Wikipedia

Northampton railway line

The Northampton railway line, also referred to as the Geraldton to Ajana railway line, ran from Geraldton through Northampton and on to Ajana in Western Australia. It operated between 1879 and 1957. It was the first government railway constructed in Western Australia.[1][2][3]

Northampton railway line
Map
Geraldton to Ajana railway line
Overview
StatusClosed
OwnerGovernment of Western Australia
Termini
Service
Operator(s)Western Australian Government Railways
History
Opened26 July 1879 (1879-07-26)
Closed29 April 1957 (1957-04-29)
Route map
Northampton railway line
Legend
km
Galena
2' (610mm) narrow gauge
66 miles (106 km)
 Ajana
66 miles (106 km)
 Ajana
58 miles (93 km)
 Binnu
Hutt
Ogilvie
Wells Siding
Weld
Baddera
34 miles (55 km)
 Northampton
34 miles (55 km)
 Gwalla (Northampton)
Bowes
Ryans
Chally
Isseka
McGuire
Oakabella
Taylors
Howatharra
Oakagee
White Peak
Stone Siding
To Yuna
Wokarina
Glenfield
Waggrakine
Chapman
To Perth
Bluff Point
0
 Geraldton
Geraldton Wharf

Opening

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The Geraldton and Northampton Railway Act 1873, assented to on 22 November 1873, authorised the construction of a railway line from Geraldton and Northampton.[4]

Construction of the Geraldton railway station commenced in June 1878; the foundation stone was laid by Eliza, wife of Maitland Brown, on 21 August 1878, and it was completed in February 1879, the first railway station in the colony.[5][6]

The line opened to Northampton on 26 July 1879.[7] The Geraldton to Northampton section was 33 miles 25 chains (53.6 km) in length; the Northampton to Ajana section was 33 miles 5 chains (53.2 km),[8] and was a later extension.[9] The line closed on 29 April 1957.[10]

The line's extension from Northampton the Ajana was authorised through the Northampton-Ajana Railway Act 1911, assented to on 16 February 1911.[11]

Locomotives

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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.[12]

Northampton railway station

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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.[13]

Stopping places

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  • Geraldton
  • Bluff Point (junction to Narngulu)[14]
  • Webberton
  • Waggrakine
  • Chapman[15]
  • Glenfield[15]
  • Wokarina (junction to Yuna)
  • Sione Siding[15]
  • White Peak
  • Oakajee
  • Howatharra
  • Webb's[15]
  • Taylor's[15]
  • Oakabella
  • McGuire
  • Iseeka
  • Chally
  • Ryans[15]
  • Bowes
  • Northampton
  • Baddera
  • Ogilvie
  • Hutt
  • Binnu
  • Ajana (terminus)

An interactive map of the line is available on OpenStreetMap.[16]

In 2005 an old railway wagon was identified as being possibly the first item of rolling stock built for use on the line.[17]

Closure

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In 1954, the state government of Western Australia had compiled a list of loss-making railway operations, of which the Geraldton to Wokerina and on to Ajana and Yuna lines were part, having had a total expenditure of two to four times their earnings in the financial year to June 1953. The Geraldton to Wokerina line was the least loss-making of the three lines terminating at Wokerina, having £A 13,612 expenditure versus earnings of £A 6,734. Wokerina to Ajana was the most costly of the three lines, having an expenditure of £A 62,161 versus earnings of £A 14,371.[18]

On 29 April 1957 the line was closed, along with the associated Wokarina – Naraling – Yuna railway line at the same time.[19]

The Railways (Cue-Big Bell and other Railways) Discontinuance Act 1960, which officially closed the Geraldton to Ajana line, was assented to on 12 December 1960. This act affected a number of Western Australian railways, officially closing 13 railway lines in the state.[20]

See also

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Notes

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  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. ^ "Geraldton and Northampton Railway Act 1873". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 22 November 1873. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  5. ^ "Northern Railway". Victorian Express. Geraldton, WA. 19 February 1879. p. 3. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  6. ^ "Geraldton". The Herald. Fremantle, WA. 24 August 1878. p. 2. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  7. ^ "Railway Jubilee". Geraldton Guardian. WA. 11 December 1928. p. 3. Retrieved 26 May 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ Western Australian Government Railways Commission (1948), Report on the working of the government railways for the year ended 30 June, Govt. Printer, retrieved 26 May 2012 page 64, appendix G.
  9. ^ "New railway". The Daily News. Perth, WA. 5 February 1913. p. 8 Edition: THIRD EDITION. Retrieved 26 May 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ^ Milne, Rod (2001) Rails to Ajana Australian Railway Historical Society Bulletin, February, 2001 pp. 45-53
  11. ^ "Northampton-Ajana Railway Act 1911". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 16 February 1911. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  12. ^ See Rogers regarding contemporary accounts of the Fairlie locomotives' unsuitability 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
  13. ^ Austin, Jeff (2011), Station Masters of Western Australia, Australian Railway Historical Society – WA Division Inc, ISBN 978-0-9803922-4-1
  14. ^ 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
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Railway map of Western Australia, 1909 [cartographic material]". Retrieved 3 October 2018 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. ^ "Relation: Gerardton-Ajana Railway (8766270)".
  17. ^ 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
  18. ^ "Minister Says Many Railway Sections Show Big Losses", The Farmers' Weekly, 11 February 1954, retrieved 30 July 2024
  19. ^ Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; New South Wales Division of the Australian Railway Historical Society (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000 (1st ed.), Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, p. 69, ISBN 978-0-909650-49-0
  20. ^ "Railways (Cue-Big Bell and other Railways) Discontinuance Act 1960". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 12 December 1960. Retrieved 30 July 2024.

Further reading

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  • Higham, Geoffrey (2006) Where was that? An Historical Gazetteer of Western Australia, Winthrop, W.A. Geoproject Solutions Pty Ltd. ISBN 0-646-44186-8
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