The extension of the Eastern Railway line in

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

to Chidlow's Well in 1884 was immediately useful to those in the region, to quote the West Australian of 17 April 1885: Up until its closure, it had tearooms, and the overnight sleeper train '

The Westland ''The Westland'' was the name given in 1938 to the overnight train operated by the Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) with sitting and sleeping cars between Perth and Kalgoorlie, where it connected with the ''Trans-Australian'' ser ...

' to

Kalgoorlie Kalgoorlie is a city in the Goldfields–Esperance region of Western Australia, located east-northeast of Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway. It is sometimes referred to as Kalgoorlie–Boulder, as the surrounding urban area includ ...

had a refreshment stop at Chidlow. In some regularly reprinted photographs of the station buildings and platform the sign is for Chidlow's Well Refreshment Station. In all Working Timetables (WTT) during the operation of this line, there was an arrival and departure time, owing to either taking on water for steam engines, or change in crew. The Bellevue to Chidlow railway line involved the encounter with the

Darling Scarp The Darling Scarp, also referred to as the Darling Range or Darling Ranges, is a low escarpment running north–south to the east of the Swan Coastal Plain and Perth, Western Australia. The escarpment extends generally north of Bindoon, to th ...

requiring extra power for the up line, and considerable extra caution for the down line. The station was closed in 1966 at the time of the Avon Valley rail route being opened, and the old Eastern Railway route became superfluous to WAGR needs. The

Mundaring and Hills Historical Society The Mundaring and Hills Historical Society (MHHS) is a local history society for the Shire of Mundaring, based in Mundaring, Western Australia. Affiliated with the Royal Western Australian Historical Society, the Society is a vital conduit for t ...

usually have a photograph of this railway station in their annual calendar.

References

* * * Disused railway stations in Western Australia {{WesternAustralia-railstation-stub