WAGR WCA/WCE class | |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Comeng |
Built at | Granville |
Entered service | 1971 |
Number built | 8 |
Number preserved | 2 |
Number scrapped | 6 |
Fleet numbers | WCA901-WCA905 WCE921-WCE923 |
Operators | WAGR (1971-1975) Westrail (1975-2000) WAGR Commission (2000-2003) Transwa (2003-2005) |
Specifications | |
Car length | 27.43 m (90 ft 0 in) |
Maximum speed | 150 km/h (93 mph) |
Prime mover(s) | MAN D3650 HM6U x2 (as built) Cummins KTA19R x2 (from early 1990s) |
Power output | 270 kW (360 hp) |
Transmission | Voith T113R |
Auxiliaries | Leyland 401 |
Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge |
The WAGR WCA class railcars and WCE class trailers were built by Comeng, Granville for the Western Australian Government Railways in 1971 to operate the new Prospector service between East Perth and Kalgoorlie. At the time of their construction the WCA class units were the longest and fastest diesel railcars in the world.
In 1968 Comeng, Granville were awarded a contract to build five WCA power cars and three WCE non-powered trailers. The WCAs had a crew compartment at both ends, the WCEs at one end. [1] [2] [3] They were ordered to operate the new The Prospector service, on the Eastern Goldfields Railway between East Perth and Kalgoorlie that was in the process of being converted to standard gauge. [4]
Built to take advantage of the generous loading gauge of the new line, they were the largest carriages ever built in Australia. As they were too large to be hauled on the New South Wales Government Railways network east of Parkes or travel by road over the Blue Mountains, they were transported from Sydney by road to Parkes on a circuitous route via Goulburn and Temora, from where they continued their journey by rail. [1] [2]
All of the WCA class vehicles were powered by MAN engines coupled to Voith transmissions. In the early 1990s, these engines were replaced by Cummins KTA19R engines. At 27.43 metres and with a top speed of 150 km/h, the WCAs were the longest and fastest diesel railcars in the world. The trains made up of the WCA/WCE class units were the first in Australia to have at-seat catering and up until their withdrawal, operated the highest average speed train service in Australia. [1] [2] [3]
On 24 September 1995 they began to operate AvonLink services between East Perth and Northam. [5]
They travelled over 20 million kilometres and carried 2.6 million passengers over 33 years before being replaced by the Transwa WDA/WDB/WDC class railcars with the last retired in July 2005. [6] These held the record for the highest speed attained by an Australian train until bettered by a New South Wales XPT in September 1981. [4] [7] Two have been saved for preservation with the other six scrapped. [8]
Rail transport in Australia is a component of the Australian transport system. It is to a large extent state-based, as each state largely has its own operations, with the interstate network being developed ever since Australia's federation in 1901. As of 2022, the Australian rail network consists of a total of 32,929 kilometres (20,461 mi) of track built to three major track gauges: 18,007 kilometres (11,189 mi) of standard gauge, 2,685 kilometres (1,668 mi) of broad gauge, and 11,914 kilometres (7,403 mi) of narrow gauge lines. Additionally, about 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) of 610 mm / 2 ft gauge lines support the sugar-cane industry. 3,488 kilometres (2,167 mi), around 11 percent of the Australian heavy railways network route-kilometres are electrified.
Transwa is Western Australia's regional public transport provider, linking 240 destinations, from Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south west to Esperance in the south east.
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.
The AvonLink is a rural passenger train service in Western Australia operated by Transwa between Midland and Northam.
The Prospector is a rural passenger train service in Western Australia operated by Transwa between East Perth and Kalgoorlie. On this service, two trains depart almost at the same time in opposite directions. One travels between East Perth and Kalgoorlie, the other between Kalgoorlie and East Perth with crew changeover occurring in Merredin. The original vehicles ordered in 1968 for trains providing this service were replaced in 2004 with vehicles capable of reducing journey times to 6 hours 45 minutes.
The Australind is a currently suspended rural passenger train service in Western Australia operated by Transwa on the South Western Railway between Perth and Bunbury.
Tammin is a town in the central agricultural region of Western Australia, 184 kilometres (114 mi) east of Perth and midway between the towns of Cunderdin and Kellerberrin on the Great Eastern Highway.
Doodlakine is a town 220 km (140 mi) east of Perth, Western Australia. It is within the Shire of Kellerberrin along the Great Eastern Highway. The town has a crossing loop for trains on the Perth-to-Kalgoorlie railway and serves as a stop on the MerredinLink rural train service.
The Eastern Goldfields Railway, was built in the 1890s by the Western Australian Government Railways to connect Perth with the Eastern Goldfields at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie.
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. Journey Beyond operates the Indian Pacific.
Commonwealth Engineering, often shortened to Com-Eng, later known as Comeng [ KOM-enj], was an Australian engineering company that designed and built railway locomotives, rolling stock and trams.
The New South Wales XPT is a class of diesel-powered passenger trains built by Comeng and ABB. Based on the British Rail-designed High Speed Train, each XPT set comprises two XP power cars in a push-pull configuration and, between them, between four and seven passenger carriages.
Merredin railway station is located on the Eastern Goldfields Railway in Western Australia. It is in the town of Merredin.
The Trans-Australian was an Australian passenger train operated by the Commonwealth Railways initially between Port Augusta and Kalgoorlie on the Trans-Australian Railway line, and later extended west to Perth, and east to Port Pirie and Adelaide.
The Transwa WDA/WDB/WDC and WEA/WEB classes are two classes of railcars built by United Goninan, Broadmeadow for Transwa in 2004–2005 to replace the WAGR WCA/WCE class railcars on the AvonLink, MerredinLink and Prospector services in Western Australia.
The Westrail ADP/ADQ class is a retired class of railcars built by Comeng, Bassendean for Westrail in 1987 to operate the Australind service between Perth and Bunbury. Operation and ownership of the fleet was transferred to Transwa when Westrail was superseded by Transwa in 2003.
The WAGR ADF class was a six member class of diesel-electric railcars operated by the Western Australian Government Railways between 1949 and 1975.
The Public Transport Centre is a terminal and administration building for public transport in Perth, Western Australia. It is the centerpiece of East Perth Terminal, a standard gauge railway station and coach terminal adjacent to East Perth station on the Transperth narrow gauge suburban rail network.
The MerredinLink is a rural passenger train service in Western Australia operated by Transwa between East Perth and Merredin.