Mundaring Weir Branch Railway
| Mundaring Weir branch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A WAGR Ms class Garratt locomotive with a passenger train at Mundaring Weir, 1930s.
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| Overview | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Type | Heavy rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| System | WAGR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Status | Closed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Termini |
Mundaring Mundaring Weir |
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| Operation | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1 June 1898 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Closed | 14 November 1952 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owner | WAGR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Operator(s) | WAGR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Technical | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Number of tracks | Single | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Track gauge | 3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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† Diagram not to scale
The Mundaring Weir Branch Railway was constructed from Mundaring, Western Australia to the site of the Mundaring Weir, and opened on 1 June 1898.
Originally one of the rail lines built by the Public Works Department in the early 20th century – this line was specifically built for the construction of the weir. The line incorporated a zig zag. It was later taken over by the Western Australian Government Railways.
The branch was a popular picnic and excursion line to the weir between the 1920s and 1940s.
Due to the steep grades down to Mundaring Weir, a limited range of locomotives were permitted to be run on the line.
In the 1940s the declining availability of Msa Garratt steam engines also affected the number of possible excursion trains to the weir. This was a particular issue during times of the weir overflowing, as the Msa Garratt seemed to be the only steam engine in service capable of negotiating the steep gradient.
Due to lack of activity on the line in the early 1950s it was closed on 14 November 1952. A bill to close the line passed state parliament in December 1952.
Services on the connecting line, Mundaring Branch Railway, ceased traffic on 23 January 1954. The line was closed by parliament in 1966.
Different proposals since 1966 to resurrect the railway line as a tourist attraction have not materialised.
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Wikipedia