The Hotham Valley Tourist Railway (commonly Hotham Valley Railway) is a tourist and heritage railway

Heritage railway

thumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...

 in the Peel region of Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

.

The railway operates over a 32 kilometre section of the original Pinjarra to Narrogin railway line

Pinjarra to Narrogin railway

The Pinjarra to Narrogin railway was a railway line built between the towns of Pinjarra and Narrogin in Western Australia.The line was opened in stages between 1910 and 1927 to service the booming timber industry as well as rural and fruit-growing establishments between the two termini...

, 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. 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 currently (as of mid-2011) the only such railway in the state regularly operating original 3ft 6in (1067mm) ‘Cape’ gauge

Cape gauge

Cape gauge is a track gauge of between the inside of the rail heads and is classified as narrow gauge. It has installations of around .The gauge was first used by Norwegian engineer Carl Abraham Pihl and the first line was opened in 1862.- Nomenclature :...

 Western Australian Government Railways

Western Australian Government Railways

Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....

 steam locomotives.

2011 sees the railway in its 35th year of operation, and it is thus one of the older preserved railways in Australia.

Notable facilities and infrastructure

Hotham Valley maintains service facilities at Pinjarra and Dwellingup.

Locomotives

As of 2011 Hotham Valley railway owns and/or operates some twenty-two locomotives (eight steam

Steam locomotive

A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...

 and sixteen diesel

Diesel locomotive

A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...

), of which a total of seven are currently operational. In addition, the railway currently owns two ex-Western Australian Government Railways

Western Australian Government Railways

Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....

 diesel railcars

Railcar

A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...

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Steam locomotives

This is a list of steam locomotives and currently in service with Hotham Valley Railway. Note: some items in this list are privately owned; or on long term lend and/or lease arrangements.

The In service date refers to original date of entry into the original owners' service.

Number and name	Locomotive	In service	Builder	Notes	Operational	Photograph
W903 Marrinup	WAGR Western Australian Government Railways Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....  W class WAGR W Class The "W" class is a group of narrow gauge steam locomotives operated by the WAGR and Silverton Tramway Co Ltd.-Engineering Background:The Western Australian Government Railways "W" class steam locomotive was first proposed by Chief Mechanical Engineer Fred Mills in 1947...  4-8-2 4-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...	1951	Beyer Peacock Beyer, Peacock and Company Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...	Out of service pending overhaul.	No
W908 Dwellingup	WAGR W class 4-8-2	1951	Beyer Peacock	Stored - used for spares; restoration possible.	No
W920 Pinjarra	WAGR W class 4-8-2	1951	Beyer Peacock	Currently operational; used on Steam Ranger services.	Yes
W945 Banksiadale	WAGR W class 4-8-2	1952	Beyer Peacock	Out of service pending overhaul.	No
W947	WAGR W class 4-8-2	1952	Beyer Peacock	Acquired as surplus from Rail Heritage WA Rail Heritage WA Rail Heritage WA is the local trading name of the Australian Railway Historical Society Inc.It is the owner and manager of the Bassendean based Western Australia Rail Transport Museum....  in 2011; largely dismantled; pending delivery to HVR for restoration to working order.	No
Pm706 Narrogin	WAGR Pm class 4-6-2 4-6-2 4-6-2, in the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle .These locomotives are also known as Pacifics...	1950	North British North British Locomotive Company The North British Locomotive Company was created in 1903 through the merger of three Glasgow locomotive manufacturing companies; Sharp Stewart and Company , Neilson, Reid and Company and Dübs and Company , creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in Europe.Its main factories were...	Leased from the Narrogin Apex Club in 1990; swapped for XA1415. Stored out of service pending overhaul. To HVR May 1990.	No
G71 Menzies	Millars Millars Karri and Jarrah Forests Limited Millars - common name, of Millars Karri and Jarrah Forests Limited 1902 was a Western Australia timber company.In 1902 an amalgamation of Western Australian timber companies saw Millars Karri and Jarrah Forests Limited formed from:...  ex-WAGR G class 4-6-0 4-6-0 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-6-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles in a leading truck, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and no trailing wheels. This wheel arrangement became the second-most popular...	1897	Dübs Dûbs and Company Dübs & Co. was a locomotive works in Glasgow, Scotland, founded by Henry Dübs in 1863 and based at the Queens Park Works in Polmadie. In 1903 it became part of the North British Locomotive Company.-Preserved locomotives:...	Previously G111 – sold into private use in 1897, working first as a railway line construction locomotive in the Eastern Goldfields Eastern Goldfields The Eastern Goldfields is a figurative area used in speech to describe a region of Western Australia.-Name:The name is derived in two parts from, Eastern in relation to its location from Perth and Goldfields as the name suggests comes from the mining of Gold in the region...  and then as a timber lines locomotive with Millars from 1898. Currently unassembled; subject of the ‘G71 Menzies appeal’.	No
G123	WAGR G class 4-6-0	1987	Dübs	One time ‘Koombana Queen’. Undergoing overhaul.	No

Diesel locomotives and railcars

This is a list of diesel locomotives and diesel powered railcars in service with Hotham Valley Railway. Note: some items in this list are privately owned; or on long term lend and/or lease arrangements.

