Perth's First Generation Diesel Suburban Trains Part 1 

Thanks for the trip down Memory Lane Terry. I used to catch the steam train from Subi to Swanbourne every day for school, beginning 1952 - aged 7 I still remember the excitement of waiting for that first diesel with the yellow and black hatching. Nothing can match the smell of fired coal and that gorgeous blast of warm, humid steam as the train pulled in on a cold winter day. Your hobby has turned into a wonderful, historical legacy. Well done mate.

This is excellent, a proper documentary. Your efforts to document history are honestly heroic

I ride along the Midland Line almost weekly, fascinating to spot which parts I recognise

This takes me back to the early 70's; was studying at Wembley Tech at the time and took the train daily from Stokely into the City. So many fond memories came flooding back from that time. Thank you for that 🙂

An amazing video,many thanks for putting it all together. I lived in the Pilbara for 20 years from 1976 to 1996 regular trips to Perth meant I got to know the Perth suburban system.Great shots of W945 on the R&I special,this was my introduction to the Hotham Valley Railway.There then followed about 15 years volunteering on the HVTR mostly at the Pinjarra depot.Lots of loco cleaning and getting the locos ready for service on passenger specials.I learnt a lot about steam locos with instruction from some great people.Happy memories.

Fantastic, Terry !! I grew up in Carlisle around the same time you did, and Welshpool station and yard, was one of my favorite haunts, as a kid, as well. Always lots of activity on the Armadale line in the late 50s/60s. Oates St was my closest station, being about 100 yards from my backdoor ! Many fond memories have been rekindled by your video. Thankyou so much for the trip back in time, to a simpler time and life.

Brilliant footage and thanks for sharing. I love seeing the railcars where the doors were still open while the train was moving. Unthinkable these days. I'd forgotten what a state of disrepair the railways had fallen into by the time the Freo line was closed. By the late 1970's, the car was king and the railways were almost consigned to history. Thankfully, the tide turned when the lines were eventually electrified and Perth has a decent metro railway system

Terry, hello from Ireland - thanks so much for the videos, they are fascinating, especially as you went to the trouble to get sound. Amazing to see and HEAR the XA class, a close cousin of some early Irish diesels!

Several minor addendums, Terry. EMU stands for electric multiple unit, not electric motor unit. The standard gauge terminus was originally called Perth Terminal. It was not renamed East Perth Terminal until 14 August, 1989. The "temporary" Bunbury Bridge was opened on 25 January, 1932. The smaller bridge pictured next to the Bunbury Bridge is not the original bridge, it's a footbridge and pipeline that was later built along the alignment of the original bridge. The railcars arriving at Kelmscott at 23:40 are an ADX set, not an ADG set. The last steam locomotive to operate in Western Australia was G71 at Yarloop in March 1973. The footage of HVR W945 in Perth shows the "Festival Flyer" services that operated over several weekends in February and March 1979 as part of the WAY 79 sesquicentennial celebrations during the Festival of Perth. Fittingly, G71 was cosmetically restored and was displayed in the forecourt of City Station to promote the services.

Fantastic films mate, from a fantastic era in WAGR , I loved those railcars as a kid too👍👍

I LOVED THE SMELL OF DEISEL EXAUST

Thanks Terry for the great video and many memories that it refreshed. As a very young train fan in the early 60s I remember my father taking me to the Perth station to watch the trains come and go. There was a small charge, maybe 3p or a bit less to go onto the platform as a visitor which you paid at those front ticket windows on Wellington Street. There were always lots of steam trains, passenger and goods, and as a special highlight I remember a very kind driver inviting Dad and myself onto the loco footplate and he explaining how things worked. We also spent many Saturday morning at the East Perth loco depot (where the Indian Pacific terminal is now) train watching. There was a foot bridge that went right across all the tracks and I remember the thrill of standing over the Midland line as a steam train passed under the bridge and you were enveloped in coal smoke and heat! There was a large turntable there and it was always impressive to watch the crews manually turn the large steam engines. In about 1962 I remember catching the train from Perth city station to Mount Magnet, it went right through to Meekatharra in those days. The mixed freight and passenger train was hauled by an X class diesel which I think went through to Geraldton, as we had to change trains at Mullewa to connect with a similar mixed passenger/freight service that did the Geraldton Meekatharra leg of the journey. Quiet a long journey in those days, taking the best part of 2 days, as I remember the trains also stopped at night, not running through the night, and the rock hard passenger seats were folded down into some sort of bed that was no less uncomfortable than the seat! Despite the challenges of rail travel in those days, as a 5 or 6 year old it was the adventure of a lifetime only surpassed by the wonders of Mt Magnet and it’s gold mines. Thanks again for the great memories and your truely historic images.

Who would have thought that all these years later we would all get to watch your footage and history on youtube...... well done indeed. A time when there were fewer Brats lol

I've been on a bit of a historical rail bender today, watching footage from the 80s and 90s in my home state of Victoria, those EMDs make me wish I was born in the 1940s or 50s so I could have had a chance to drive them back in their hey-day. Truly you have lived through the greatest time in this country Terry, you're a very lucky man.

That is some great footage you have put up. Its a real shame about the Armadale line now, it will never be the same again. Also the Bunbury Shopper rail car was a twin 6 cylinder English electric. If your lucky enough to go behind the musiem you can see for yourself. Surpised me alot since the rest all where mechanical gearboxes at the time.

I am the 1000th subscriber yay!!

This is gold… thank you. 👍🏻

gee thanks for the old footage its so facinating and i wanted to see what stokely station looked like since i can only find 1 picture of it online :) have you got and footage of bayswater station before it was rebuilt in 1969? bit of a shame theres was no footage of it :(

Thanks for sharing. Particularly enjoyed those old English Electric burbles of suburban goods trains.

I just finished watching this, such a brilliant railway clip capturing some of WGR's history, thank you for sharing this mate.

enjoyed

On ya Tezza, top knotch.

Great video, except maybe for that repetitive bird sound! I started school at St Joseph's in Queens Park in 1968 the year after they retired the old steam locos and there were still some lying dormant about the suburban network. I remember the spur lines in busy Welshpool and the level crossings before boom gates were installed and the lines fenced off. The railways always seemed to be so quiet back then, certainly nowhere as busy as they are today. I only used the old trains a few times but they were very relaxing.

Magnificent footage Terry! Thanks for the extra long video, I've always enjoyed your work. I'm curious about a couple of things; where do you get your music from for these videos? And how did you do the overlay 'A Film by Terry' at 3:35? That's pretty impressive stuff for a youngster back then! I'm sorry I don't have any train questions for you, but you explain it all so well I get everything I want to know!

I lived in East Victoria Park and my girlfriend lived in Koongamia, so I spent many hours in those railcars.

Is there any Std Gauge workings on Pt 2 Terry?