A charred, twisted mess is all that remains of an original railway worker’s cottage which has been the much-loved home of one resident for more than half a century.

Rob Hales lost everything when a fire broke out in his cottage at Tailem Bend, a rural town in the Murraylands region of South Australia, about 5pm on Wednesday.

Members of the close-knit community, about an hour southeast from Adelaide, saw flames coming from the roof of the Railway Tce cottage and called emergency services.

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Hales was not at home at the time, returning only to see his prized century-old cottage — his home of 65 years — engulfed in flames.

Crews from eight Country Fire Services trucks were sent in and were able to stop the fire spreading to nearby buildings.

However, Hale’s home could not be saved and was completely gutted, along with everything Hale owned inside it.

“I’ve been here for 65 years, so it’s a bit of a loss,” Hales told 7NEWS.

“Lot of stuff can be replaced but photos, family things, trophies and just memories can’t be.”

The original railway cottage was more than a century old and one of the first residential homes in the area for railway workers.

The fire is believed to have started in the house and spread to Hale’s shed at the back of the property, destroying it too.

The estimated damage bill is $500,000.

Fire investigators are currently examining the cause of the fire.