Light Railways downloads
The Society only retains the last 12 printed back issues, equivalent to two years. These 12 issues are available to purchase as PDF downloads from the LRRSA Online Shop. All older issues are available as free PDF downloads, which can be found either via the online shop or by going to the relevant Light Railways page on this website.
Likewise, Light Railways NEWS is also available as a free download.
Downloads
The following publications are also available free-of-charge for downloading as PDF (Adobe Acrobat) documents:
LRRSA Fiftieth Anniversary 1961-2011
This is a 32 page A4 publication in the style of Light Railways magazine, and printed in colour throughout. It was published as a members' supplement to Light Railways No.219, June 2011, and all financial members of the Society received a copy as part of their subscription. It provides an historical account of the Society's development, and expansion. It also provides a chronology of the key events in each year with a corresponding photograph from that year.
The Society has made this publication available as a Free Download (10Mb)
Powelltown Tramway Centenary 1913-2013
By Mike McCarthy and Frank Stamford
ISBN 978-0-909340-50-6
The booklet was built around the original survey plans for the tramway, and is a stunning example of cartography. A series of double page spreads show course of the line from Yarra Junction through Powelltown and "The Bump" tunnel, and then up beyond New Ada as far as Starlings Gap.Alongside the maps are gradient profiles, and there are numerous photographs. While a number of the photos may be well known, their reproduction in this publication is excellent, better then ever seen before.
This publication is now out of print, however the Society has made it available as a Free Download. The book contains 44 photographs and 10 double page maps with gradient profiles. There are two versions - either single A4 pages (with all the double page spreads split over two successive pages) or as a double-page format with pairs of pages visible side-by-side.
A4 single page download (21Mb)
A4 double page download (13Mb)
Rocky Bluff to Denmark
by Peter Charrett, Roger Seccombe, Gerry Verhoever and Bill
Jessup.
Edited by Frank Stamford
This long out-of-print publication contains reprints of four outstanding articles from past issues of Light Railways. Published in 1986, it marked the twenty-fifth anniversary of the LRRSA. The Society has made each of thge four articles available as a free PDF download.
Peter Charrett describes the role of the several light railway systems used in the construction of the Hume Reservoir on the Murray River near Albury; Roger Seccombe takes the reader to opposite ends of the scale in magnitude, longevity and success of light railway operations: the Elphinstone Timber Tramway, which operated from the VR station at Elphinstone in Central Victoria; Gerry Verhoeven presents the results of research and extensive trekking along the 40 or so miles of formation of 2ft gauge lines which once connected tin mines at Stannary Hills, Rocky Bluff and Irvinebank with the government railway at Boonmoo, Far North Queensland; Bill Jessup offers a history of the Millar brothers' timber milling and tramway operations in the Karri and Jarrah forests around Denmark and Torbay in Western Australia.
Hume Reservoir Construction (11Mb)
Elphinstone Timber Tramway (12Mb)
Stannary Hills and Rocky Bluff (19Mb)
Millar's Denmark Railway (9Mb)
Light Railways Magazine - Sample Issue and Selected Articles
A PDF of a sample issue of our magazine, Light Railways, is always available from the "Our Magazine", "Latest Issues" page.
By scrolling down that page, through the various issues, selected articles are also available as free downloads. Click here.
Light Railways - Complete listing of contents of issues Nos 13 to 246
Compiled by: Ian McNeil January 2015
184 pages, A4 size landscape format
This listing is available for downloading as a pdf file (7.1 MB). Click here.
Light railway locations in South Australia, the Northern Territory and around Broken Hill (NSW)
List produced by LRRSA South Australian Group
This is a work in progress, and will be progressively updated. The current version is dated 31 December 2015.
The PDF contains 136 pages, with data from each operation appearing on successive pages - for example pages 1 and 2 cover the same light railways, with different information on each page. A4 size landscape format, no illustrations.
This listing is available for downloading as a .pdf file. Click here.
Port Kembla Steelworks - Fleet Update
Compiled by: Brad Peadon April-2019
23 pages, A4 size, 52 photographs and 1 map
This listing is available for downloading as a pdf file, size 12 Mb. Click here.
Johnson Diaries Index
8 pages
An index of light railways material written up in the WRB Johnson diaries, held by the ARHS (NSW) at their Redfern archive. Click here to download this pdf (100 Kb)
Downloading DNRM Maps and Plans
4 pages
Peter Cokley describes how to navigate your way through the Department of Natural Resources and Mines (Queensland) web site, which contains a wealth of old maps available for free download. Click here to download this useful pdf (* Updated v2 file, July 2015, 1.2 Mb)
The Narrow Gauge Question
5 pages
Bill Hanks describes how a group of narrow-gauge railway lines came to be built by the Victorian Railways and in particular, "why was a gauge of 2 ft 6 ins chosen?". Published in Light Railways 135, January 1997 this short article is available for downloading as a pdf file (1 Mb). Click here.
