Sandstone Branch Railway (also known as the Black Range railway) was a branch railway line between Mount Magnet and

Sandstone Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks. Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates ...

in the

Mid West The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

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 ...

History

It was built in 1910, and closed in 1949; it was lifted in 1950.

Route

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

Locations on line

* Mount Magnet – (from Perth) * Warrambu – * Mount Ford – * Paynesville * Intersection with No 1 Rabbit Proof Fence at * Anketell – * Jundoo – * Sandstone – An interactive map of the Sandstone line is available at OpenStreetMap.

Proposed link to Leonora

Prior to and after construction, there were suggestions of connecting to the railway line at Leonora, approximately south east of Sandstone. Such a connection would have created a loop line linking the Northern Railway with the

Eastern Goldfields Railway The Eastern Goldfields Railway was built in the 1890s by the Western Australian Government Railways to connect Perth with the Eastern Goldfields at Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie. History The Eastern Railway opened in stages from Perth to Nort ...

. 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

. Post-Second World War austerity issues were given as part of reason for closing in 1948 due to shortage of rails for the required repairs to remain open.

Goods shed

The Sandstone railway goods shed built in 1910 was considered to be of heritage significance, having survived long after closing of the line.

Notes

{{Reflist Closed railway lines in Western Australia Railway lines opened in 1910 Railway lines closed in 1949 Shire of Sandstone