Karlgarin Models

WESTERN AUSTRALIA....1982

A small selection of railway photographs taken in Western Australia during 1982. Not of the best quality, but hopefully of interest nonetheless.

The Perth suburb of Midland is the location of a sprawling complex of railway workshops. On 30th September 1982, Clyde-built standard gauge shunter J101 crosses Montreal Road to enter the works. This loco has since been scrapped, though the other four members of the class found work with new owners.

The extraordinary X class were the mainstay of narrow gauge services for many years. On October 25th 1982, XA1406 Ungarinyin arrives at Narembeen, where it will collect a single four-wheel FD van loaded with bales of wool. The driver, who had better remain anonymous, averred that he preferred working with diesels because "You couldn't rely on the ***** firemen on steamers".

Late afternoon on the Hyden branch as XB 1004 Kadjerden labours up from Pederah heading towards Karlgarin with a light load, carrying a single-axle trailer and two road graders, tailed by the ubiquitous Z brakevan. At this time, a lot of country lines were still laid with ancient 45lb/yard rail and a track upgrade on this section was imminent, wheat loadings having increased dramatically. 26th October 1982.

On 12th October 1982, N1878 rumbles through Perth City with a heavy freight. Most of the loading is steel pipe, though the sheeted wagons at the front of the train will be full of 'super' (superphosphate fertiliser) destined for the wheatbelt. Missing body panels were an almost permanent feaure of the troublesome N class, which were all early candidates for either scrapping, including 1878, or rebuilding to NA and, later, NB specification. The latter involved regauging of two of the four NA's for use on standard gauge.

Clyde Engineering-built AB1535 is a few minutes out of Bruce Rock, heading north towards Merredin, late in the afternoon of 15th October 1982. The loading consists mainly of grain hoppers and baled wool, though out of picture at the rear of the train are some fuel tankers. Of particular note is the red-brown coloured van at the front of the train. Although yellow had been the standard livery for many years, two classes of wagon were always kept in the earlier indian red, presumably for ease of identification. One was vans used for transporting poisons, the other, as in this instance, for explosives.

Formerly belonging to the Midland Railway Company of Western Australia, F46 is pictured shunting at Rivervale wearing faded WAGR (Western Australian Government Railways) green livery

English Electric built seven of these A1A-A1A locomotives for the Midland Railway Company Of Western Australia. F46, now in faded Western Australian Government Railways green livery, is seen shunting at the Swan Cement and Lime works in Rivervale on 12th October 1982. This locomotive has since been scrapped, but class leader F40 is still in work, nearly 50 years after it was built.

Walkers built five of their famous B-B diesel hydraulic design for the WAGR. Although originally intended for use in the Forrestfield hump yard, a duty MA1863, seen here on 12th October 1982, is about to commence, they were also frequently to be seen on trip workings throughout the Perth metropolitan area. One is retained as the shunter at Claisebrook EMU depot, but the other four were sold to Queensland sugar mills in the mid-1990's.
XB1020 Jargurdi and X1025 Loonga stand idle, whilst on the right can just be seen the nose of a locomotive later given a second life in unusual circumstances. Withdrawn in 1991, English Electric R1902 eventually became a static display in a park, but following purchase by South Spur Rail, was reinstated to traffic in 2001.

This little track inspection car is typical of the vehicles used for such tasks. The Polish driver of this one was a former seaman who had jumped ship 25 years previously. Narembeen, 25th October 1982.

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