Hotham Valley Railway
The Hotham Valley Tourist Railway (commonly Hotham Valley Railway) is a tourist and heritage railway in the Peel region of Western Australia.
| Hotham Valley Tourist Railway | |
|---|---|
W920 at Wellard in July 2005 | |
| Terminus | Pinjarra 32°37′48″S 115°52′16″E |
| Commercial operations | |
| Name | Hotham Branch |
| Built by | Western Australian Government Railways |
| Original gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| Preserved operations | |
| Owned by | Hotham Valley Tourist Railway (WA) Inc |
| Operated by | Hotham Valley Tourist Railway (WA) Inc |
| Stations | 3 |
| Preserved gauge | 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) |
| 1910 | Opened Pinjarra to Holyoake |
| 1913 | Extended to Dwarda |
| 1926 | Extended to Narrogin |
| 1961 | Section closed: Boddington–Narrogin |
| 1969 | Section closed: Dwellingup–Boddington |
| 1984 | Westrail services cease |
| Preservation history | |
| 1974 | Preservation society formed |
| 1976 | Heritage railway operations commenced (Pinjarra–Dwellingup) |
| 1986 | Forest Railway reopened (Dwellingup–Etmilyn ) |
| Headquarters | Dwellingup |
| Website | |
| www | |
The railway operates over a 32 kilometre section of the original Pinjarra to Narrogin railway line, and has its origins in a small group of enthusiasts who met together in 1974 with the object of preserving both Western Australian steam locomotives and the railway line itself, from Pinjarra at least as far as Dwellingup. Dwellingup is now the primary centre of Hotham Valley's operations.
Today the railway operates a vastly scaled back operation out of Dwellingup and down the hill to a siding at Isandra. One W class steam locomotive is currently in operation. The railway staffed almost exclusively by volunteers but headed by a paid General Manager, Mr Ian Willis who has full say in how things are run. He has stored much of his own private rolling stock from the former Pemberton Tramway at the railway including V1213. Most of the locomotives are owned by HVR except XA1401 which is owned by several member. PM706 which hasn't steamed for 20 years is the subject of a move by the Narrogin Shire to relocate it back to Narrogin.
It is one of only a handful of heritage railway organisations in Western Australia, and as of 2018 is the only heritage and/or tourist railway in the state regularly operating original 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge Western Australian Government Railways steam locomotives.