Mullewa–Meekatharra railway
The Mullewa–Meekatharra railway was a section of the Northern Railway in Western Australia.
Branch lines
The Cue to Big Bell[1] and Mount Magnet to Sandstone[2] were branch railways that connected with this railway.
The Meekatharra to Wiluna railway was an extension of the line in operation between 1932 and 1957.
As part of the Northern Line
The Mullewa station was connected to both Geraldton and to Perth, and Meekatharra was not the final location of the line, but Wiluna – further east.
Conditions
The Mullewa to Meekatharra line was regularly affected by washaways during wet weather.[3][4]
Closure
The Mullewa to Meekatharra line was closed on 1 May 1978.[5]
Sections
Mullewa to Meekatharra line sections:[6]
- Mullewa, opened 1894 –
- Mullewa – Pindar – opened 1 July 1898 – closed November 1996
- Pindar – Cue – opened 1 July 1898 – closed 29 April 1978
- Mount Magnet – junction with Sandstone Branch Railway – 1 August 1910 – closed 28 May 1949
- Cue – Nannine – opened 1 June 1903 – closed 29 April 1978
- Cue – branch line to Big Bell, Western Australia – opened 2 August 1938 – closed 1 January 1956
- Nannine – Meekatharra – opened 11 August 1910 – closed 29 April 1978
- Meekatharra – continued to Wiluna Branch Railway – opened 2 November 1932 – closed 5 August 1957
See also
- Western Australian Government Railways
- Rail transport in Western Australia
- Midland Railway Company of Western Australia
Notes
- ^ "Big Bell Railway". The West Australian. Perth. 21 December 1936. p. 18. Retrieved 25 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "Sandstone Railway". Geraldton Guardian and Express. WA. 22 July 1933. p. 1. Retrieved 25 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "STATE PARLIAMENT". The West Australian. Perth. 30 May 1918. p. 8. Retrieved 25 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ "RAILWAY WASHAWAY". Daily News. Perth. 1 February 1928. p. 6 Edition: HOME (FINAL) EDITION. Retrieved 25 July 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
- ^ Western Australian Railways Institute (1977), RIM, The Institute, retrieved 25 July 2012 – May 1978 – front page The Last Farewell – Mullewa Meekatharra line closes, photos front cover and page 7 – including XA 1405 at head of final train
- ^ details from page 69 Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN 978-0-909650-49-0
External links
Further reading
- Affleck, Fred (1978). On Track: The Making of Westrail, 1950–1976. Perth: Westrail. ISBN 0724475605. OCLC 6489347.
- May, Andrew S; Gray, Bill (2006). A History of WAGR Passenger Carriages. Midland, WA: Bill Gray. ISBN 0646459023.
- Quinlan, Howard & Newland, John R. Australian Railway Routes 1854–2000 2000. ISBN 0-909650-49-7