Preserving the past is paramount and these images are very important to me and you as we were born in the twentieth century and must be preserved at all costs
Great Presentation, Stunning Photographs, Best Soundtrack ever. I could even see where the present Bunbury train leaves from now before it was covered in. Great!
I was a little girl when the Freo line was closed. One of my somewhat rebellious teenage sisters was jubilant as now she and her dodgy mates could sneak into Cott station and smoke, undetected. We lived in Forrest St. By the time it re-opened in the early 80s she was at uni and the need for secrecy no longer arose. To this day, she flatly denies ripping her new Levi's on the cyclone fence surrounding Cott station and being grounded for it. Her other siblings and I, however, have better memories.
Looking at the 'Express' service departure to the East coast made me wonder when 'normal' services (as opposed to the de-luxe Indian Pacific) on this route were stopped and what the trains operating these services were like. I am from the UK and have always had an interest in the journey from Perth to the East coast by rail. As I understand it, my grandfather, a merchant seaman, was discharged from his ship in Freemantle during the Great Depression of the 1930's and had to make his own way to Sydney by rail in order to find employment on another ship to get home. He spoke of the experience.
In the days before the Indian Pacific, there was the Commonwealth Railways run by the Federal Government. This standard guage line terminated in Kalgoorlie, where passengers wishing to travel on wards to Perth, had to change trains and board the Westland Express, running on 3.6". I would not go so far as calling it an express. The East bound Commonwealth passenger train, was never given a name just a number, that train terminated at Port Pirie in S.A. and you had to again change trains to board a Broad Gauge train to Melbourne. YES, on arrival, you had to change trains again, back to standard gauge to Sydney. If you wanted to travel North, to QLD, that meant a day layover and catch the Sunlander in Brisbane, another 3..6" narrow gauge. I could never get over the fact, that this QLD train had sleeper berths for three people, so if you wanted privacy with your wife, you were obliged to pay for the third bed as well. Traveling by train for long distances in those days, was very tiring indeed. In every capital city, the trains did not depart until the evening, so you ended up spending a whole day wandering around killing time. The only city that catered for this was Sydney, which had lockers to secure your baggage, and for a coin you could have a hot shower as well. I did this trip three times, from Townsville, in far North Qld, all the way to Perth, Western Australia.
As a kid and in my late teens I thought Perth station was massive. Now living in Melbourne and compare the then Perth with Southern Cross station having 16 platforms some being double length platforms making it at least 18 platforms, Perth seems to have shrunk but it brings back great memories.
I was born in Fremantle in 1937 & remember the Fremantle train station well, and the train journey into Perth. There is one memory I have that I cannot sort out. I thought it was Fremantle station, but I was wrong. I had a memory of walking down steps, through an underground walkway up the steps at the other side to another platform. I don't think it was even Perth because there was a bridge crossing to get over the lines to other platforms. Can anyone help me with my wayward memory.
You weren't wrong. Fremantle station used to have an underpass but it has been filled in. It used to connect the existing Fremantle platform with a second platform, which was located to the north of the existing one, a little closer to the wharf edge.
Blame PRIVATISATION. With the privatisation of the WAGR network handed over to corporate greed, the Insurance of trains, (private passenger) is no longer affordable. The demands made by the insurers, are that windows are sealed, and toilets are also sealed. The costs to modify existing rolling stock is way beyond the abilities of the private groups running these services. So in effect, privatisation has KILLED private excursion trains forever.
Nah @BarryDennen12 - that happened when they enclosed Perth Station and removed all the old stair cases and platform roofs - they tore out its heart and soul and replaced it with a modern pile of poo
![Perth City "CBD" [Australia] [1990]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/WbDtJXJVEhY/mqdefault.jpg)
Preserving the past is paramount and these images are very important to me and you as we were born in the twentieth century and must be preserved at all costs
Great Presentation, Stunning Photographs, Best Soundtrack ever. I could even see where the present Bunbury train leaves from now before it was covered in. Great!
I was a little girl when the Freo line was closed. One of my somewhat rebellious teenage sisters was jubilant as now she and her dodgy mates could sneak into Cott station and smoke, undetected. We lived in Forrest St. By the time it re-opened in the early 80s she was at uni and the need for secrecy no longer arose.
To this day, she flatly denies ripping her new Levi's on the cyclone fence surrounding Cott station and being grounded for it.
