Western Australian Government Railways

Western Australian Government Railways
One of the WAGR logos on old rolling stock at the ARHS Museum at Bassendean.
Agency overview
Formed	1890
Preceding agency	Department of Works and Railways
Dissolved	1 July 2003
Superseding agency	Public Transport Authority
Jurisdiction	Government of Western Australia

Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority (PTA) of Western Australia.

History of Operations

The X and the modified XA diesel locomotives appeared on most promotional material for the WAGR in the late 1950s and 1960s expressing the modernity of their operations, the Westrail Symbol on the side of the X class was the symbol of the 1970s of moving on from the older and longer name.

In earlier times it had an extensive system of railway branches and lines throughout Western Australia. The network of branches were of vital importance in the state prior to the expanded use of motor transport for the moving of agricultural, forestry and mining products.

Legislative restrictions were implemented at some stages to limit competition from road transport. Notably in the 1930s through to the 1950s the Transport Co-ordination Board kept strict control over trucking, buses and commercial road traffic.

The transformation from WAGR with a full range of branches listed below – through to Westrail (another name during its changes) to the PTA – caused a loss of local branches, and sidings.

The move from a small customer oriented system to a predominantly bulk carrier main line system, in the late twentieth century left many smaller communities smarting from the loss of local employment and facilities usually associated with the older style of working. However in the wheatbelt, bulk handling of grain continued despite the changes.

Some branches were isolated from the main system, such as the Marble Bar and the Hopetoun lines. Most branch lines in the system were constructed by the 1930s. The main era for closures was in the post-World War II era of the 1950s when many non-paying branches were closed.

With the completion of the standard gauge line to Kalgoorlie in the mid 1960s, many lines closed and by the early 1970s, dieselisation had seen diesel power had completely replaced steam locomotives.

Names

• 1877-1890: Department of Works and Railways (also known as Public Works and Railways)
• 1890-1914: West Australian Government Railways (I)
• 1914-1922: West Australian Government Railways and Tramways
• 1922-1930: West Australian Government Railways, Tramways and Electricity Supply
• 1930-1946: West Australian Government Railways, Tramways, Ferries and Electricity Supply
• 1946-1949: West Australian Government Railways, Tramways and Ferries
• 1949-2000: West Australian Government Railways (II)
• 1975: WAGR adopts the brand name Westrail
• 2000: The freight business and the Westrail name were sold to Australian Western Railroad – a subsidiary of Australian Railroad Group (ARG) and the freight rail lines were leased to WestNet Rail – another subsidiary of the ARG. WAGR continued to own the track, but WestNet manages it under the terms of a 49-year lease. The public entity is renamed to the Western Australian Government Railways Commission (WAGRC).
• 2003: WAGRC renamed to Public Transport Authority (of Western Australia)

(Source: State Records Office of Western Australia website)

Services

The WAGR operated a wide variety of services throughout its history, including the more standard country and suburban passenger and freight workings as well as a limited electrified service, early country railcar services, a road bus service and overnight sleeper services to distant destinations.

Named Services

Named services were largely unknown on the WAGR until the expansion following the Second World War. The introduction of named services was part of an effort to increase the prestige of a railway system which had long been viewed as antiquated and inefficient. With the exception of the Perth - Bunbury services, the named trains of the WAGR were sleeper services. ^[1] The services were (with years operating) -

• The Albany Progress between Albany and Perth (1961 - 1978)
• The Australind between Perth and Bunbury (1947 - present)
• The Kalgoorlie between Perth and Kalgoorlie (1962 - 1971)
• The Midlander between Perth and Geraldton (1964 - 1975)
• The Mullewa between Perth and Mullewa (1961 - 1974)
• The Albany Weekender between Perth and Albany (1964 - 1975)
• The Shopper between Perth and Bunbury (1964 - 1975)
• The Bunbury Belle between Perth and Bunbury (1964 - 1975)

The Westland

Of special significance to West Australian named services is the Westland Express. The Westland operated between 1938 and 1969 and underwent numerous renovations. It is distinguished by being the only named service in WA until the Australind's inception in1947.

(Source: Rob Clarke, "What's in a name?" in Geoffrey Higham (2007) "Marble Bar to Mandurah - A History of Passenger Rail Services in Western Australia" pp107-127)

Electrified Services

While the current Western Australian urban passenger network under Transperth Trains is entirely electrified, between May 1924 and March 1969 the State Electricity Commission operated the only 1067mm narrow gauge electrified line in Western Australia as part of the WAGR network. The line was a half-mile in length and operated in East Perth.^[2] The electric locomotive used on the railway is preserved at the Rail Transport Museum in Bassendean, though is currently not on display.

Country Diesel Railcar Services

In the 1940s and 1950s, usage of the Governor Class Diesel services on country lines was common, and services within distance of a couple of hours of Perth were accessed - rather than the longer more distant locations serviced by the overnight sleeper trains.

Road Bus Service

Where lines were closed in the 1940s and 1950s , or passenger services discontinued, Road Bus Services were introduced. Most of the services and the same routes continue to the present. .

The Rail Road Services commenced in 1941 with one vehicle, and by the 1960s there were more than 50 buses in service. The Dual purpose passenger/freight buses that commenced in 1949 had a Foden chassis and Gardner 6 cylinder diesel engines. They were green and cream in livery. WAGR also operated articulated trailer buses. In the 1950s the main passenger bus was made of an AEC chassis with a 6 cylinder diesel engine. In the early 1960s the 3 Scenicruiser Guy chassis and Leyland 6 cylinder diesel engined vehicles in red and cream colour schemes commenced on the Perth-Albany and Perth Narembeen routes. They were named 'Pride of the West', 'Queen of the South', and 'Wheatlander'.

