Eastern Railway (Western Australia)

"Source: West Australian Government Gazette of 1885, January 5th"

It soon became apparent that this route was too steep for the increasingly heavier trains and engines required for the route. As a result, another route was quickly devised in the 1890s.

After the completion of the Second Route, this line became known in Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) records as the Smith's Mill Branch, then the Mundaring Branch, and later as the Mundaring Loop.

Passenger traffic ceased between Boya and Mount Helena on 24 January 1954 and the route was closed from Koongamia - Mount Helena on 12 March 1965.

The current condition of the stations on this route today are as follows:

The Eastern Railway was then later extended beyond Northam to the Kalgoorlie goldfields. The line was known as the Eastern Goldfields Railway.

Second Route

Also known as the "Parkerville deviation", Second Route via Swan View, John Forrest National Park, Hovea, Parkerville and Stoneville, through to Mt Helena opened on 1 July 1896, within a decade after the "First Route". Its grades were less strenuous and the line didn't suffer from the more serious problems of the first route.The line was originally only a single track and featured Western Australia's first (and only until 1990) railway tunnel. As traffic increased the newer route was duplicated, with the second track bypassing the tunnel, resulting in a slightly longer journey for trains heading across the Darling Scarp. The "Second Route" eventually closed on 13 February 1966.

Third Route

In the 1950s, it became clear to the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) that the original Eastern Railway alignments were not suitable for future traffic and the loadings that were to be carried between the coast and the areas east of the Darling Scarp.

It was not until the 1960s that a new eastern railway route was commissioned to run through the Avon Valley, further north than existing Eastern Railway alignments. The Third route was Originally built with timber sleepers and 94lb rail. It was later upgraded using heavy (60kg) continuously welded rail laid on new concrete sleepers during the late 1970s through into the early 1980s. It features much milder grades and is designed for faster train speeds.

It is a dual gauge (Stevenson standard gauge and Anglo Cape 3' 6" narrow gauge) double line throughout its entirety, also including a few crossing loop sections, where there are 3 tracks. These loops are located at Jumperkine, Moondyne and Toodyay West. Numerous cuttings were also constructed, including the deep Windmill Hill Cutting east of Toodyay.

This new route was opened on 13 February 1966 [The Avon Valley Deviation Zeplin, N Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, December, 1967 pp253-265] and coincided with the closure of the earlier two routes of the Eastern Railway. The line is still operational and is used by all rail freight to the east as well as the Transwa Prospector and Transwa Avonlink running frequently on the route.

Current conditions

The original Eastern Railway alignments still survive today, in the form of a shared path used for cycling, horse riding and walking. Over 80 km remain as a path, all the way from Bellevue near Midland right through to Clackline. The original section from Fremantle to Perth to Midland is still in use as part of Transperth's suburban rail network and the Western Australian rail freight network (see also: WestNet Rail).

Railway Reserve Heritage Trail

The Railway Reserve Heritage Trail is the result of the Mundaring Shire Council being allocated funds from a number of external authorities to maintain and improve the old railway alignment as a walking trail. Between 2004–2006, the trail has had considerable signage and track maintenance conducted along the trail.

It is also utilised for the annual "Trek the Trail" event conducted in conjunction between Mundaring and Hills Historical Society, the Mundaring Shire Council and the Mundaring Visitor Centre. The event was conducted between Wooroloo and Chidlow in 2004,and Mount Helena and Parkerville in 2005. The 2006 event will be between Mundaring and Darlington.

The Shire of Mundaring and the Mundaring Arts Centre in 2006 has conducted an invitational group art exhibition called From Track to Trail.

See also

* Western Australian Government Railways

References

Further reading

* Affleck, Fred N.(1978) "On track: the making of Westrail, 1950 to 1976" . Perth: Westrail. ISBN 0-7244-7560-5
* Australian Railways Historical Society, W.A. Division "The Kalgoorlie 1897-1971".
* Elliot, Ian (1983) "Mundaring a History of the Shire" ISBN 0959277609
* Finlayson, Don (1986) "Steam around Perth" ARHS WA
* Gunzburg, Adrian (1984) "A History of WAGR Steam Locomotives" ARHS WA ISBN 0959969039
* Quinlan, Howard & Newland, John R. (2000) "Australian Railway Routes 1854-2000" ISBN 0-909650-49-7
* Watson, Lindsay (1995) "The Railway History of Midland Junction" ISBN 0-646-24461-2