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<!-- -->The
Mundaring Weir Branch Railway was constructed from
Mundaring,
Western Australia to the site of the
Mundaring Weir, and opened on 1 June 1898.
Overview
Originally one of the rail lines built by the
Public Works Department in the early 20th century - this line was specifically built for the construction of the weir. The line incorporated a
zig zag. It was later taken over by the
Western Australian Government Railways. The branch was a popular picnic and excursion line to the weir in the 1930s and 1940s.
Difficulties
Due to the steep grades down to Mundaring Weir, a limited range of locomotives were permitted to be run on the line.
In the 1940s the declining availability of
Msa Garratt steam engines also affected the number of possible excursion trains to the weir. This was a particular issue during times of the weir overflowing, as the Msa Garratt seemed to be the only steam engine in service capable of negotiating the steep gradient.
Due to lack of any scheduled activity on the line in the early 1950s it was closed in 2 December 1952. The services on the connecting line,
Mundaring Branch Railway, ceased traffic in January 1954, and was closed by parliament in 1966.
Different proposals since 1966 to resurrect the railway line as a tourist attraction have not materialised.
Stopping Places
- Mundaring Weir
- Kardo Mordo (adjacent to the Mundaring Weir Hotel)
- Portagabra (near the current roundabout intersection turnoff to the Kookaburra Outdoor......
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