Back in 1940, at the start of the Second World War, the government decided to build a depot at Smithfield, north of Elizabeth, to store munitions manufactured at the Salisbury factory. They very quickly laid forty five kilometres of track serving the many munitions store buildings of which two can still be seen off the Northern Expressway. Wagons were manufactured at the Islington railway works and four battery locomotives were purchased from Liverpool in the UK. These trains then moved the munitions in and out of storage for the next fifty five years.
When the munitions depot closed in 1999, the trains and the track were sold at auction. The Milang Railway Museum purchased four munitions wagons, a battery locomotive, a battery charger, twenty points and operating levers, a kilometre of rail and the whole lot were put into storage.
In 2016, the volunteers laid 100 metres of track and started offering free, out and back train rides on Sundays afternoons. Over the next six years, the track got steadily longer and eventually reached the turntable. Late in 2023, the museum volunteers decided to extend the track into a full loop to the end of our property and back. Residents will have noticed us each Tuesday and Friday morning laying the track by hand. Two weeks ago, the loop was finally completed and, as is the tradition with railways, a golden spike was used to fix the last sleeper.
Before commencing operation over the full loop, we have some maintenance work to do on the track. Then, at 2:00 PM on Sunday 23rd of February, the loop will be formally opened by the History Trust of South Australia who have provided several grants to the museum in the last few years. Milang residents will be welcome at the ceremony and can enjoy a free train ride around the new route.
