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The 1980's and 1990's were perhaps the high point for Western Australian Railtours with "new" steam and diesel locomotives
entering service along with the use of the then Westrail diesel locomotives. In addition, railtours visited a number of towns/
lines that had not seen a passenger train for years.
This page is hopefully the first of several pages to document
a variety of railtours.
On the 3rd of June 1989 XA 1405 "Warienga" heads south from Narrogin with the Great Southern Railway Centenary Train,
unfortunately steam locomotive DD592 was to have double- headed with the XA to Albany, but failed at the last moment before
leaving Forrestfield the night before. The XA appears out of the fog,yet only 20kms further south the skies were clear.
On the 1st June 1991, two railtours departed Perth, PM706 is seen hauling the Hotham Valley tour train through Bullsbrook
heading to Geraldton via the Midland Railway.
Below, on the same day DA1571 is seen pausing at Goomalling with the
Australian Railway Historical Society tour train. This train is also heading to Geraldton but utilising the Northam/Wongan
Hills/Mullewa Railway (now closed between McLevie & Maya).
Of interest is that later in the weekend both tour
trains were joined together at Geraldton and PM706 led DA1571 to Three Springs where the trains were split again.
This scene is still possible, G123 is seen arriving at Dwellingup from Etmylin on 22 September 1991. G123 still works on Hotham
Valley's Etmylin Forrest Tramway during the steam season. G123 and G233 used to work out of Bunbury on the Leschenalt Lady
vintage train. Today, G123 still works out of Dwellingup for Hotham Valley, G233 is now operated by the Australian Railway
Historical Society and is currently based on the Loopline Railway at Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
On the 7th December 1991 the Australian Railway Historical Society ran a farewell railtour for the old Perth diesel railcars.
ADH/V651+ADG/V603 pause at the once extensive Robb Jetty Yard (now totally removed) after running down to Mundijong from Perth
via Armadale, then to Kwinana and ultimately on to Fremantle and Perth. In Perth the railcars stopped on the main platform
close to their replacements the then new Electric Multiple Units (EMU's).
On the 3rd November 1994, G50+F40 shunt the Midland Railway Centenary train at Webberton (on the outskirts of Geraldton) after
arriving from Perth. At that time passenger trains were not being permitted to enter the Geraldton Port (adjacent to the Geraldton
City Centre).
Today passenger trains again go into the Port and Webberton siding has been removed), G50 suffered
a generator failure and is stowed, F40 is now based at Boyanup near Bunbury.
The day after the arrival of the Centenary train at Geraldton, the A.R.H.S. ran a railtour from Webberton to Mullewa utilising
some of the rollingstock. Vintage GM A1501 was at that time based at Narngulu (Geraldton) and the society took advantage of
this and used it on the tour.
A1501 is stowed minus its bogies at Forrestfield and it appears unlikely to run again.
C1702 hauls a Hotham Valley Tourist Railway Train along the Foreshore Railway Line in Geraldton on 1 September 2001
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