In the late 1960s Hino Buses were being utilised as long distance travel buses for the Perth-Meekatharra, Perth-Esperance, Perth-Geraldton, and Perth-Albany Services ^[3]

In the early 1970s the WAGR Bus service included seasonal 6 day 'Wildflower Study Tours' from Perth and along roads to and from Geraldton through the northern Wheatbelt ^[4] .

In the early 1970s the King Karri Scenicruiser buses ran from Bunbury through Maniump, Pemberton, Northcliffe, Walpole to Albany at the same time the Albany Progress overnight train was still operating - making it possible to do a round trip by rail from Perth to Albany and bus from Albany to Perth via Bunbury.^[5]

In the mid 1970's some services reflected where rail services had either closed or had ceased providing facilities for passengers - the following selection is the not the total service at the time ^[6]

• Albany-Denmark-Nornalup-Walpole Road Bus Service
• Perth Terminal-Wooroloo Hospital-Wundowie-Northam Road Bus Service
• Perth Terminal-Toodyay-Goomalling-Wubin-Mount Magnet-Meekatharra Road Bus Service
• Wagin-Katanning-Pingrup-Jerramungup Road Bus Service

Railway Road Truck Services

There were also road freight services, while the restrictions on non-government trucking were still in force with suburban truck services between Perth and Midland, Perth and Fremantle, Perth and Kewdale and Perth and Gosnells. The Country services were extensive having Perth and country rail stations as terminal locations. ^[7]

Locomotives

The WAGR operated a large number of unique steam, diesel and electric locomotive classes. Often suffering from lack of available funds the WAGR locomotive fleet often consisted of locomotives far older than their expected operational life. Only one electric locomotive was operated by the government during the WAGR years.

Services to Patrons

Chief Mechanical Engineers of the WAGR^[8]

Chief Mechanical Engineer was the highest posting at the Midland Railway Workshops, which in turn managed (through construction, repair and design) all aspects of railway maintenance and equipment. The post was established in 1900 and abandoned in 1989.

Engineering

Lines and Operational Centers

Main Lines

In rail administration, lines were given generic titles such as the Eastern Railway, the South Western, rather than after the destination.

• Metropolitan - ER - Eastern Railway - Suburban
• Bunbury - SWR - South Western Railway
• Kalgoorlie - EGR - Eastern Goldfields Railway
• Mullewa - NR - Northern Railway
• Leonora - EGR - Eastern Goldfields Railway
• Meekathara - NR - Northern Railway
• Esperance - EGR - Eastern Goldfields Railway
• Albany - GSR - Great Southern Railway

Branches/Sections

For a different way of identifying branches/routes see Quinlan and Newland.^[9]

• Ajana Branch
• Boulder Branch
• Brookton-Corrigin Branch
• Bullfinch Branch
• Bunbury to Katanning Branch
• Busselton Branch
• Collie to Brunswick Junction Branch
• Collie to Wagin Branch
• Denmark Branch
• Flinders Bay Branch
• Northampton Branch
• Hopetoun Railway
• Hotham Valley Branch
• Lake Brown Branch
• Lake Grace Branch
• Meekathara Branch
• Mundaring Branch
• Mundaring Weir Branch
• Nannup Branch
• Narembeen Branch
• Narrogin to Collie Branch
• Northcliffe Branch
• Ongerup Branch
• Pingrup Branch
• Pinjarra to Boddington Branch
• Port Hedland - Marble Bar Railway
• Sandstone Branch
• Toodyay Branch
• Upper Darling Range Branch
• Wiluna Branch
• Yuna Branch

Operational Centres

old Leighton Marshalling Yards.

For most of the years that the WAGR existed as that entity, main offices, and divisional offices and buildings were all within a short range of Perth Railway Station. Rationalisation of the diverse addresses and locations occurred with the construction of the East Perth Head Office building.

• Head Office - Management - East Perth
• Regional Centres (Current and historical)
  • Narrogin
  • Northam
• Workshops
  • Fremantle Railway Workshops
  • Midland Railway Workshops
• Marshalling Yards - various yards have existed in the Perth Metropolitan area -
  • Leighton
  • Midland
  • Kenwick
  • South Fremantle (Robb Jetty).
• Grain Silos (Current and historical)
  • Bellevue/Midland
  • Fremantle,
  • Kenwick

Legacy and Preservation

A large number of locomotives and rolling stock types of the WAGR, as well as many examples of WAGR architecture and railway infrastructure have been preserved, both in Western Australia and other places around the world, notably the other Australian States.

References

See also

• Rail transport in Western Australia

Further Information

• Affleck, Fred N. On track : the making of Westrail, 1950 to 1976 . Perth : Westrail, 1978. ISBN 0-7244-7560-5
• Gunzburg, Adrian.(1984) A history of W.A.G.R. steam locomotives Perth, W.A : Australian Railway Historical Society, Western Australian Division. ISBN 0959969039
• May, Andrew and Gray, Bill. A History of WAGR Passenger Carriages. Perth:The Author, 2006. ISBN 0-646-45902-3
• WAGR Publicity Section, Perth. Pamphlets and information sheets produced in the early 1960s.
• The Rail Heritage WA website

External links

• State Records Office has a web page with the largest collection of records available about the WAGR.
• PTA overview
• WAGR goods wagons information
• WAGR passenger carriage history
• Brief History