The Fyansford Cement Line
8 pages, 2 maps
A fine article which appeared in Light Railways 120, April 1993 written by John McNeill, who was employed by Australian Cement Ltd from 1938 to 1986. The author has been able to provide information covering the period from the company's establishment in 1890 through to closure of the 3'6" gauge railway in 1966
It is available for downloading as a pdf file (1.1 Mb). Click here.
Also of interest may be Fyansford Cement Works Railway - Recalled in photographs (Victoria) from Light Railways 222
The McIvor Timber & Firewood Company's 5ft. 3in. gauge tramway
Historical notes and maps from July 1972
16 pages, Foolscap size, 8 maps
Back on 15 July 1972 the LRRSA ran a tour to explore the remnants of the McIvor Tramway. Members of the tour group received this document as tour notes. Frank Stamford, the author of our book McIvor Timber and Firewood Company, has commented on this 40+-year-old document:
- References to the Graytown line are misleading, as the tramway did not actually go to Graytown. Some of the other nomenclature for these lines east of Redgate forest has changed since that document was prepared.
- All references to the cylinder stroke and driving wheel diameters of the Moguls are wrong, the correct dimensions were only found in April 2013.
- References to a junction in the Redgate Forest are also misleading. There may or may not have been a junction in there. This is explored in some depth in the section "Enigmatic spurs and feeders" in the new book
The Narrow Gauge Question in New South Wales
A discussion on Narrow Gauge proposals in New South Wales, written by Jim Longworth and published in Light Railways issue 163, February 2002
4 pages, A4 size, 2 photographs, 2 diagrams
This article, covering the various proposals to the New South Wales Government to construct narrow gauge railways, is available for downloading as a pdf file. Click here.
Krauss Locomotives in Australia
A close look at their characteristics and an overview of their migrations. Written by Bruce Macdonald, published in Light Railways issue 153, June 2000
9 pages, A4 size, 15 photographs
This article, covering all Krauss locomotives imported into Australia, is available for downloading as a pdf file. Click here.
'Chert' Incline, Mt. Victoria, N.S.W
Written by F John Reid, published in Light Railways issue 63, January 1979
4 pages, 3 photographs, 1 map
This interesting little article describes a short lived incline in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, used for conveyance of chert and timber from the Kanimbla Valley. It makes an interesting comparison with the current style of publishing, and is available for downloading as a pdf file. Click here.
South Maitland Railway, Richmond Vale Railway - Fleetlist
Compiled by: Brad Peadon January 2011
11 pages, A4 size, 21 photographs, 2 diagrams
This listing is available for downloading as a pdf file. It lists all the locomotives, and gives rolling stock details. Click here.
Black Saturday 2009
A post-fire survey of historic timber
industry sites in bushfire affected areas
Fieldwork survey manual
by Peter Evans
25 pages, A4 size with illustrations.
This manual has been produced for the members of the teams involved in the post-bushfire survey of Victorian timber tramway sites which the LRRSA is about to commence.
However, members in other states (and probably other countries) involved in this type of activity are likely to find a lot of useful information in this document.
This manual is available for downloading as a pdf file (2.7 MB). Click here.
Private Acts of Parliament relating to railways in New South Wales
Compiled by John Shoebridge
This list of Private Acts of the NSW Parliament which have reference to railways and the companies which constructed them, has been compiled from a number of sources, principally from WW Tarleton’s volume entitled:
A Collection of The Private Acts of Practical Utility in force in New South Wales
published by the NSW Government Printer in 1886, it carries the subtitle:
Embracing the local private legislation from the year 1832 to the year 1885
The list is made available to assist serious railway historians. It does not claim to be complete.
The comments in italics have been provided by the compiler and are as accurate as memory permits. It is hoped that they will be updated following further research and to that end, serious input from interested persons is sought and welcome.
This listing is available for downloading as a .pdf file. Click here.
Australian and New Zealand Logging Tramways - Differences from North American Practice
by Frank Stamford
This is a minor revision to a presentation made to the 5th Narrow Gauge Convention, Melbourne, 14-15 April 2001.
It is primarily directed to railway modellers.
This listing is available for downloading as a .pdf file. Click here.
Australian Iron & Steel Pty Ltd:
Colliery Locomotives and Personnel Carriers
by Keith Macdonald
additional notes by J.L.N.Southern
edited by John Browning
This material was first published in duplicated booklet form in 1983 and subsequently revised by the editor. Prepared for publication on the Internet with minor revisions, 2001
This listing is available for downloading as a .pdf file. Click here.
Light Railways of Sydney Harbour
by Jim Longworth
A listing of light railways in the area surrounding Sydney Harbour.
This listing is available for downloading as a .pdf file. Click here.
Timber Tramways in New South Wales
by Jim Longworth, April 2000
This is a list of known references to timber tramways in NSW. Many more are rumoured or thought to have existed. Readers are cordially invited to add to the list so that it may be as useful as possible.
This listing is available for downloading as a .pdf file. Click here.