The Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre is a museum focussing on transportation in a bygone era - particularly Peterborough's narrow gauge railway heritage.
What was once known as the Railway Workshops has now become known as the home of Steamtown situated at the western end of the Main Street. Steamtown's collection includes steam and diesel locomotives and numerous passenger carriages.
The depot turntable is the only three gauge example in the world. The Roundhouse is the last major example of its kind in South Australia.
Historic passenger carriages include fine examples of the cars used on the first transcontinental passenger train to cross the Nullabor Plain in 1917. Unique special purpose Vans dating back to the 1880s provide a rare glimpse of times past.
The collection of rare rolling stock includes a 1937 Morris 25 Motor Inspection Car (MIC). The car was converted to operate on narrow gauge track and believed to be the only remaining operational MIC car of its type.
The depot was the largest maintenance establishment of the South Australian Railways in country South Australia. In its heyday, there were over 1,000 employees of the South Australian Railways (later to be known as Australian National Railways).
The broad gauge (5'3") line from Adelaide reached as far north as Terowie then the narrow gauge lead to Peterborough. In 1970 the narrow gauge line was replaced with a broad gauge line to Peterborough.
A large bogie-exchange operation was built on the eastern side of the town and broad gauge operations were included at the depot.
Uniform railway gauges around Australia also saw the introduction of standard gauge (4'8½") into the depot. This is why the depot turntable is unique. The three gauges can be seen together on the turntable and in the roundhouse.
The conversion from steam to diesel locomotives, the change to standard gauge and the rationalisation of rail operations combined to cause the closure of the railway depot in the mid 1990s.
The opening of the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre in 2002 has added a further dimension to a tour of Steamtown. Containing many artifacts and old photographs, the Heritage Museum offers a picture of railway life in the early days of Peterborough.
The depot is situated at the western end of the Main Street and is open from 9:00am to 4:00pm daily.
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