The Illawarra Light Railway Museum operates a mainline narrow gauge light railway, a miniature gauge railway, and a museum located in Albion Park Rail, New South Wales, Australia.
History The Illawarra Light Railway Museum Society was founded in February 1972. the Museum site was leased from Shellharbour City Council and the Leased signed in 1974, with railway operations commencing in 1974 dedicated to preserving Light Railway history and Illawarra industrial history.Illawarra Light Rail Museum Society Trolley Wire issue 151 April 1974 page 21 It was officially opened on 10 November 1984.Official Opening Trolley Wire issue 216 February 1985 page 28 In 2007 the society obtained federal funding for the construction of the Ken McCarthy Museum Building, which was officially opened in December 2007.The Ken McCarthy Museum Building Illawarra Light Railway Museum
Operations The Museum is opened on the Second Sunday and Fourth Saturday of each month from 10am to 2pm Work Days being Tuesdays, Thursdays. Running Days every second Sunday and fourth Saturday of each month.
The museum site consist of the following features:
Yallah station building, arrived May 1976Illawarra Light Railway Museum Railway Digest June 1976 page 92Yallah Station Trolley Wire issue 164 June 1976 page 34 Otford Signal Box, arrived 1985Otford Signal Box Illawarra Light Railway Museum Souvenir Shop & Kiosk Workshop and Locomotive & Carriage Storage Shed Ken McCarthy Museum Building Arthur Moore Stationary Engine Display
Exhibits Steam LocomotivesNo.DescriptionManufacturerYearOperatorex-RailwayStatusRefCairns 0-6-0Hudswell Clarke1939Colonial Sugar RefineryEdmonton, retired from CSR Victoria Mill 1976On displayCairns Illawarra Light Railway MuseumTully 6 0-6-2STPerry Engineering1949Tully Sugar Mill TullyOverhaulTully 6 Illawarra Light Railway MuseumBurra0-4-0STHawthorn Leslie & Company1923 Australian Iron & Steel CorrimalOperationalBurra Illawarra Light Railway MuseumKiama0-4-0STDavenport Locomotive Works1913NSW Public Works DepartmentKiama QuarriesOperationalKiama Illawarra Light Railway MuseumShay Shay locomotiveLima Locomotive Worksc1900Munro TramwayHamptonStoredShay Illawarra Light Railway Museum
Apart from the wooden trams, a horse-drawn wagon of the Dry Creek explosives depot near Adelaide is particularly noteworthy.
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