Once South Australia’s busiest regional railway hub employing more than 1,000 people who looked after more than 100 passing trains every day, the old depot and workshop is now home to Australia’s most unique and fascinating heritage railway museum.
You’ll find Australia’s only operational triple gauge turntable, a wide range of historic rolling stock including elegant steam trains, powerful diesel locomotives, unique passenger trains and freight trains, all exhibited in original settings in the heritage listed roundhouse and original work sheds.
The collection includes steam and diesel locomotives including three steam locomotives, passenger carriages dating back to 1889 and numerous impressive freight vehicles.
After dark, Steamtown hosts a Sound and Light Show, a fabulous sound and visual spectacular about railway history in Australia and Peterborough. Guests sit comfortably in a historic 1916 railway carriage, once a first class sleeper on the East West route between Sydney and Perth, and are transported visually through a 1 hour sound and light show that you will thoroughly enjoy. Bookings essential. Low Season conditions apply (November-March).
There are also daily tours available when you can inspect historic passenger carriages dating back to 1889, in the heritage listed roundhouse, plus some of the carriages that were part of the original East West Train that travelled across the Nullabor Plain in 1917.
Peterborough’s official Visitor Information Centre is also located at Steamtown.