Mundaring Loop
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Mundaring branch railway is a historical section of the original Eastern Railway main line across the
Darling Scarp The Darling Scarp (), also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north–south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia. The escarpment extends generally north of Bindoon, to ...
in the
Western Australian Government Railways Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) was the state owned operator of railways 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 respon ...
(WAGR) system.


Name variation

It has had a number of names in WAGR records – including: * Smiths Mill Line (locality later known as Glen Forrest) after the Eastern Railway was moved to the new line to the north – 1890s to 1920s * The Mundaring Loop, or Mundaring Line – 1930s to 1950s There was confusion in the naming of the Mahogany Creek Deviation. The Mahogany Creek railway stopping place was on the Mundaring branch between Glen Forrest and Mundaring. However the Mahogany Creek Deviation was the incorrect name for the new line that followed the line of the Jane Brook to Mount Helena. It was on the second route of the Eastern Railway constructed in the 1880s to early 1890s, and it passed through the Swan View Tunnel, well to the north of the original Mahogany Creek stopping place and the creek itself.


Connections

The branch commenced at Bellevue railway station, moving up the slope to Greenmount. Steep gradients and deviation inclines occurred through to Glen Forrest. It connected with the newer line at Mount Helena. Mundaring was the junction point where the Mundaring Weir branch railway commenced. Timetabled passenger services on this branch (until closure in early 1954) tended to terminate at Sawyers Valley.


Closure

Traffic ceased running in 1954; the line was closed by Parliament in 1966, the closure including divestment of the land of the rail route to the local council. Following closure, it eventually became part of the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail.


Stopping places and sidings

*
Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. Bellevue or Belle Vue may refer to: Places Australia * Bellevue, Queensland * Bellevue, Western Australia * Bellevue Hill, New South Wales Canada * Bellevue, Alberta * Bellevue, Newfoundlan ...
* Greenmount * Greenmount Quarry siding * Mountain Quarry siding ** Cape Horn a section of line with accidents. * Boya * Hudman Road Quarry siding *
Darlington Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. It lies on the River Skerne, west of Middlesbrough and south of Durham. Darlington had a population of 107,800 at the 2021 Census, making it a "large town" ...
* Glen Forrest (originally Smith's Mill) * Statham Brickworks Siding. * Nyaannia * Zamia (highest point on line at 1,007 feet) * Mundaring * Mundaring Weir railway line just east of Mundaring railway yard * Sawyers Valley * Mount Helena


References


Further reading

* * Elliot, Ian ''Mundaring a History of the Shire''. 1983. * Quinlan, Howard & Newland, John R. ''Australian Railway Routes 1854-2000'' 2000. * Watson, Lindsay ''The Railway History of Midland Junction''. 1995. {{Railway lines in Western Australia Shire of Mundaring Eastern Railway (Western Australia) Railway lines closed in 1954 Former Western Australian Government Railways railway lines