Re: Helena Valley Line WA

[mrblack@my-dejanews.com]

> Ah Mike, but then there was another line which was run around the tunnel
> (the 'Down' line) which was put in to aleviate the steam loco crew's
> exposure to fumes. It even had an 'electric fence' to detect rock falls!
> This meant that it was 'double line' through that area. Perhaps the tunnel
> avoiding line could be used for the track, and the tunnel left as a
> 'walk-through curiousity'? Just a thought, and it would avoid the mega
> dollars refurbishing it. Comments anyone?

Well, I read Jack Stanbridge's excellent books (worth the cash) with the
sections on the line in the book and that didn't stick in my mind. With this
option, you could keep the tree-hugging conservationists happy with a trail
through the tunnel, and have the line running around it.

> In 1996, 30 years after the line closed, I visited most of the station
> sites along the route from Swan View to Spencer's Brook and Northam and
> took lots of pictures from as near as possible to 'old' photos taken when
> the line was operational. It's amazing that so much of the trackbed is
> still discernable.! Yes, in places such as Parkerville, the entire station
> area is being rapidly infiltrated by trees (saplings), but you can still
> find evidence of every signal base (huge concrete blocks) left after the
> signalling was removed. It's a great pity that none of the old 3 aspect
> upper quadrant semaphores survived intact.

Greenmount or Bellevue didn't survive (Bellevue naturally), Boya from what my
friend told me is still there along with concrete railings and a memorial to a
dead worker as well. Koongamia sta would require a search party to find (those
trees grow quick). Would new semaphores cost much to build?
>
> I for one would love to see some form of running on ANY part of this old
> line. It still puzzles me why no one has considered extending the suburban
> ELECTRIC system up the old trackbed. There are far more people living up
> that way now since the days of the line when it HAD a passenger service.
> Even the old diesel ADG type railcars ran services out to Chidlow's..!
> Alas, it's all gone now, more's the pity. Yes the line is heavily graded
> and awkward in places, but one has to ask - would that be difficult for the
> modern electric railcars - I think not.

One word - no. Tyre wear, and the massive cost of tearing up the entire
trackbed, earth, and clearances around it to make it run emu's would make it
unworthy to do. A preserved railway with just chucking the track down
however......

>
> Keep up the thread, it's an interesting discussion.
>
> Regards,
> Chris.
>

About time we had some discussion of something WA. Chris, sorry if I'm
mistaken, but didn't you used to work for Westrail, just wondering.....

Mike


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