The Port Hedland–Marble Bar railway was a railway in the

Pilbara The Pilbara () is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia. It is known for its Aboriginal peoples; its ancient landscapes; the red earth; and its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore. It is also a g ...

region of

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 ...

, running into the hinterland from the north-west coast.

History

The line was a

Western Australian Government Railways Western Australian Government Railways (WAGR) was the operator of railway services in the state of Western Australia between October 1890 and June 2003. Owned by the state government, it was renamed a number of times to reflect extra responsi ...

(WAGR) gauge

branch line A branch line is a phrase used in railway terminology to denote a secondary railway line which branches off a more important through route, usually a main line. A very short branch line may be called a spur line. Industrial spur An industr ...

which was isolated from the rest of the WAGR system. Construction was commenced in 1909, undertaken by the firm of

Henry Teesdale Smith Henry Teesdale Smith (22 December 1858 – 25 February 1921) was an Australian businessman and politician who was prominent at various times as a timber merchant, railway builder, and pastoralist. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Weste ...

, and the line was opened in July 1911. The line had been proposed for some years before the date of opening. The closest railhead of the main WAGR rail system was over to the south at Meekatharra so most rolling stock and materials were shipped in and out Port Hedland. Due to heavy losses on the line, the Western Australian government asked 1922 Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Railway Department to make a specific inquiry into the running of the Port Hedland railway. The commissioner found that "the railway cannot be run effectively so long as it is administered by the Railways Department" and recommended, among other things, that the running of the line be handed over to the Commissioner of the North-West. That was not done. The reputation of the line for its slow running speed lived on long after the railway had closed, with Patsy Adam Smith's 1969 book about early railways noting the use of the ironic name the ''Spinifex Flyer''. The act for discontinuance of the railway was granted royal assent on 18 December 1950, and the last train to run out of Port Hedland operated on 25 October 1951. The railway closed on 31 October 1951. Iron ore railways that have subsequently been constructed in the Pilbara region are standard gauge railways.

Stopping Places

Port Hedland A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ha ...

* Pippingarra * Pundano * Strelley * Carlindi * Pin Pin * Shaw River * Warralong * Gorge Creek * Coongan * Eginbah *

Marble Bar Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite. Marble is typically not foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the term ''marble'' refers to metamorphosed ...

References

Bibliography

* * * * Quinlan, Howard & Newland, John R.(2000) ''Australian Railway Routes 1854-2000'' {{refend

External links

* https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-11/archival-map-of-spinifex-express-route/7720178?nw=0 for archival map of the railway * https://web.archive.org/web/20060820021925/http://railways.pilbara.net.au/index2.html for current railways in pilbara Closed railway lines in Western Australia Railway lines in the Pilbara 3 ft 6 in gauge railways in Australia Railway lines opened in 1911 Railway lines closed in 1951 1911 establishments in Australia 1951 disestablishments in Australia Marble Bar, Western Australia

History

Stopping Places

See also

References

Bibliography

External links