Enjoy a round trip by train from Mount Barker to Bugle Ranges.
Departing on the 4th Sunday of the month between June and November, The Bugle Ranger train journey is a fun adventure for the whole family.
Departing twice on the day at 1pm and 2.15pm, the return trip only takes 45 minutes and is great value with a family ticket (2 adults + 2 children) costing $41 (as at August 2024). Single ticket prices are $18 adult, $17 senior and $9 for a child 4-15 years. Children 4 and under travel free but are not allocated a seat. Companion card holders travel free with a full paying passenger.
Tickets are available on the day from the station ticket office from 1pm onwards or they can ben booked online.
A ride on the Bugle Ranger Heritage Railcar – Review (2012)
If you have a train fan in the family or are looking for a little adventure not too far from Adelaide, a trip aboard heritage railcar The Bugle Ranger through the hills is a trip well worth taking.
It’s also the perfect journey to take friends or family who are visiting from interstate or overseas to show them a little piece of the Australian landscape. The train departs from Mount Barker Railway Station, one of South Australia’s preserved railway stations and is run by Steamranger, a not-for-profit organisation that runs heritage trains between Mount Barker and Victor Harbor.
Mount Barker Railway Station
The Mount Barker railway station is a heritage building made of Aldgate freestone and housed a stationmaster’s quarters and a ticketing office. It was opened in November 1883 and closed over one hundred years later in April 1984. Regular services operated until passenger numbers declined in the late 20th century, due to the dominance of motor cars. Left to deteriorate, the station was restored by the District Council of Mount Barker as part of Steamranger’s move to the station.
The Train Ride
The Bugle Ranger roundtrip is aboard a heritage “Red Hen” railcar and only takes about 45 minutes. The train departs from Mount Barker Station and travels through the residential areas of Mount Barker before the scenery changes to our picturesque countryside. Along the way you’ll see plenty of native trees, paddocks of cattle, sheep and the odd alpaca, plus you may be lucky enough to spot a kangaroo or two.
Heading southwards, the train travels to the very peak of the ranges at the isolated and now closed Philcox Hill station site. Situated in an opening in the trees on level ground, the station site is the highest point on the line (1,304 feet or nearly 398 metres above sea-level). The journey then takes you around Bonython Hill and through several cuttings to the site of the old Bugle Ranges station.
The train then stops briefly here to allow the driver to change to the other end of the railcar before the train heads back up the hill, back to Mount Barker. As the train only travels for about 20 minutes each way, young children shouldn’t bore too easily (our 4 year old loved waving to people waiting at the railway crossings!). You can take a drink and snacks with you on the train and the station sells tea and coffee.
Location:
Mount Barker Railway Station – corner of Gawler St & Dutton Road, Mount Barker
The Steamranger Heritage Railway also operates numerous other train journeys including:
- The Cockle Train
- The Southern Encounter
- The Highlander
- StrathLink
- Southern Hills Special
- and special charter trains
SteamRanger Heritage Railway Journeys | Timetable & Station Locations | South Australia
For train running dates and all enquiries visit the SteamRanger Heritage Railway website.
Image Source: photos by Play & Go Adelaide 2012 (updates added 2024)
As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently.
Play & Go Adelaide makes every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
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