Mundaring Branch Railway
Encyclopedia
The Mundaring Branch Railway is an historical section of the original Eastern Railway main line across the Darling Scarp
in the Western Australian Government Railways
system.
records - including the following:
There was confusion in the naming of the Mahogany Creek Deviation. The Mahogany Creek railway stopping place was on the Mundaring Branch Railway 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 of the Eastern Railway (Western Australia) 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.
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
.
Following closure, it was eventually made into part of the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail.
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...
in the Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....
system.
Name variation
It has had a number of names in WAGRWestern Australian Government Railways
Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....
records - including the following:
- Smiths Mill Line (locality later known as Glen ForrestGlen Forrest, Western AustraliaGlen Forrest is a suburb within the Shire of Mundaring, south of John Forrest National Park, west of Mahogany Creek, east of Darlington, and north of the Helena River...
) after the Eastern Railway was moved to the new line to the north - 1890s to 1920s. - The Mundaring Loop - 1930s to 1950s. also the Mundaring Line.
There was confusion in the naming of the Mahogany Creek Deviation. The Mahogany Creek railway stopping place was on the Mundaring Branch Railway 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
Mount Helena
Mount Helena may refer to:*Mount Helena, Western Australia, a suburb of Perth,*Mount Helena , a mountain in British Columbia.*Mount Helena City Park, a mountain and city park in Montana....
It was on the second route of the Eastern Railway constructed of the Eastern Railway (Western Australia) 1880s to early 1890s, and it passed through the Swan View Tunnel
Swan View Tunnel
The Swan View Tunnel is a 340 m railway tunnel located on the southern side of the Jane Brook valley at Swan View, Western Australia on the edge of the Darling Scarp. Currently inactive, due to its location within the John Forrest National Park, the tunnel and its adjacent landscape exist...
, well to the north of the original Mahogany Creek stopping place and the creek itself.
Connections
The Branch commenced at BellevueBellevue, Western Australia
Bellevue is an eastern suburb of Perth, Western Australia. Its Local Government Areas are the City of Swan and the Shire of Mundaring, and it is located at the foot of the slopes of Greenmount, a landmark on the Darling Scarp that is noted in the earliest of travel journals of the early Swan River...
Railway Station, moving up the slope to Greenmount
Greenmount, Western Australia
Greenmount is a locality and a geographical feature in the Shire of Mundaring, Western Australia, on the edge of the Darling Scarp. It is a vital point in the transport routes from the Swan Coastal Plain into the hinterland of Western Australia....
.
Steep gradients and deviation inclines occurred through to Glen Forrest
Glen Forrest, Western Australia
Glen Forrest is a suburb within the Shire of Mundaring, south of John Forrest National Park, west of Mahogany Creek, east of Darlington, and north of the Helena River...
It connected with the newer line at Mount Helena
Mount Helena, Western Australia
Mount Helena is a rural suburb on the outskirts of Perth in Western Australia, some 35 km from the city, in the Shire of Mundaring. Its population in 2005 was approximately 2,400 people.-History:...
.
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
Sawyers Valley, Western Australia
Sawyers Valley is sited on the Great Eastern Highway about 40 kilometres from Perth, Western Australia in the Shire of Mundaring.The community began as a sawmill and railway siding to process timber from the forest surrounding the Helena River to the south...
.
Closure
Traffic ceased running 1954, the line was not closed by Parliament until 1966.Following closure, it was eventually made into part of the Railway Reserve Heritage Trail.
Further reading
- Affleck, Fred N. On track : the making of Westrail, 1950 to 1976 . Perth : Westrail, 1978. ISBN 0-7244-7560-5
- Elliot, Ian Mundaring a History of the Shire. 1983. ISBN 0959277609
- Quinlan, Howard & Newland, John R. Australian Railway Routes 1854-2000 2000. ISBN 0-909650-49-7
- Watson, Lindsay The Railway History of Midland Junction. 1995. ISBN 0-646-24461-2