Join Rail Tours Australia in experiencing a weekend on the Pichi Richi Railway with an afternoon visit to the recently relaunched Steamtown Heritage Railway Centre at Peterborough.

There are not too many weekends on the Pichi Richi Railway calendar where the society operates a double header steam excursion. However on the Saturday of the October long weekend we find departing both Port Augusta and Quorn at 10.30am, two very well known and highly patronised trains, The Afghan Express and The Pichi Richi Explorer.

Both trains will have a rendezvous at Woolshed Flat before joining to become one train of over 15 carriages and two steam locomotives heading deeper into the majestic Flinders Ranges and onto the railway township of Quorn.

Our guest will be starting their railway journey from Port Augusta onboard the Afghan Express.

After a BBQ lunch and a short stay at Quorn it's again on the Afghan Express to head back down the track to Port Augusta.

By this time people travelling on this tour would be quite familiar with the journey the Afghan Express makes. As a matter fact it would be the second journey in 24 hours that our guests had made between Port Augusta and Quorn. The only difference is the location of sun!

Friday afternoon our guests board the 1928 Model 75 Brill Railcar for a journey back in time. These days night time running is something that the average member of the general public would not experience on this railway line. Back in1879 when the line was first built, it was a common thing.

After arriving at Quorn on dusk, we head to the Austral Inn to enjoy a 3 course dinner, all in walking distance from the Quorn Railway Station.

On the way back down to Port Augusta we experience a night time perspective on train travel through the beautiful Flinders Ranges.

Sunday will greet 3 lucky winners with an unique way to journey from Port Augusta to Quorn. They will be once again taking to the rails and heading back up towards the home of the Pichi Richi Railway in a 1937 South Australian Railway MIC or Motor Inspection Car. On arrivial at Quorn the 3 winning guests will be welcomed by the remaining members of the tour group who will be following the MIC's progress all the way in the coach and recording photographic evidence of the event.

After witnessing the departure of the Pichi Richi Explorer bound for Woolshed Flat we will then enjoy a guided tour of the PRR depot.

Our next major railway stop is the Steamtown Heritage Railway Centre at Peterborough's old triple gauge roundhouse and loco depot.The route that we will take from Quorn to Peterborough is through some of the old railway towns that no longer play host to trains, only railway memories long past.

Other highlights on the tour will be a visit to the old Port Pirie Railway Station which now sees visitors from around the country and the world as the Port Pirie Visitors and Art Centre. Much of the railway station is still there and for the things that have been removed they have compensated by laying a miniature railway called the Port Pirie Express, displaying a large collection of railway memorabilia and the reconstruction of the Port Pirie area in a model railway.

The Homestead Park Pioneer Village and railway museum houses some examples of locomotives and rollingstock that operated in the area. It is also home to the Port Augusta miniature railway club that will be hosting up to 30 locomotives from around the state on that weekend.

A visit to this part of the state would not be complete without a stop at the old break of gauge railway town of Terowie.

You will find that some of the railway buildings have been lovingly restored and the rails still lay where they once carried freight and passengers destined for all different parts of the country.The station platform still stands where the World War II American General in charge of the Pacific, General Douglas MacArthur said his famous speech that became " I came out of Bataan and I shall return."