Eastern Railway (Western Australia)
Eastern Railway is the name given to the railway constructed east of Fremantle, Western Australia, in the 19th century. It was later changed to the line east of Perth, Western Australia, as the line progressed east in the 1880s. Perth was then the location from which miles were measured.
First section
The first section of the Eastern Railway, from Fremantle to Guildford, remained generally unchanged since it was opened on 1 March 1881.
| Station | Miles | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fremantle | 0 | |
| Fremantle East | 0.5 | |
| Fremantle North | 1.25 | |
| Claremont | 6 | |
| Subiaco | 9 | |
| Perth, North | 11.5 | |
| Perth | 12 | |
| Perth, East | 12.5 | |
| Guildford | 20 |
First Route
The First Route was opened on 11 March 1884. The route ascended the escarpment around Greenmount Hill passing through Boya, Darlington, Glen Forrest, Mundaring and Sawyers Valley before turning north to White's Mill. A significant delay in construction was experienced at a site which became popularly known as 'Devil's Terror' - a location between Darlington and Glen Forrest. The Nyaania Creek had to be diverted at this point.| Station | Miles | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Greenmount | 24 | |
| Cape Horn | Location of December 1885 of the 'C' class locomotive accident | |
| Smith's Mill | 29 | Later known as Glen Forrest |
| Sawyers Valley | 35 | |
| White's Mill | 38.75 | Later known as Lion Mill, and then Mount Helena |
| Chidlow's Well | 41.23 |
It soon became apparent that this route was too steep for the increasingly heavier trains and engines required for the route. As a result, another route was quickly devised in the 1890s.
After the completion of the Second Route, this line became known in Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) records as the Smith's Mill Branch, then the Mundaring Branch, and later as the Mundaring Loop.
Passenger traffic ceased between Boya and Mount Helena on 24 January 1954 and the route was closed from Koongamia - Mount Helena on 12 March 1965.
The current condition of the stations on this route today are as follows:
| Station | Notes |
|---|---|
| Bellevue | The station platform and buildings were removed during the construction of the third route. |
| Greenmount | The station platform and buildings were removed in the 1960s. |
| Boya | (including Mountain Quarries siding) The station buildings (and the Cape Horn alignment) were removed by Mundaring shire during the re-alignment of Coulston Road. |
| Darlington | The station buildings were removed in the 1960s - the platform and grounds are now part of a reserve. |
| Glen Forrest | The station platform and buildings were removed in the 1960s. One signal remains. |
| Nyaania | Nothing remains of this stopping place. |
| Mahogany Creek | Nothing remains of this stopping place. |
| Zamia | Nothing remains of this stopping place |
| Mundaring | (21 miles 3 chains, 30.86 km) Platform and grounds have been turned into part of the Mundaring Community Sculpture Park |
| Sawyers Valley | |
| Mount Helena | (25 miles 37 chains, 40.98 km) |
| Chidlow | (29 miles 6 chains, 46.79 km) |
The Eastern Railway was then later extended beyond Northam to the Kalgoorlie goldfields. The line was known as the Eastern Goldfields Railway.
Second Route
Also known as the Parkerville deviation, Second Route via Swan View, John Forrest National Park, Hovea, Parkerville and Stoneville, through to Mt Helena opened on 1 July 1896, within a decade after the First Route. Its grades were less strenuous and the line didn't suffer from the more serious problems of the first route. The line was originally only a single track and featured Western Australia's first (and only until 1990) railway tunnel. As traffic increased the newer route was duplicated, with the second track bypassing the tunnel, resulting in a slightly longer journey for trains heading across the Darling Scarp. The Second Route eventually closed on 13 February 1966.| Station | Notes |
|---|---|
| Bellevue | Named 24 May 1897 - also branch line to Helena Vale Racecourse - the stopping place for Blackboy Hill Camp during World War I (not Swan View). |
| Swan View | Station opened 1921, closed 1962. Some maps and plans include a stopping place east of the Swan View Tunnel known as Tunnel Junction(15 miles 41c.) |
| National Park | |
| Hovea | |
| Parkerville | |
| Stoneville | |
| Mt Helena | |
| Chidlow | |
| Wooroloo | |
| Werribee | |
| Wundowie | |
| Coates | |
| Baker's Hill | |
| Clackline | |
| Mokine | |
| Spencer's Brook | |
| Spring Hill | |
| Northam |
