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The Northampton railway line ran from Geraldton through Northampton and on to Ajana in Western Australia. It operated between 1879 and 1957. It was the first government railway constructed in Western Australia. [1] [2] [3]
Construction of the Geraldton railway station commenced in June 1878; the foundation stone was laid by Eliza, wife of Maitland Brown, on 21 August 1878, and it was completed in February 1879, the first railway station in the colony. [4] [5]
The line opened to Northampton on 26 July 1879. [6] The Geraldton to Northampton section was 33 miles 25 chains (53.6 km) in length; the Northampton to Ajana section was 33 miles 5 chains (53.2 km), [7] and was a later extension. [8] The line closed on 29 April 1957. [9]
The line, as an isolated line, was constructed by two 2-6-0 Kitson locomotives. Originally classed as E1 and E2 they were later classified as M class. They were constructed in 1875, and were in service on the line until 1893. Also between 1879 and 1885 two Fairlie locomotives worked on the line [10]
Northampton had two railway stations, the first (named Gwalla) lasted between 26 July 1879 until January 1884. The second (named Mary Street) was opened in 1913 and closed when the railway closed in 1957. [11]
An interactive map of the line is available on OpenStreetMap. [14]
In 2005 an old railway wagon was identified as being possibly the first item of rolling stock built for use on the line. [15]
On 29 April 1957 the line was closed, along with the associated Wokarina - Naraling - Yuna railway line at the same time. [16]
Northampton is a town 52 kilometres (32 mi) north of Geraldton, in the Mid West region of Western Australia. At the 2011 census, the town had a population of 868. The town contains a National Trust building. The town lies on the North West Coastal Highway. Originally called The Mines, Northampton was gazetted in 1864 and named after the colony's Governor, John Hampton. The town was sited in the Nokanena Brook valley, between the hamlets around the two major copper mines in the area, the Wanerenooka and the Gwalla.
The Eastern Railway is the main railway route between Fremantle and Northam in Western Australia. It opened in stages between 1881 and 1893. The line continues east to Kalgoorlie as the Eastern Goldfields Railway.
Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) was the operator of railway services in the state of Western Australia between October 1890 and June 2003. Owned by the state government, it was renamed a number of times to reflect extra responsibility for tram and ferry operations that it assumed and later relinquished. Its freight operations were privatised in December 2000 with the remaining passenger operations transferred to the Public Transport Authority in July 2003.
Railways in Western Australia were developed in the 19th century both by the Government of Western Australia and a number of private companies. Today passenger rail services are controlled by the Public Transport Authority through Transperth, which operates public transport in Perth, and Transwa, which operates country passenger services. Great Southern Rail operates the Indian Pacific.
The Northern Railway has had a number of meanings in Western Australian railway history.
The South Western Railway, also known as the South West Main Line, is the main railway route between Perth and Bunbury in Western Australia.
Yuna is a small town in the Mid West region of Western Australia, in the Shire of Chapman Valley, 62 kilometres (39 mi) northeast of the city of Geraldton.
Ajana is a townsite within the Shire of Northampton in Western Australia. It is located at the junction of Ajana-Kalbarri Road and Ajana Back Road, 53 kilometres (33 mi) by road north of Northampton and 531 kilometres (330 mi) west-northwest of Perth in the Mid West region.
The WAGR J class was a three-member class of 4-6-0 steam locomotives operated by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between 1892 and 1924 before seeing further use with the State Saw Mills until the early 1930s.
W.A. Timber Company was a syndicate of Victorian investors granted a timber concession of 181,500 acres on Geographe Bay in the south west of Western Australia in 1870.
The Mullewa–Meekatharra railway was a section of the Northern Railway in Western Australia.
The Meekatharra to Wiluna railway was a 113 miles (182 km) branch line of the Western Australian Government Railways that extended the Mullewa – Meekatharra railway from Meekatharra to Wiluna. Wiluna was the furthest rail terminus from Perth on the Western Australian Government Railways system and Paroo the highest station at 1,916 feet (584 m) with the highest point on the Western Australian railway network at 2,134 feet (650 m).
The Clackline to Miling railway branch, originally known as the Clackline to Newcastle railway line, is a railway line in Western Australia.
Sandstone Branch Railway was a branch railway line between Mount Magnet and Sandstone in the Mid West region of Western Australia.
Western Australian Government Railways railway system during its peak operational time in the 1930s to 1950s was a large system of over 6,400 kilometres (4,000 mi) of railway line.
The WAGR E class was a two-member class of 2-4-4-2T double-Fairlie locomotives operated by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between 1881 and 1892.
The WAGR M class was a two-member class of 2-6-0 steam locomotives operated by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) between 1876 and 1911.
The WAGR ADE class was a six member class of diesel railcars operated by the Western Australian Government Railways between 1937 and 1962.
The Midlander was an overnight passenger train operated by the Western Australian Government Railways between Perth and Geraldton via the Midland line from September 1964 until July 1975.
The York–Bruce Rock railway line is a closed railway line in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia running from York to Bruce Rock.
