Coffin Bay tramway
| Company type | Tramway |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1964 |
| Defunct | 1989 |
| Headquarters | Coffin Bay , Australia |
Area served | Eyre Peninsula, South Australia |
| Products | Lime sand transport |
| Owner | BHP |
The Coffin Bay Tramway was a railway with a standard gauge located on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. Stretching 40 kilometres between Coffin Bay and Billy Lights Point near Port Lincoln, it was developed and managed by BHP to transport lime sand essential for steel production at facilities in Whyalla, Port Kembla, and Kwinana. Construction commenced in 1964, and the line became operational in 1966.
Despite being constructed to meet railway specifications, it was designated a tramway because South Australian law restricted railway operation rights exclusively to the government.
Two EMD G12 locomotives from the DE class (units DE08 and DE09) were procured from Clyde Engineering, Sydney. Both locomotives began service in November 1965 on the BHP Whyalla Tramway, but only DE08 was assigned to Coffin Bay when the tramway opened. In 1968, DE08 returned to Whyalla, replaced at Coffin Bay by two smaller EMD G8 locomotives (DE01 and DE02). Additionally, a set of 31 wagons was manufactured by Commonwealth Engineering, Bassendean.
Operations on the tramway ended in 1989 following storm damage to the wharf at Billy Lights Point. The tracks were dismantled in the early 2000s, with the salvaged materials reused for the Eyre Peninsula Railway.