Sandstone branch railway

Sandstone branch railway
Sandstone branch railway
	Map of railway in location to the rabbit-proof fence, and Meekathara railway line on left
Overview
Status	Closed
Locale	Mid West, Western Australia
Termini	Mount Magnet; Sandstone;
History
Commenced	1909
Opened	1 August 1910
Closed	28 May 1949
Technical
Line length	150 km (93 mi)
Track gauge	1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
	Sandstone branch railway Main locations 75km; 50miles Sandstone 2 Mount Magnet 1
Route map
Route map
	Legend
	This diagram: view; talk; edit;

The Sandstone branch railway (also known as the Black Range railway) was a branch railway line between Mount Magnet and Sandstone in the Mid West region of Western Australia.

History

It was built in 1910,^[1]^[2] and closed in 1949;^[3] it was lifted in 1950.^[4]

The Mt. Magnet-Black Range Railway Act 1907, assented to on 20 December 1907, authorised the construction of the railway line,^[5] while the Railway (Mt.Magnet-Black Range) Discontinuance Act 1948, assented to on 21 January 1949, permitted its discontinuation. More specifically, the act permitted the removal of the line to be used for the construction or maintenance of other railway lines in the state, or to be sold by the ministry of railways.^[6]

Route

It was connected to the Mullewa – Meekatharra railway at Mount Magnet.

Locations on line

Mount Magnet – 481 miles (774 km) (from Perth)
Warrambu – 504 miles (811 km)
Mount Ford – 510 miles (820 km)
Paynesville 525 miles (845 km)
Intersection with No 1 Rabbit Proof Fence at 543 miles (874 km)
Anketell – 547 miles (880 km)
Jundoo – 550 miles (890 km)
Sandstone – 575 miles (925 km)

An interactive map of the Sandstone line is available at OpenStreetMap.^[7]

Proposed link to Leonora

Prior to^[8] and after construction, there were suggestions of connecting to the railway line at Leonora, approximately 100 miles (160 km) south east of Sandstone.^[9] Such a connection would have created a loop line linking the Northern Railway^[which?] with the Eastern Goldfields Railway. The proposal was not successful.

Reputation of branch line

The railway was considered by the railway commissioner of the time in the mid-1930s to be the worst railway in Western Australia.^[10]^[11]^[12]^[13]

Post-Second World War austerity issues were given as part of reason for closing in 1948 due to shortage of 45-pound (20 kg) rails for the required repairs to remain open.^[14]

Legacy

The Sandstone railway goods shed built in 1910 was considered to be of heritage significance, having survived long after closing of the line.^[15] The Sandstone railway station and the station master's house have been demolished but the goods sheet remains on the Shire of Sandstone heritage list, which also includes a railway tank stand and a railway dam at Sandstone.^[16]

At Mount Magnet, the railway station and platform, railway dam, railway bridge and the railway workers houses are on the Shire of Mount Magnet heritage list.^[17]

Notes

^ 1 August 1910 – page 69, or WN 83Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN 978-0-909650-49-0
^ "WESTERN AUSTRALIA". The Argus. Melbourne. 19 July 1910. p. 7. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^ Mount Magnet to Jundoo closed 31 December 1949, Jundoo – Sandstone closed 28 May 1949 – from page 69 Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN 978-0-909650-49-0
^ "Sleepers Sleep on Sleepers?". The Sunday Times. Perth. 3 February 1952. p. 6. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Mt. Magnet-Black Range Railway Act 1907". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 20 December 1907. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
^ "Railway (Mt.Magnet-Black Range) Discontinuance Act 1948". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 21 January 1949. Retrieved 1 August 2024.
^ "Relation: Mount Magnet-Sandstone Railway (8780689)". 10 October 2019.
^ "The Black Range Railway". Kalgoorlie Miner. WA. 8 March 1907. p. 4. Retrieved 23 November 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "The Lawlers district". The West Australian. Perth. 9 October 1911. p. 9. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Sandstone railway". Geraldton Guardian and Express. WA. 22 July 1933. p. 1. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Commissioner's comment". The West Australian. Perth. 20 July 1933. p. 14. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Sandstone Railway". The Mullewa Mail. Vol. 39, no. 1951. Western Australia. 9 September 1933. p. 7. Retrieved 21 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Commissioner's comment". Western Mail. Perth. 27 July 1933. p. 26. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^ "Sandstone to get road link". The Sunday Times. Perth. 19 December 1948. p. 5. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.
^ John Taylor Architect; Sandstone (W.A. : Shire). Council; Heritage Council of Western Australia (2002), Conservation plan for Railway Goods Shed (1910), Sandstone, Western Australia, distributed by the Heritage Council, retrieved 22 October 2012
^ "Railway Goods Shed (former), Sandstone". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
^ "Shire of Mount Magnet Heritage Places". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2024.

[1] 1 August 1910 – page 69, or WN 83Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN 978-0-909650-49-0

[2] "WESTERN AUSTRALIA". The Argus. Melbourne. 19 July 1910. p. 7. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.