Number and name	Locomotive	In service	Notes	Operational	Photograph
C1701	WAGR Western Australian Government Railways Western Australian Government Railways was most common name of the Western Australian government rail transport authority from 1890 to 1976. It is, in its current form, known as the Public Transport Authority of Western Australia....  C class Co-Co	1962	Stored; used for spares.	Yes
C1702	WAGR C class Co-Co	1962	Operational; not currently used on trains.	Yes
C1703	WAGR C class Co-Co	1962	Operational; not currently used on trains.	No
XA1401 Pedong	WAGR XA class WAGR X class The WAGR X class was a class of 48 diesel electric locomotives built for Western Australian Government Railways by Beyer Peacock and Metropolitan Vickers, at Bowesfield Works, Stockton-on-Tees between 1954 and 1956.-The Crossley engine:...  2-Do-2	1955	Privately owned. Operational; not currently used on trains.	Yes
XA1411 Weedookarri	WAGR XA class 2-Do-2	1956	Stored.	No
XA1415 Wurara	WAGR XA class 2-Do-2	1956	Plinthed at Narrogin – on loan from Hotham valley in exchange for Pm706.	No
G50	MRWA Midland Railway of Western Australia The Midland Railway of Western Australia was a privately built and operated railway in Western Australia, operated by the British-owned Midland Railway Company of Western Australia...  G class Co-Co	1963	Undergoing overhaul.	No
F40	MRWA F class A1A-A1A	1958	Privately owned. Operational; used on trains.	No
F44	MRWA F class A1A-A1A	1958	Privately owned. Source of spare parts for F40.	No
SEC1	SECWA State Energy Commission of Western Australia The State Energy Commission of Western Australia was an Australian energy provider. It was established on 1 January 1975 as an amalgamation of the State Electricity Commission of Western Australia plus the Fuel and Power Commission.On 1 January 1995 it was split up into separate gas and...  example of TGR V class 0-6-0DM	1950	Out of service pending overhaul.	No
V4	TGR V class 0-6-0DM	1948	In service; used on the Etmilyn Diner service.	Yes
V5	TGR V class 0-6-0DM	1948	In service; used on the Forest Train service.	Yes
Z1152	WAGR Z class WAGR Z class The Z class is a class of diesel-mechanical locomotives on the Western Australian Government Railways. It was purchased as a low power shunting locomotive.- Preservation :* Z1151 - Static Display - Steamtown Rail Heritage Centre, Peterborough SA...  0-6-0DM	1953	In service - sees occasional use on work trains.	Yes
ST2	WAGR ST type 1A	c1973	In service. Privately owned. Used on work trains. Chain driven.	Yes

Visiting and past locomotives

In the past, some locomotives from other organisations have seen operation on Hotham Valley Railway services. Other locomotives have passed into different ownership after having first been owned/operated by Hotham Valley. Details of at least some of these locomotives are given in the following table:

Number and name	Locomotive	In service	Builder	With HVR	Notes	Current	Photograph
S549 Greenmount	WAGR S class WAGR S Class The WAGR S Class is a class of 1067mm narrow gauge 4-8-2 Mountain-type steam locomotives built by the Western Australian Government Railways, with construction beginning in 1943...  4-8-2 4-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...	1947	Midland (WAGR) Midland Railway Workshops The Midland Railway Workshops in Midland, Western Australia were the main workshops for the Western Australian Government Railways for over 80 years.-History:...	1997-1999	Owned by the Rail Heritage WA Rail Heritage WA Rail Heritage WA is the local trading name of the Australian Railway Historical Society Inc.It is the owner and manager of the Bassendean based Western Australia Rail Transport Museum.... . Leased an operated by Hotham Valley services during the late 1990’s.	No
V1213	WAGR V class WAGR V Class -Engineering Background:The V class was the last locomotive to enter service with the Western Australian government railways. They were part of the post war regeneration plan for the WAGR, intended for the heavy coal traffic between the Collie coal fields and Perth. Twenty four locomotives were...  2-8-2 2-8-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-2 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle , eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle...	1955	Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns Ltd was a locomotive builder with works in North East England.-History:The company was formed in September 1937 when Robert Stephenson and Company, which was based in Darlington took over the locomotive building department of Hawthorn Leslie and Company, based in...		Purchased by Hotham Valley in 1980. Now privately owned.	No

Further reading

• Purcell, John, (1991) Hotham Valley Tourist Railway : souvenir book Perth, W.A.: The Railway. ISBN 0646060201
• Sallis, Roger, (2009) The Pinjarra-Narrogin Railway: A History of Western Australia’s Hotham Valley Line Roger Sallis, Salisbury, South Australia
• Watson, Lindsay and Purcell, J.C. (1981) Hotham Valley Tourist Railway : guide book Pinjarra : Hotham Valley Tourist Railway W.A. Inc.