Hotham Valley Railway

Hotham Valley Tourist Railway
W920 at Wellard in July 2005
TerminusPinjarra
32°37′48″S 115°52′16″E / 32.63°S 115.871°E / -32.63; 115.871
Commercial operations
NameHotham Branch
Built byWestern Australian Government Railways
Original gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
Preserved operations
Owned byHotham Valley Tourist Railway (WA) Inc
Operated byHotham Valley Tourist Railway (WA) Inc
Stations3
Preserved gauge1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)
1910Opened Pinjarra to Holyoake
1913Extended to Dwarda
1926Extended to Narrogin
1961Section closed: Boddington–Narrogin
1969Section closed: Dwellingup–Boddington
1984Westrail services cease
Preservation history
1974Preservation society formed
1976Heritage railway operations commenced
(Pinjarra–Dwellingup)
1986Forest Railway reopened
(Dwellingup–Etmilyn )
HeadquartersDwellingup
Website
www.hothamvalleyrailway.com.au

The Hotham Valley Tourist Railway (commonly Hotham Valley Railway) is a tourist and heritage railway in the Peel region of Western Australia.

The railway operates over a 32 kilometre section of the original Pinjarra to Narrogin railway line, and has its origins in a small group of enthusiasts who met together in 1974 with the object of preserving both Western Australian steam locomotives and the railway line itself, from Pinjarra at least as far as Dwellingup.[1] Dwellingup is now the primary centre of Hotham Valley's operations.

Today the railway operates both steam and diesel locomotive hauled trains on a variety of services and is staffed almost exclusively by volunteers.

It is one of only a handful of heritage railway organisations in Western Australia, and as of 2018 is the only heritage and/or tourist railway in the state regularly operating original 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in) gauge Western Australian Government Railways steam locomotives.

It celebrated its 50th Anniversary on the 8th of September 2024.

  1. ^ A Descriptive History of Hotham Valley Tourist Railway Archived 22 February 2014 at the Wayback Machine Hotham Valley Tourist Railway