SteamRanger Heritage Railway

We were recently on a Holiday to Victor. We saw the Cockle train was running so decided to take the trip. We loved it, staff were friendly and it was great to be in such well maintained heritage coaches. The views were magnificent, we took quite a few photos out of the window and even made sure to go back to a couple of spots that were pointed out.

We booked a trip on the Southern Encounter trip on a Sunday.
Amazing little day trip from Adelaide Hills to Victor Harbor (and back) on this old-fashioned steam engine train.
The seats are comfortable but it's still cold on the train (it's old, no heating installed as it is vintage).
The views of the rolling hills landscape and then the coast between Goolwa and Victor Harbor are such pretty sights. We also spotted a few wild kangaroos of different sizes, various kinds of cattle/cows, prancing ponies and steadfast horses, sheep, goats, alpacas and some feral rabbits.
It's a nice leisurely trip, very popular with families and friends travelling together, and photographers!
I would highly recommend 👌 this lovely little trip. Check out their website for the months when this is available since it's run by amazingly dedicated volunteers.

This was so much fun! The trains vintage details are wonderful (sinks in bathroom), and the traditional steam engineering is a true marvel to admire. On a nice sunny day the return trip through the Adelaide Hills with the sun setting was magic, I had my head out the window with a smile on my face the entire time!

A trip from Mt Barker to Victor and back. Expect a long day. The the website wasn't updated and took a bit longer to get there than we thought. 3 hours instead of 2 1/2 hours. It was a nice ride glad to have done it. Nice scenery on the way and the sun setting on the way back. Not long in Victor Harbour, enough for lunch and a walk over the new jetty. Coffee and cakes to purchase on board.

This is a world class heritage railway stretching over 80 kilometres or 50 miles.

There are five major heritage stations that reflect a range of architectural styles. Each of these stations and another stopping place are closely located to major towns that have many restaurants, hotels, specialty shops, galleries, takeaway options and heritage sites that provide plenty of options for travellers.

There is a fleet of locomotives to haul passenger cars and rail car sets that provide services.

The scenery is rather special and includes rural settings and a spectacular run along the coastline.

The operations team are friendly and helpful and very keen to share their passion for railways.

I think Steam Ranger are more than equal to many of the best heritage railways in the world.

Make sure you visit and take a trip on Steam Ranger.

What a fabulous day. First ever ride on the steam train highly recommend, we went from Mt Barker to Bugle Ranges, perfect for the whole family, the kids will love it. Totally have to do it. Well done Steam Ranger 👍😉🙂

Loved this ride so much. Can’t wait to come again. Perfect Father’s Day gift 😍

The ride on the Cockle train was awsome, the views along the way were amazing. Will definitely be doing it again.

Absolutely perfect... what an adventure to travel by steam train from.mount barker to victor harbor.... the carriage was fabulous to... a very memorable days outing which i would recommend to everyone to try...we had time in Victor to enjoy a pub lunch and have a wander around... the weather was perfect....

Very good, worth people to go and ride the trains hard working and friendly staff and volunteers. Very well priced, go and enjoy.

It's great to ride a living machine from the age of adventure and exploration. It's well worth the trip and watching the excitement from the kids that are riding for the first time and even adults reliving memories of days gone by. Get tickets online and enjoy the rattle and roll of steam.

it was fantastic to go on the steam train rx224 and 207 on one end and the 621 at the other end with six carriages in between.
The staff was very freindly and helpfull top people you have working for you 👏👏👏👏🚂🚂🚂

Great day out worth the money and the step back in time of the old trains

We took my parents who were visiting from the UK on the railway to celebrate by father's 80th birthday. (He's a bit of a steam nut!)

The railway is run professionally and the service is excellent.

You certainly get a lot of train travel for your money. at least 3 hours each way travel aboard a comfy carriage through the beautiful South Australian countryside.

A long enough stop off in Victor Harbor too. So you can get lunch and stretch your legs with a walk to Granite Island and back.

Fantastic day. My Dad was absolutely thrilled.

Thank you to all the volunteers.

Fantastic day out, well worth the money. Friendly volunteers, great views.

Worth every cent!
A train trip on a steam loco from Mt Barker to Victor Harbor is something I think every resident and visitor to Adelaide should do. The volunteers all do a wonderful job both behind the scenes and out there talking to the public. Our return train was running a little late, but the interesting trade off was that we got to see how they shunt carriages around at the station.

Fantastic crew of people maintaining the trains. Lovely day out.

Awesome day out on the southern encounter would highly recommend to anyone that likes trains or even just seeing the scenery roll by

loved it! highly recommend it. we had a pram with us and a very excited 2 year old. The team are all volunteers and were fantastic, nothing was an issue. They were very warm and welcoming and great with the kids. our son got to go in the driver's cabin- one very happy toddler.Great information and local history over the speaker. Thanks guys great job!

It was a great experience to watch and ride the vintage trains here, plus the crew are very nice, and your aloud to talk to the drivers in the cab of the steam trains while they are stopped at the station!