The historic stone remains of Gawler’s first turntable pit dating to the 1860s was rediscovered as part of earthworks for the Gawler Rail Electrification Project (GREP) in May.
The fascinating history was researched by Bob Sampson who is the Executive Officer National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide.
The stone walls of the pit and the stone remains of the adjacent loco ash-pit were documented for heritage purposes, prior to being covered over to permit a continuation of track building, which is scheduled for completion in November of this year.
“The turntable remains and ash-pit are believed to date from about 1860, with the table being an old 50ft version – quite suitable for steam engines of that period,” said Mr Sampson.
According to Mr Sampson’s research, eventually Gawler was provided with improved and enlarged loco facilities and a triangle for turning railcars and locomotives.
Due to electrification works most of the former rail sidings used for stabling railcars overnight at Gawler have now been ripped up and new tracks laid in a different configuration.
Mr Sampson has been working with Local Member of Parliament Tony Piccolo as part of the Barossa Tourist Train Taskforce, which is working on a draft project brief that would be basis of an independent inquiry into the viability of a Barossa Valley-focussed tourist train, that would be funded by an incoming State Labor Government.
Mr Piccolo was pleased that this snippet of rail history was captured.
“It is a great credit to Bob Sampson for obtaining the photos of this piece of Gawler’s rail history before it was filled in to continue track works,” Mr Piccolo said.
“Recording this rail history is important to preserve for future generations to understand the local transportation history of the town, particularly during its early industrial period in the nineteenth century.”
“The heritage of the rail precinct is very important to the town.”
Mr Sampson has more than forty years of experience in the rail sector. Over his long career, which commenced with SA Railways in 1972, he transferred to Australian National Railways where he worked in administrative and Freight Operations logistics roles. Later he was in senior management roles in Public & Corporate Relations, before joining Australian Rail Track Corporation in Corporate Property Management.