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The Coffin Bay tramway was a 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) gauge railway located on the Eyre Peninsula of South Australia. Running for 40 kilometres from Coffin Bay to Billy Lights Point, Port Lincoln it was built and operated by BHP to carry lime sand for steelmaking at Whyalla, Port Kembla and Kwinana. Construction commenced in 1964 with the line opening in 1966.

Although built as a high standard railway line, it was known as tramway because of a law that only allowed the Government of South Australia to operate railway lines in the state.

Two EMD G12 DE class (DE08/09) locomotives were ordered from Clyde Engineering, Sydney for the line. Both entered service in November 1965 on the BHP Whyalla Tramway. Only DE08 was transferred to the Coffin Bay Tramway when it opened in 1966. It returned to Whyalla in 1968, being swapped for two smaller EMD G8 locomotives (DE01/02). A fleet of 31 wagons were built by Comeng, Bassendean.

Following storm damage to the wharf at Billy Lights Point, the line closed in 1989. The track was lifted in the early 2000s and reused on the Eyre Peninsula Railway.

References

1. Early Starts on SAR Industrial Spur and Standard Gauge Lime-Sand Line Railway Transportation September 1964 page 7
2. ^ Buckland, J.L. (August 1977). "A standard gauge railway in mothballs (Coffin Bay tramway of BHP Co. Ltd.)". Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin. 28 (478). Australian Railway Historical Society: 184–189. This mineral railway was opened in 1966 to bring lime sands 39 km from Coffin Bay to Proper Bay, near Port Lincoln. The operation was visited by an ARHS SA Div tour on 13 Nov 1976. (Citation details via the nswrail.net website)
3. ^ Griffiths, David (1985). BHP Tramways Centenary History. Mile End Railway Museum. pp. 57, 58. ISBN 0-9595073-4-5.
4. ^ Knife, Peter (2006). Peninsula Pioneer. Wahroonga: Peter Knife. pp. 302–308. ISBN 0975783505.
5. Lime sand from Coffin Bay Railway Gazette 5 January 1968 page 15
6. Two Diesel-Electric Loco Orders to Clyde Railway Transportation December 1964 page 7
7. ^ Doncaster N: Going, Going, Gone – Coffin Bay Tramway Catch Point issue 144 July 2001 pages 28/29

• BHP
• Eyre Peninsula
• Closed railway lines in South Australia
• Railway lines opened in 1966
• Railway lines closed in 1989
• Standard gauge railways in Australia
• 1966 establishments in Australia
• 1989 disestablishments in Australia
• Mining railways in Australia
• Limestone industry