Well it's been a few years since we had been back to the Perth Railway Museum, which is located in down town Bassendean. When we use to live in Bassendean we would cross over the railway bridge as Ashfield, and walk to the museum with either Jacko or Sarah... as kiddies under four get in for free! So it's been a fair few years since we set foot inside the gates, but fairdinkum it's still a real ripper place to let the kiddies roam around.
As you might know back in the old days Midland had it's own Railway workshops based in well Midland of-cause! and they made there own steam trains! how cool hay, but sadly the workshops finally shut down and the trains were lost to history. But some of the steam trains are still working well and here at the museum, you can cast your eyes on a few different ones. Like the mighty Ashburton which w
as made in the workshops in Midland in 1898, and worked it's freckle off until it was retired in 1970 Strewth I would of been 2 when it was retired... crikey i'm not that old am I? (Don't answer that Jodi)
And here is the mighty Ashburton Class Pr 521 Builder: WAGR Midland Workshops, total weight: 102t 10c, a total of only 18 were ever made but what a little beauty hay. The Pr class was predominantly allocated to passenger workings on the Eastern Goldfields line, and lasted until the end of the steam era on the WAGR.
The marking of the Midland Workshops.
Here are the kiddies inside one of the train carriages from the Trans-Australian Railway Train, as you can see back then it would of been the 'Bees Knees' of Train carriages mate.
Here are Harrison n' Sarah having a lay back on one of the old train carriages, back when Trains were fairdinkum workers... not like the sheilah trains that we get around in these days.
Talking about real trains then you can't go past the most fair dinkum train in the world, you got it good old Thomas the tank Engine! Oscar was so wrapped when he found little Thomas here.
Then we come to a real work horse of steam trains here which came from Manchester, The V Class Steam Locomotive 1220 introduced in 1956 but withdrawn in 1972. The V class locomotives were part of the post war plan for the WAGR, intended for the heavy coal traffic between the Collie coal fields and Perth city. There were only twenty four ever made with one still working in Pemberton (V 1213), the V 1215 is at Collie and the V 1209 was sold to the Mexicans from Geelong Steam Society in Victoria. This train was one of yours truly's favorites as it looks like a
real beaut hard piece of machinery, from the days when men were men and things were built to last!
A wonder from the steam era the 1220 Locomotive
The 1220 was built in 1955 a year older then my brother Phil (old bugger hay)
Talking about old fellas here is a E class 308 which was built in 1903, and worked the railways for 60 years until it was replaced in 1963. This E .308 entered service on 23 February, 1903 and was superheated on 23 May, 1925. Ten years later it was rebuilt with a new frame and was one of the last of the class in service. It was withdrawn from use on 7 October, 1963 after running 1¼ million miles (2 million km) crikey.
The kiddies on the V class 1220
Driver Jack!
And driver Osk 'All aboard the Oscar express' the 308 was mostly used in service on passenger duties on the Perth to Kalgoorlie passenger service, as well as being allocated to the Kalgoorlie to Leonora line until they were replaced with the Pr class locomotive.
And as you can see there are a fair few old steam trains in the museum which the kiddies can have a little climb on, but all good things come to and end and I know the little ones had a ripper day out. And the best thing is I didn't lose a kid, Hay wait a minute.... wheres Oscar
BUGGER!