Northampton railway line

Northampton railway line was a railway line that ran from Geraldton through Northampton and on to Ajana in Western Australia that operated between 1879 and 1957.

Government railway

It was the first government railway constructed in Western Australia, and was from Geraldton to Ajana, which passed through Northampton.[1][2][3]

The railway station built for the line in 1879 was the first railway station in Geraldton.

In 2005 an old railway wagon was identified as being possibly the first item of rolling stock built for use on the line [4]

Opening

It opened to Northampton on 26 July 1879.[5] The Geraldton to Northampton was 33 miles 25 chains (53.6 km) in length, and the Northampton to Ajana section was 33 miles 5 chains (53.2 km),[6] and was a later extension.[7] The line closed on 29 April 1957.[8]

Locomotives

The line, as an isolated line, was constructed by two 2-6-0 Kitson locomotives. Originally classed as E1 and E2 they were later classified as M class. They were constructed in 1875, and were in service on the line until 1893. Also between 1879 and 1885 two Fairlie locomotives worked on the line [9]

Northampton railway station

Northampton had two railway stations, the first (named Gwalla) lasted between 26 July 1879 until January 1884. The second (named Mary Street) was opened in 1913 and closed when the railway closed in 1957 [10]

Stopping places

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Rogers, Philippa; Australian Railway Historical Society. Western Australian Division (2007), The first government railway 1879-1957 : Geraldton to Northampton and onwards, Australian Railway Historical Society, W.A. Division, ISBN 978-0-9803922-1-0
  2. ↑ Joyce, John (editor) (1979) Western Australia's first government railway, 1879-1957 compiled from the researches of Adrian Gunzburg [et al.].Bayswater, W.A. Australian Railway Historical Society, W.A. Division
  3. ↑ Geraldton - Northampton Government Railway, 1879-1957. Northampton news, July 2004, p.13.
  4. ↑ Warner, Gary. (2005) Piece of history. (Car No. AW323 discovered at Northampton - thought to be the first railway wagon built in Western Australia).Geraldton guardian, 14 Feb. 2005, p.3
  5. ↑ "Railway Jubilee.". Geraldton Guardian (WA : 1906 - 1928) (WA: National Library of Australia). 11 December 1928. p. 3. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  6. ↑ Western Australian Government Railways Commission (1948), Report on the working of the government railways for the year ended 30th June, Govt. Printer, retrieved 26 May 2012 page 64, appendix G.
  7. ↑ "New railway.". The Daily News (Perth, WA: National Library of Australia). 5 February 1913. p. 8 Edition: THIRD EDITION. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  8. ↑ Milne, Rod (2001) Rails to Ajana Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, February, 2001 pp. 45-53
  9. ↑ See Rogers regardlinc contemporary accounts of the Fairlie locomotives unsuitabilty for the line. See also Gunzburg for more details regarding the fates of the locomotives - Gunzburg, Adrian; Australian Railway Historical Society. Western Australian Division (1984), A history of W.A.G.R. steam locomotives, Australian Railway Historical Society, Western Australian Division, ISBN 978-0-9599690-3-0
  10. ↑ Austin, Jeff (2011), Station Masters of Western Australia, Australian Railway Historical Society - WA Division Inc, ISBN 978-0-9803922-4-1
  11. ↑ opened between Geraldton and Bluff Point – 26 July 1879 – page 68 WN75Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN 978-0-909650-49-0

Further reading

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