INDUSTRIES AND OPERATIONS ON THE KANUNDA & EMU FLAT RAILWAY
The K&EFR is a free lanced HO scale South Australian layout set in the early 1980s and represents a short imaginary portion of the south line between Adelaide and the Victorian border.
Firstly, the era is nominally early 1980s. All paperwork for operating sessions is dated 1984. I do not run anything from beyond 1985 but will allow railway vehicles from 1975. This allows me to use RX reefers and UB vans which were last used in 1978.
All stations on the K&EFR are fictitious and represent an imaginary 16km of the south line somewhere between Balhannah and Tailem Bend with branch lines going off at Sandiman Switch to Maranalgo and going off at Jimba Jimba Junction to Myrtle Springs. Maranalgo is modelled on the layout but the Myrtle Springs branch line goes into a hidden dead end siding in staging. That is, Myrtle Springs is not modelled. Cooper and Foster (staging) represent the ends of the layout which is run point to point. Trains departing Cooper are said to have departed from Adelaide while trains departing Foster are said to have departed from the south east of South Australia or Melbourne.
When planning the K&EFR and it’s operations and industries I decided what trains I would like to run.
Being early 1980s all freight trains must have a brake van.
I wanted to have the Overland passenger train that runs between Adelaide and Melbourne, the Jets ( through freights running between Adelaide and Melbourne) also I got an oil (tank) train that runs end to end with out any stops. The local passenger train runs between Cooper and Emu Flat and back. Being through freights the Jets and oil train do not require any industries or facilities on the K&EFR. The Overland makes a stop at Kanunda and the local passenger stops at all stations so passenger stations are needed at all stations.
Of course because I like shunting so I would need some way freights (roadside goods trains on the K&EFR). The down roadside goods runs from Cooper shunting at all stations and returns to Cooper as the up roadside goods again shunting all stations. The Maranalgo goods travels between Kanunda and Maranalgo and back. The Myrtle Springs goods travels from Myrtle Springs to Kanunda and back shunting Wooldowie on the way through. Then there are the grain extra and the livestock train. These alternatively leave Cooper and head to either Maranalgo or Emu Flat and return as Engine and brake van. Also there is a transfer goods that runs between Kanunda and Cooper to reduce congestion in Kanunda yard.
Other trains that do somewhat less shunting are the up and down Mt Gambier goods, through freights, which either set out or pick up a cut of cars at Kanunda to be shunted by the shunt engine employed at Kanunda and the Stonie ( stone train) which services Penstone quarry which is shunted from Emu Flat.
Now that I had an idea of what trains I would like to run on the K&EF I decided on what industries I would need to support those trains. The reverse of what I think that the prototype would do but I am concerned with maximising fun rather than profit. I will list the industries station by station.
Ninety five percent of the on line traffic on the K&EFR runs in a similar way to that of any rural line in South Australia. Virtually all goods being sent to the towns modelled comes from Adelaide, S.A.’s capital city and almost all commodities sent from the modelled towns will be sent to Adelaide and it’s environs. All empty wagons are also returned to Adelaide’s Mile End yard, However I have managed to create a few wagon movements between towns and industries on the K&EFR to
create a few wagon movements between towns and industries on the K&EFR to generate a little more interest for train crews.
Kanunda is the largest town on the K&EFR. It has a four track yard where the branch line trains are made up. There are Silos for the grain train a cattle pen for the livestock train. Other industries are a oil and fuel dealer , King’s Petroleum which receives tank cars of petrol and diesel and vans (box Cars) and open wagons ( gondolas) of drums of oil etc, a container crane, modelled after a similar crane at Murray Bridge, a repair in place track, that can take any wagon, over head tank at the diesel refuelling point that receives tank cars, a goods shed, modelled after the one at Mt Barker that receives vans and open wagons. Also there is a flour mill that as well as sending vans of flour to Adelaide also sends vans to the other stations on the layout, and finally Athol Freezers a cold and cool store modelled after a business I owned with my brother some time before I retired. Athol Freezers as well as sending and receiving reefers from Adelaide also receives reefers from Con’s Choice packing shed in Wooldowie.
Wooldowie is a typical S.A. rural station which consists of mainline, passing siding and a goods loop and one spur. On the goods loop are the cattle pen and wheat silos to be served by the livestock and grain trains respectively. Also on the goods loop is the goods shed served by the roadside goods that also serves Con’s Choice fruit packing shed situated on the spur track.
Emu Flat has the same track arrangement with cattle pens, wheat silos and goods shed on the goods loop but there is a short branch off here to Penstone quarry. The Stonie actually shunts Penstone quarry from Emu Flat.
The last stop for the roadside goods is Foster which is actually staging. Not being modelled any type of wagon can be sent there. Having Foster as the terminus for the roadside goods allows the opportunity to run a longer train than would have been the case otherwise.
Maranalgo is the branch line station modelled. It is a terminus and has a loop that can only accomodate train of engine, three wagons and a brake van. There are three spurs off the loop. One has wheat silos, another a firewood dealer and the third a goods shed and cattle pens.
Myrtle Springs the other branch line terminus is not modelled so it can take any type of wagon.
All grain and livestock are sent to Adelaide (Dry Creek and Pt Adelaide) the limestone from Penstone quarry goes to Adelaide (Osborne) firewood goes to Adelaide, and fruit from Con’s goes to Adelaide and Athol freezers for storage before finally going on to Adelaide. All inward goods come from the Mile End or Islington in Adelaide. The way to Adelaide being represented by Cooper in staging.
All of the industries on the K&EFR are typical of what could be found in towns and railway stations in South Australia in the early 1980s and would have been served with trains like the roadside goods, grain train, livestock train and stone train that ply the rails of the K&EFR.
An operating session on the K&EFR takes two hours and using a four to one fast clock represents eight hours. The crew consists of two road crews. a yard master at Kanunda, a hostler operating the staging yard and a controller.
The industries on the Kanunda and Emu Flat Railway give the K&EFR a sense of purpose and a reason for each town to exist. They are in keeping with the locality and era portrayed and a believable schedule of trains supports them during operating sessions. The stone train departs Cooper (Staging) travels to Penstone and returns. the roadside goods travels Cooper – Foster and return and the grain extra and livestock trains travel Cooper – Emu Flat and return shunting silos or cattle pens. Operators have enjoyed operating sessions using car cards and way bills as well as time tables and train orders on the K&EFR for over ten years now with hope fully many more to come.
858 on the livestock train is pulling a ALGX van as well as two CS cattle wagons from the spur at Maranalgo. The van will be retuned to the goods shed.
Having finished it’s work at Wooldowie the 309 the down roadside goods waits in the passing siding for the approaching down Overland.
Operating the K&EFR. On the left is Kanunda on the right Emu Flat.
Red 930s 942 and 961 arrive at Emu Flat as 331 a down engine and van movement (EV). They will pick up the green AHGX wheat hoppers at the silos then depart as 332 the up grain extra. The up grain extra also picks up hoppers at Wooldowie and Kanunda then travels to Pt Adelaide via Cooper.
Wednesday morning: 314 the up Mt Gambier goods is in the passing siding at Kanunda as Kanunda shunts engine 503 is about to attach a cut of four wagons to it.
kaefken 