/1qgWfJ_ov9-Kqvq6tLdrpErDQafMcrJpI/view
Hairyleg’s Tracks is a downloadable application that provides a searchable Google Earth overlay showing all railway and tramway lines and tracks in Australia, including closed lines, as well as key infrastructure features.
Glossary of Railway Terms
www.rissb.com.au/products/glossary
Searchable listing of Australian railway industry terms.
NSW Rail
Provides comprehensive data, maps and photographs regarding railway infrastructure in New South Wales. Includes information about current and abandoned lines.
Pilbara Railways
Provides information about the iron ore railways of the Pilbara region in Western Australia. Includes data about the locomotives and lines of the various Pilbara operators.
Queensland Railways Interest Group
Current and historical information about Queensland Railways, focusing on locomotives.
Rail Express
Provides daily news regarding the Australian railway industry. Also includes a directory of businesses involved in the railway industry.
Rail Knowledge Bank
www.railknowledgebank.com/Presto/home/home.aspx
Rail Knowledge Bank provides an online resource of rail knowledge. It is maintained by the Australian Road Research Board (ARRB) under the National Interest Services (NIS) program, with advisory support from the Australasian Centre for Rail Innovation (ACRI). Rail Knowledge Bank contains a wide range of online books, journal articles, reports, papers and conference proceedings. A search can be made for specific topics or subjects can be browsed.
Rail Tasmania
Provides current and historical information regarding railways in Tasmania. Includes information and photographs about lines, locomotives and rolling stock, and preservation groups.
SA Track and Signal
Provides Australian railway track and signal drawings and signal locations for much of the existing railways throughout Australia. Includes coverage of Australian Rail Track Corporation interstate and Hunter Valley networks, Adelaide Metro, South Australia and Northern Territory regional lines, Arc Infrastructure network in Western Australia, New South Wales regional and Queensland standard gauge lines.
Train Times: Australian and New Zealand Train Timetables
www.traintimes.timetable.org.au
Compilation of timetables for rail passenger services in Australia and New Zealand. Provides stopping and some passing times for all long-distance trains, and summaries of suburban services. Timetables for railway-operated and railway-franchised bus services are also included.
Vicsig
Provides comprehensive information and photographs regarding railway and tramway infrastructure and rolling stock in Victoria. Also includes listings of railway operators and locomotives throughout Australia.
YouTube
Numerous videos of current Australian railways and old footage have been uploaded to YouTube. A search for topics can be made within YouTube.