Steam Festival in New South Wales and South Australia

Steam on three gauges, Australia 3.6. – 14.6.2026

Australia is a huge country, indeed a continent. As it is very sparsely populated in the central area, most of the railways are located in the coastal regions. And these are particularly interesting in terms of landscape. To the west of Sydney, Australia's largest city with over 5 million inhabitants, lie the Blue Mountains, which must be crossed to reach the outback. The steep line to Lithgow has long been electrified, but further west you’ll find photogenic hilly landscapes that will play a central role in our programme.

An important reason for choosing this travel date is not only the winter with its photogenic weather conditions and the almost certain chance that the steam will condense above the trains and form a trail. It is also the Transport Heritage New South Wales (THNSW) Steam Festival, because it is not certain whether it will happen again. For several years now, THNSW has received enormous financial support, which has led to the establishment of a unique museum with an extensive operational rolling stock.

As their home line is short and only scenic on a very limited section, they often run on the state railway and are organising a steam festival in June 2026, during which five trains per day will run over the Tumulla Bank over two days. This year, the recently overhauled 3801, an impressive 4-6-2 streamlined express train locomotive, is scheduled to run. The date of 2026 is so important because in June 2026, a decision will be made on the continuation of the annual subsidies of a staggering 15 million Australian dollars. Anyone familiar with prices in Australia will know that, as an organiser of charter train tours, it is hardly affordable to transport rolling stock to scenic locations over long distances. That is why it is so important to go ahead with this trip now, rather than waiting for it to become cheaper at some point in the future (spoiler: it won't).

We will transfer a second locomotive, namely 5917 from the Picnic Train, to Lithgow and use it to travel to Orange and back.

Following our trip to New South Wales, we will fly to South Australia, where we will spend two days on the famous Pichi Richi Cape gauge Railway with its wonderful rolling stock. There we will get almost 100% authentic trains, including a mixed train, in front of our lenses.

And while we're in Adelaide, we also want to photograph the broad gauge express train locomotive 621 with the ocean in the background, which is why we're going to Victor Harbor.

The tour is planned so that, having flown this far, you can continue on to New Zealand to experience Cape gauge trains in stunning scenery.

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Itinerary

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Line description

The standard gauge line around Bathurst is characterised by numerous gradients in a hilly countryside. Before I attempt to describe this here, please take a look at these scenes on Tumulla Bank. The first four minutes should be enough to give you an impression of the fantastic possibilities: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xOdwbh3oIA

Many evergreen eucalyptus trees characterise the landscape around Lithgow and further west. It only looks wintry when we are lucky enough to have hoarfrost covering the landscape. But at least in the morning, a long trail of steam is almost guaranteed.

On the state railway, we may have to carry a diesel locomotive at the rear of the train in some sections. We will avoid this as far as operationally possible. At least with our own special train, we have a great deal of influence on the train composition.

The SteamRanger Heritage broad gauge line from Victor Harbor runs via Goolwa to Mount Baker. However, due to bridge problems, it cannot be used in its entirety and as most of the line runs through eucalyptus forests with few not so good photo opportunities; we will concentrate exclusively on the beautiful section between Victor Harbor and Goolwa, where the line runs within sight of the ocean. In the morning, we want to take pictures with the ocean in the background. From Victor Harbor, the line also climbs a good 20 metres, so the large engine has to work a bit despite the (authentically!) short train.

The Pichi Richi Cape Railway from Port Augusta to Quorn is widely known for its historically accurate train compositions and photographic opportunities. The line starts almost at sea level, initially running through flat countryside, but then winding its way up around 400 metres through the mountains before descending again to around 300 metres above sea level in the final section. This means that there are impressive climbs to experience in both directions. In addition to the fantastic rolling stock – the steam railcar, called the ‘Coffee Pot’, is one of a kind – there are also semaphore signals that can be photographed. If time allows, we will also take a guided tour of the workshop in Quorn.

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Small Print

Australia is part of the British Commonwealth and therefore drives on the left. The time difference in European summer time is seven and a half hours to Adelaide and eight hours to Sydney and the whole of NSW. Otherwise, it is 9:30 or 10 hours.

Due to Australia's location in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed to those in Europe. Even in winter, temperatures in the coastal regions tend not to fall below freezing, but this is possible in the highlands. In the best-case scenario, we will experience morning temperatures around freezing in the mountains and afternoon temperatures around 15 degrees.

