20Years Ago March-April 1982

20Years Ago March-April 1982

It is hard to believe that the Westrail system was so different in 1982, on this page are several photos which document these changes yet, they were everyday scenes then.

X1001 "Yalagonga" hauls a Perth bound Australind into Armadale on 12 March 1982. X1001 is now preserved as a static exhibit at the Rail Transport Museum Bassendean. The Australind itself is now diesel railcars.

The ARHS organised a tour to Gingin on the former Midland Railway utilising the then new ADL/ADC railcars. Here we see ADL801/ADC851 at Gingin on 13 March 1982. The railcars are now on the Auckland suburban system in New Zealand.

The ARHS organised a tour to the Midland Workshops on the 14 March 1982. No one would have forecast the closure of the "shops" yet this happened. The next three photographs feature various scenes at Midland.

New classleader DB1581 receives some last fitting out details prior to commissioning. Today 1581 is still working for AWR.

There were still several steam locomotives at Midland in 1982, here we see V1206, later cut up onsite.

From the left we see withdrawn XB1027, Z1151, X1031 (in for repairs) and accident damaged XB1022. Only Z1151 survives, preserved at Steamtown in Peterborough South Australia.

XA1412+XA1403 haul their train away from Kojunup on the now closed and lifted Kojunup to Katanning Railway (which also went through to Boyup Brook and Bunbury) on 2 April 1982. The cab of XA1403 is "preserved" at Gosnells Railway Markets.

D1564 is seen rather battered following a derailment at Bridgetown. Photo taken on 10 April 1982. D1564 is now working in Tasmania with a low full width nose on the short end.

The ARHS ran a railtour to Bolgart on 25 April 1982. X1030 hauled the train and is seen shunting a four wheeled van prior to running around the train at Bolgart.