Her other siblings and I, however, have better memories.
Looking at the 'Express' service departure to the East coast made me wonder when 'normal' services (as opposed to the de-luxe Indian Pacific) on this route were stopped and what the trains operating these services were like.
I am from the UK and have always had an interest in the journey from Perth to the East coast by rail. As I understand it, my grandfather, a merchant seaman, was discharged from his ship in Freemantle during the Great Depression of the 1930's and had to make his own way to Sydney by rail in order to find employment on another ship to get home. He spoke of the experience.
In the days before the Indian Pacific, there was the Commonwealth Railways run by the Federal Government. This standard guage line terminated in Kalgoorlie, where passengers wishing to travel on wards to Perth, had to change trains and board the Westland Express, running on 3.6". I would not go so far as calling it an express. The East bound Commonwealth passenger train, was never given a name just a number, that train terminated at Port Pirie in S.A. and you had to again change trains to board a Broad Gauge train to Melbourne. YES, on arrival, you had to change trains again, back to standard gauge to Sydney. If you wanted to travel North, to QLD, that meant a day layover and catch the Sunlander in Brisbane, another 3..6" narrow gauge. I could never get over the fact, that this QLD train had sleeper berths for three people, so if you wanted privacy with your wife, you were obliged to pay for the third bed as well. Traveling by train for long distances in those days, was very tiring indeed. In every capital city, the trains did not depart until the evening, so you ended up spending a whole day wandering around killing time. The only city that catered for this was Sydney, which had lockers to secure your baggage, and for a coin you could have a hot shower as well. I did this trip three times, from Townsville, in far North Qld, all the way to Perth, Western Australia.
Fantastic, Thanks Warren. The station precinct was much nicer with the open roof and without the car park on the eastern end.
Perth public railway lines used to own by westrail and buses to Geraldton and dongara every week
Great video. Love trains 🚂 ride them as often as I can.
As a kid and in my late teens I thought Perth station was massive. Now living in Melbourne and compare the then Perth with Southern Cross station having 16 platforms some being double length platforms making it at least 18 platforms, Perth seems to have shrunk but it brings back great memories.
The Telstra building stands out as a recognizable landmark in some of these photos. It must have been one of our earliest highrise buildings. 4:30
Nah, it was completed in 1979 ... by then St Martin Tower (1977), AMP Tower (1976) and Allendale Square (1976) were all built and much taller.
I been on these westrail trains from mt lawley out to midland and down to Fremantle 1981 and 1987 and I was 12yrs old then
Love the way at the end a feller is walking across the bridge and the train blows a tonne of smoke on him , he doesnt even notice it 😆🤣
Nice old memories.
4:04 someone please explain the deal with the blue train?!?! I never knew WAGR / Westrail used these colours.
Great video ,thank you
Wonderful, Thankyou.
20 seconds.....it still is!!!!
MAGNIFICENT historical photos of Railways around Perth WA not a lot of stuff on the WAGR! Sadly!🏗️📢
They so need to bring trains with opening windows back.
I was born in Fremantle in 1937 & remember the Fremantle train station well, and the train journey into Perth. There is one memory I have that I cannot sort out. I thought it was Fremantle station, but I was wrong. I had a memory of walking down steps, through an underground walkway up the steps at the other side to another platform. I don't think it was even Perth because there was a bridge crossing to get over the lines to other platforms. Can anyone help me with my wayward memory.
You weren't wrong. Fremantle station used to have an underpass but it has been filled in. It used to connect the existing Fremantle platform with a second platform, which was located to the north of the existing one, a little closer to the wharf edge.
Five years ago, but many thanks to you for confirming my childhood memory.
@@BennettBrookRailway
It all went to hell when they sunk Subiaco. How's a steam engine supposed to get through now!?
Blame PRIVATISATION. With the privatisation of the WAGR network handed over to corporate greed, the Insurance of trains, (private passenger) is no longer affordable. The demands made by the insurers, are that windows are sealed, and toilets are also sealed. The costs to modify existing rolling stock is way beyond the abilities of the private groups running these services. So in effect, privatisation has KILLED private excursion trains forever.
Nah @BarryDennen12 - that happened when they enclosed Perth Station and removed all the old stair cases and platform roofs - they tore out its heart and soul and replaced it with a modern pile of poo
Visual porridge.
Perth was a lot nicer back then, the building's today look so out of place.