We will be staying in smaller, mid-range hotels. We will travel around by a mixture of chartered bus  or train and, in Pichi Richi only, by chartered train. Photo trains of the kind we offer elsewhere in the world are relatively unknown in Australia, with the exception of the above mentioned PRR. We will therefore travel to the photo locations along the state railway lines with our chartered bus. This sometimes involves walking several hundred metres to reach the best photo spots.

The focus lies on taking good photos, so we will often set off before sunrise. This is not a problem, as the sun hardly rises before 7 a.m. during our tour and sets again around 5 p.m. Meal times may vary. Meals may be served pre-packaged or may be cancelled altogether, so it is always a good idea to pack a few snacks.

Australia is a very safe country to travel in. Many nationalities only need a valid passport (valid for 3 months after the return date) and a free-of-charge eVisa, which can be applied for and delivered online, to enter Australia.

The locomotives and some of the carriages used last in regular service at least half a century ago. Technical problems are to be expected, including breakdowns of one or more locomotives without replacement or compensation. However, as at least two different locomotives are available on all lines, we are almost certain that we will always be able to find a solution. We may not be in Africa, but technology follows the same physical principles all over the world, and that includes malfunctions, fractures of stays and connection rod breaks. You need to be aware of this when you take part in this trip. If you cannot accept that a locomotive may break down, you should not book this trip.

This type of photo event is virtually unknown in Australia (with the exception of Pichi Richi). We have to expect difficulties that are not yet known. I am sure that everything can be resolved to our satisfaction, but no one there has experience with photographers, such as a loco crew on the Andean railway ‘La Trochita’ in Argentina.

Allow me to make a few specific comments, because it ‘happens’ time and again that people who are actually interested tell me that the trip is too expensive (although the correct answer is always: you are not being paid properly for your work). I am well aware that with an average net salary of £2,100, a trip that costs a total of €6,000 is a huge investment. On the other hand, some people think it's a good idea to simply hire a car and then take photos at a few locations. If enough people follow the same idea, there will be no more charter trains running anywhere. What's more, it is socially reprehensible to sponge off the honey pots if you haven't contributed anything yourself – and possibly even to put yourself or your vehicle in the picture of the honest participants. Such tours can only happen if a sufficient number of photographers and videographers participate honestly. To achieve these events, I sometimes pay six figures in advance and risk losses of the same amount. How do you actually define ‘too expensive’ when you can't get this tour anywhere cheaper? However, anyone is free to fly to Australia themselves, organise such a trip and then offer it at a much lower price. Anyone who takes the trouble to find out will agree with me: the price is almost ridiculously low for what this trip has to offer. On two days of the trip, the price for our charter train alone is just under 60,000 Australian dollars per day (approx. 34,500 Euros)! These costs are not covered by passing motorists who do not contribute a penny to the tour fund.

Please note that although Australia is a highly developed country, it is still necessary to point out the dangers that can arise from using or being near railways or in road traffic. Always use your common sense, e.g. when crossing roads and, if necessary, railway tracks. Be cautious and careful. The state railway, whose tracks may only be crossed at public crossings or via underpasses and over bridges, is relatively strict about this, and we must follow the instructions of their staff. It is recommended that you take out overseas accident insurance and the already important overseas health insurance. Neither the state railway, the participating railways, the local organiser nor FarRail Tours are liable in any case for accidents of any kind, damage, loss or inconvenience, additional costs, etc., which may arise, for example, from necessary re-bookings or delays of individual modes of transport. We also recommend taking out travel cancellation insurance. The trip is not suitable for people with limited mobility.

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Price

Australians and New Zealanders can pay in Australien Dollar: tour price: $10,320, single room supplement: $1,250

Special prices for linesiders (trains only, no tranfers, no charter bus, no hotels, no meals, no guide):

The tour price includes:

• All transfers in Australia from Sydney Airport to Adelaide Airport
• All accommodation in a twin room, single room at extra cost
• Half board (sometimes packed meals) excluding alcoholic or sugary drinks
• Local tour guide (flights are without tour guide)
• Charter trains as described and only if available/operational

Not included in the tour price:

• Personal expenses such as telephone, hotel bar, laundry service, etc.
• Drinks
• Tips for local guides, railway staff, etc. (we expect approx. £95)
• Visa (if required)
• Travel to Sydney and departure from Adelaide