The Dutton Bay Tramway is a freelanced HO scale 2'6" gauge railway set in South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. The layout has a long history, and was first exhibited in 1988. The DBT is now retired from the exhibition scene following the Adelaide Model Railway Exhibition of June 2001. Those modules will be incorporated in the permanent layout, and never seen in exhibition halls again.

In its exhibition form the layout comprised a terminal station, Anunaka, from where the line meandered through typical Eyre Peninsula scenery, dropping down across a salt pan, downgrade past the gypsum loading bins of Kelvin before disappearing into the fiddle yard.

A purpose built shed has been erected to provide the permanent home for the DBT, and work has already commenced on the larger version of the layout, which will incorporate most of the exhibition modules.

FROM AN EMPTY SHED TO A MODEL RAILWAY Latest Progress on the Permanent Layout 3 November 04 It's been a long time between updates. Unfortunately progress was nowhere near as good as hoped. A trip to Queensland to research my next project didn't help, as my mind has been contemplating On30 rollingstock rather than working on the Dutton Bay. However, there has been a some further progress over this time in preparation for the BRMA Convention layout tour. As well as... Trees added to West End Hill Gypsum bins weathered ... more

Over the years The DBT has had quite a great deal of time spent on planning, considerably more than on actual building or operation, and we believe that this now shows through. Lengthy discussions before adding structures or building new types of vehicles, have meant that the scenic treatment and the rolling stock operating on the layout provide a homogenous appearance.

In our view this is a strength of the layout, and indeed one comment by a fellow modeller at one exhibition bears this out when he said "there is nothing here that does not belong."

If you are considering a holiday, take a look at the Eyre Peninsula Interactive Visitors Guide. It is a lovely place to spend a week or two.

Contents Detailed description of the railway History of the DBT Information about the Permanent Layout Locomotive Fleet Image Gallery Construction of our goods (freight) stock Passenger Stock Polyurethane Casting techniques Digital Command Control on the DBT Trackplan Imaginary story, maps and history Timetable and Graphs used when exhibiting Future Plans Profile of owner/builders/operators Monitor Progress of the Dutton Bay permanent layout What's New on the Dutton Bay site

Australia has some wonderful modellers specializing in Narrow Gauge. To see some excellent examples of the "start of the art" visit my Australian Narrow Gauge Web Exhibition site.

Here in Australia we have a Narrow Gauge Convention for those with an interest in either prototype or modelling less than standard gauge. The conventions are now being held every two years, over Easter. Recent events were hosted in Melbourne (2001) and Sydney (2003). The 2005 Convention is to be held in Albury, on the Victorian/New South Wales border. If you have an interest in attending these conventions visit the Narrow Gauge Convention Home Page

If you are interested in narrow gauge, I recommend the excellent reference to narrow gauge modelling, the HOn2 1/2 Page by Bob Hayden and Dave Frary, renowned narrow gauge modellers. Another useful reference is the HOn2 1/2 (HOn30) Mail Car mailing list home page. There are a number of us who contribute to the mailing list for like minded modellers, and although the list naturally has an American emphasis a lively discussion can be guaranteed on any narrow-gauge subject world wide. Further links to railway sites, prototypical and model, narrow gauge or wide gauge, can be found on the DBT Links page.

Feel free to send any comments or questions by email

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