Australian Society of Section Car Operators, Inc.

ASSCO was founded in November 1999, following a series of informal meetings, by a group of motor section car owners who were operating in South Australia.

At the time, many cars were being run using the insurance and systems of a number of heritage railways, including Steamtown, and often under the "work for ride" banner. Changes to the regulatory regime in South Australia allowed for the accreditation of a body as a railway owner and operator, subject to meeting the requirements of Australian Standard AS4292 Railway safety management.

ASSCO was established to hold the accreditation, and in 2000, work commenced on the preparation of a safety management case for the group. The case considered obligations under the Rail Safety Act, Occupational Health Safety and Welfare Act, AS 4801/4804, AS4360, AS4292 and ISO 9000 quality systems. Interim accreditation was achieved in June 2000 Work to prepare the safety case was done by one of the founding members, with operational experience coming from a former railwayman, whilst a number of the processes used by the North American Railcar Operators Association were considered and, were necessary, modified to meet Australian Regulatory requirements.

By April 2001, the organisation had in place an access agreement, which meant accreditation could be granted. ASSCO was the first not-for-profit ("Heritage") railway to be granted accreditation as a railway operator without owning or managing its own railway line in South Australia. It was also the first heritage operator to start up under the regulatory regime since it was implemented. The committee at the time, and subsequently, has avoided taking (long term) responsibility for any infrastructure, because of the work and cost associated with its maintenance. That said, the group has held a lease over the railway between Kevin and Penong on the Far West of Eyre Peninsula.

Originally, operations focused on the railways of South Australia. However, realised early on that other states would be essential to assist the group to grow, work for access in other states did not commence for several years. It last operated in South Australia in 2004.

ASSCO currently operates over the Queensland Rail network, having signed a five-year access agreement with QR in May 2024.

On average, ASSCO conducts four operations (events) annually.

The organization boasts a membership of over 50 individuals, with 30 actively participating. Membership is obtained through an annual subscription, and several railway industry competencies are required to participate in ASSCO operations. Ownership of a section car is not a prerequisite.

In recent years, a significant portion of the membership has been based in New South Wales, prompting ASSCO to seek access in the region. An access agreement has been successfully reached to operate in New South Wales, and ASSCO is applying for a variation to its accreditation with the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) to commence operations in the state.