Oliver Hill Railway

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Oliver Hill Railway
OliverHillRailwayStation.jpg
Oliver Hill railway station in 2011 with the railcar Captain Hussey
Location Rottnest Island
Western Australia
Website www.rottnestisland.com

The Oliver Hill Railway is a heritage railway on Rottnest Island, Australia.

Contents

History

In 1935 construction commenced on a nine kilometre military railway to service two 9.2-inch guns at Oliver Hill and two six inch guns at Bickley on Rottnest Island. [1] Two light diesel locomotives named Crab and Crayfish were used. It had fallen out of use by the 1950s. [2]

In 1966 the Rottnest Island Board of Control purchased the line with a petrol locomotive and eight wagons from the Australian Army with the aim of reopening it as a scenic railway. [3] However it wasn't until 1993 that work began to restore 6.5 kilometres of the line with track recovered from the Miling line. [4] [5] It was officially opened by Premier of Western Australia Richard Court on 3 July 1994. [6] [7]

The initial rolling stock was two former Western Australian Government Railways 4wDH shunting tractors loaned from Rail Heritage WA. In 2003, a new diesel railcar built by Gemco Rail, Forrestfield named Captain Hussey, after Frank Hussey who oversaw the construction of the original railway, entered service. [8] [9]

Arc Infrastructure undertakes an annual maintenance program on the line. [10] [11] [12]

References

  1. ↑ Still running Track & Signal issue 19/4 November 2015 page 99
  2. ↑ The Rottnest Island Defence Tramway Light Railways issue 46 Summer 1973 pages 3-9
  3. ↑ Here & There Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin issue 342 April 1966 page 8
  4. ↑ Westrail helps to rebuild the historic Rottnest railway Westrail News April 1993 page 12
  5. ↑ Oliver Hill Railway The Westland issue 101 June 1993 page 12
  6. ↑ Rottnest Island Railway Opening The Westland issue 115 August 1994 page 7
  7. ↑ Rottnest Island Tourist Railway Continental Railway Journal issue 100 January 1995 page 103
  8. ↑ Oliver Hill Railway, Rottnest Island Continental Railway Journal issue 135 October 2003 page 52
  9. ↑ News in brief Railway Digest January 2004 page 15
  10. ↑ Arc Infrastructure invests $300,000 in WA's Oliver Hill Railway Rail Express 19 November 2019
  11. ↑ Preserving a piece of history on Rottnest Arc Infrastructure 28 October 2022
  12. ↑ Extended scope of works at Rottnest Island Arc Infrastructure 3 November 2025

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