13 January 1879    Glenelg to Marino Railway

On 13 January 1879 a steam-operated railway opened for business between Glenelg and Marino. This was constructed by the Glenelg and South Coast Tramway Company and operated from Moseley Street through Somerton to the foreshore where it ran a few feet above high water to Marino. What an ill-fated project! It was plagued with sand drifts and poor patronage. There were two fatal accidents, the first when two children jumped off the train and were killed, and in the second an engine left the tracks and overturned, killing a man.

One founder of the company was George Strickland Kingston who lived at Marino. To offset the lack of passengers during winter he opened a quarry on his property and transported the stone to Glenelg, but this innovation was not enough to save the line. It was closed on 22 April 1880 and the company wound up in July.

Australian Railway Historical Bulletin , March 1969, p. 60.
Eric Gunton, Gracious Homes of Colonial Adelaide,  1983, p. 76.