[3] Mount Magnet to Jundoo closed 31 December 1949, Jundoo – Sandstone closed 28 May 1949 – from page 69 Quinlan, Howard; Newland, John R; Australian Railway Historical Society. New South Wales Division (2000), Australian railway routes 1854 to 2000, Australian Railway Historical Society – New South Wales Division, ISBN 978-0-909650-49-0

[4] "Sleepers Sleep on Sleepers?". The Sunday Times. Perth. 3 February 1952. p. 6. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.

[5] "Mt. Magnet-Black Range Railway Act 1907". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 20 December 1907. Retrieved 1 August 2024.

[6] "Railway (Mt.Magnet-Black Range) Discontinuance Act 1948". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 21 January 1949. Retrieved 1 August 2024.

[7] "Relation: Mount Magnet-Sandstone Railway (8780689)". 10 October 2019.

[8] "The Black Range Railway". Kalgoorlie Miner. WA. 8 March 1907. p. 4. Retrieved 23 November 2012 – via National Library of Australia.

[9] "The Lawlers district". The West Australian. Perth. 9 October 1911. p. 9. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.

[10] "Sandstone railway". Geraldton Guardian and Express. WA. 22 July 1933. p. 1. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.

[11] "Commissioner's comment". The West Australian. Perth. 20 July 1933. p. 14. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.

[12] "Sandstone Railway". The Mullewa Mail. Vol. 39, no. 1951. Western Australia. 9 September 1933. p. 7. Retrieved 21 July 2024 – via National Library of Australia.

[13] "Commissioner's comment". Western Mail. Perth. 27 July 1933. p. 26. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.

[14] "Sandstone to get road link". The Sunday Times. Perth. 19 December 1948. p. 5. Retrieved 22 October 2012 – via National Library of Australia.

[15] John Taylor Architect; Sandstone (W.A. : Shire). Council; Heritage Council of Western Australia (2002), Conservation plan for Railway Goods Shed (1910), Sandstone, Western Australia, distributed by the Heritage Council, retrieved 22 October 2012

[16] "Railway Goods Shed (former), Sandstone". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2024.

[17] "Shire of Mount Magnet Heritage Places". inherit.stateheritage.wa.gov.au. Heritage Council of Western Australia. Retrieved 29 July 2024.

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v t e Railway lines in Western Australia
Main lines	Eastern Goldfields Eastern Railway Great Southern Railway South Western Railway Trans-Australian Railway
Goldfields–Esperance	Hopetoun–Ravensthorpe^† Kalgoorlie–Esperance Kalgoorlie–Gnumballa Lake^† Kalgoorlie–Kanowna^† Kalgoorlie–Leonora Malcolm–Laverton^† Kambalda–Redmine
Great Southern	Donnybrook–Katanning^† Elleker–Nornalup^† Katanning–Pingrup^† Tambellup–Ongerup^†
Mid West	Avon Yard–Mullewa^† Cue–Big Bell^† Dongara–Eneabba^† Geraldton–Ajana^† Geraldton–Mullewa Karara Meekatharra-Horseshoe^† Meekatharra–Wiluna^† Millendon Junction–Narngulu Mullewa–Meekatharra^† Mount Magnet–Sandstone^† Upper Chapman Valley^†
Peel	Waroona–Lake Clifton Pinjarra–Narrogin^†
Pilbara	Fortescue Goldsworthy Hamersley & Robe River Marble Bar^† Mount Newman Roy Hill
Perth	Airport Armadale Belmont^† Ellenbrook Fremantle Kalamunda Kwinana freight Mandurah Midland (country) Midland (suburban) Mundaring Mundaring Weir Spearwood–Armadale^† Thornlie Upper Darling Range Yanchep
South West	Boyanup–Flinders Bay^† Brunswick Junction–Narrogin^† Donnybrook–Katanning^† Picton–Northcliffe^† Pinjarra–Narrogin^† Wonnerup–Nannup^†
Wheatbelt	Amery–Kalannie Avon Yard–Mullewa^† Brookton–Corrigin^† Brunswick Junction–Narrogin^† Burakin–Bonnie Rock^† Goomalling–West Merredin^† Lake Grace–Hyden Merredin–Narrogin^† Merredin–Yilliminning^† Pinjarra–Narrogin^† Toodyay West–Miling Wagin–Bowelling^† Wagin–Newdegate Wyalkatchem–Southern Cross^† York–Bruce Rock^†
Tourist and heritage railways	Bennett Brook Hotham Valley Oliver Hill
Timber railway lines	Ballaarat tramline Jarrahdale–Rockingham
Trams and tramways	Baldivis tramway Broome Tramway Carnarvon tram Trams in Fremantle Trams in Kalgoorlie Trams in Perth
Approved by Parliament but not constructed	Boyup Brook–Cranbrook Brookton–Dale River Manjimup–Mount Barker Southern Cross southwards Yarramony eastward Yuna-Dartmoor
^† Denotes railway is closed, partially closed or has been removed See also: Agricultural railways ♦ Wheatbelt railways