Perth WA - Day 5

Events of Tuesday 12th February 2013

The day started, as usual, by taking Sasha the dog to the Dog Walking Area for about half an hour with the usual dogs and dog owners. On our return to Keith’s home, we had breakfast. Keith wanted to pay a bill at the local Post Office. This was part of the Shopping Mall we’d visited a few days before. After dealing with the bill, we walked across the car park to reach the Library. This was a modern, well-laid out facility and the staff were very helpful. Keith ordered a local history book he wanted to read and we both riffled through their collection of books on railways.

As temperatures in the forties Celsius were forecast, Keith decided to return home but he was happy to drop me at the nearest railway station - Bull Creek on the Mandurah Line. This line had been built since I first explored the railways around Perth. Keith arranged to collect me from the same station at four o’clock in the afternoon.

The station, of course, was modern and provided only with ticket machines. After a few minutes, I’d obtained a Day Concession Ticket for $4.40 and I made my way onto the island platform. The platform was built on the central reservation of a new dual carriageway, as I’d found on other new suburban lines around Perth.

Bull Creek station on the new Mandurah Line is built on the central reservation of a dual carriageway highway.

A Perth train arrived after a few minutes and it was already well-filled. Apparently, the local trains are a victim of their own success and additional trains are on order. The next station was Canning Bridge, after which the tracks ran alongside the broad Swan River as far as Esplanade station. The line then ran in a tunnel to an new island platform called Perth Underground which has been constructed underneath the original station.

At the time of my visit, temporary arrangements were in use for interchange with the original station where major works were also ongoing and the previous pattern of services was somewhat deranged. I decided to catch a train to Midland (a journey I’d made before briefly described in the post Leaving Perth).

The EMU which would shortly take me to Midland on arrival at Perth.

Our route took us through East Perth, where there’s a separate station for standard-gauge inter-state services. From here to Midland, there's dual-gauge track. On arrival at Midland after a journey lasting around half an hour, I walked across to the remains of the famous railway works which were being converted to find new uses. The incumbent state premier was facing a re-election battle and had suggested building a new hospital and medical training university at Midland but this idea had not met universal support.

The former Railway Institute and Technical School building at Midland.

I was certainly warm in Midland during my visit so I was happy to return to the station and catch an EMU back to Perth – all the suburban trains are quite effectively cooled.

The curving approach to Perth station.

I then decided to make a trip on the electrified railway to Fremantle - another journey of about half an hour. There were interesting views on the approach to Fremantle first of ships anchored in the ‘Roads’ off Fremantle then of the Container Terminal. A number of the old transit sheds have been converted for other uses. In particular, Shed ‘E’ had been converted into a destination for souvenirs. There is more dual-gauge trackwork around Fremantle and I saw a standard-gauge diesel electric LZ 3106 transferring four loaded container wagons on dual-gauge track whilst a 3 foot 6 inch gauge 'Transperth' service comprising two 2-car EMU waited in Fremantle station. The Wikipedia article here describes these locomotives.

LZ 3106 passes hauling container wagons with a 'Transperth' EMU in the background.

I decided to have a look at the main Maritime Museum (the previous day I’d enjoyed visiting the separate Steam Museum described here). On the day of my visit to the Maritime Museum, no admission charge was levied. I discovered that there were conducted visits to the large submarine on display next to the museum building but I decided that I’d not time to take the tour and get back to Bull Creek for the arranged time. However, there was a working submarine periscope set up as part of the ‘DEFENCE’ exhibits.

The ‘Silversea Whisper’ cruise ship was approaching the dock as I arrived by train and, once turned with the aid of a tug to face the sea, moored opposite Shed ‘E’. I decided to have some chips at a small café in Shed ‘E’, almost opposite the cruise ship where I watched a number of groups of her passengers leave the ship to visit the Maritime Museum or explore Fremantle.

'Silversea Whisper' manoevring to the dock, assisted by a tug.

It only remained for me to travel back to Bull Creek to meet Keith. I caught a service from Fremantle to Perth, passing through Claremont where one of the original mechanical signal boxes has been preserved. Later, Keith told me that a group of railway enthusiasts meet regularly in this unusual 'clubroom'.


The preserved signal box at Claremont.

On arrival back at Perth, I followed the signage to the underground platforms and boarded a Mandurah Line train which took me to Bull Creek. I met up with Keith without a problem and returned to Keith’s home tired but satisfied. That was my last full day in Perth – on the following day I was to fly to Bangkok.

My pictures

Railways in Western Australia.
Former Railway Works, Midland, WA.
Fremantle, West Australia.
Maritime Museum, Fremantle, WA.

[Revised 1-Mar-2013, 5-Mar-2013]