Transwa Prospector
Encyclopedia
The Transwa Prospector is a standard-gauge
passenger train operated by Transwa
that runs between Perth
, Western Australia
, and the Goldfields town of Kalgoorlie
.
that ran on the older Eastern Railway route. The original Prospector railcars first entered service in November 1971. These Comeng
-built units consisted of five power cars WCA901 through WCA905, and three non-powered trailers WCE921 through WCE923. They cut the 14 hour journey to 8 hours, and travelled more than 20 million kilometres and 2.6 million passengers over their 32 years life. The original railcars were being retired on 29 July 2005. In 2008 they were purchased by C.D. Dodd Scrap Metal Recyclers and are now stored at their Forrestfield property. One of the power cars is at the Fire & Emergency Services Authority training academy in Forrestfield. It is used as a site for heavy rescue training.
A new new-generation of railcars entered service on 28 June 2004, costing $56 million. The new railcars are built for a top speed of 200 km/h, but track conditions currently only allow a maximum speed of 160 km/h. The new railcars were built by United Goninan
at their factory in Broadmeadow, New South Wales
, and consist of three driving cars WDA001 through WDA003, three driving cars without buffet WDB011 through WDB013, and a motored non-driving car, WDC021. These form two units of two cars, and a third which is three cars long; an additional two-car unit of the same design operates the AvonLink
service.
The new Prospector railcars features air conditioned saloons, reclining seats, an entertainment system and standard mains power outlets for passengers to connect laptops and other equipment during the journey. For train crew they have a computerised operational status system, showing the identity of each carriage connected; as well as engine, brake and door control; and electricity supply. The developer of the TMS was Fischer Industries, now a subsidiary of [United Goninan]. This computer system can reset passenger initiated or smoke detector alarms, and is viewable on the display in any driving compartment. The computer system comprises of 3 MPC860 cpu's in each carriage, the two slaves in each carraige have a 68030 coprocessor providing extra I/O facility . Each carraige required numerous RS232 and RS485 serial lines, and connection between carriages is run over ethernet - the media being 75 ohm coaxial cable.
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
passenger train operated by Transwa
Transwa
Transwa is Western Australia's regional public transport provider, linking 275 destinations within Western Australia, from Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south to Esperance in the east along with the regional centres of Bunbury, Kalgoorlie, Northam, Geraldton and Albany.Transwa is...
that runs between Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, 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...
, and the Goldfields town of Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
.
History
The Prospector replaced the narrow-gauge overnight passenger train called The WestlandThe Westland
The Westland was the name given in 1938 to the overnight train operated by the Western Australian Government Railways with sitting and sleeping cars that ran between Perth and Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, where it connected with the Trans-Australian Railway service to the Eastern states of...
that ran on the older Eastern Railway route. The original Prospector railcars first entered service in November 1971. These Comeng
Commonwealth Engineering
The Commonwealth Engineering Company Limited is the brand name of a former Australian Engineering Company that designed Locomotives, Electrical Multiple Units , Diesel Multiple Units and Trams.-History:...
-built units consisted of five power cars WCA901 through WCA905, and three non-powered trailers WCE921 through WCE923. They cut the 14 hour journey to 8 hours, and travelled more than 20 million kilometres and 2.6 million passengers over their 32 years life. The original railcars were being retired on 29 July 2005. In 2008 they were purchased by C.D. Dodd Scrap Metal Recyclers and are now stored at their Forrestfield property. One of the power cars is at the Fire & Emergency Services Authority training academy in Forrestfield. It is used as a site for heavy rescue training.
A new new-generation of railcars entered service on 28 June 2004, costing $56 million. The new railcars are built for a top speed of 200 km/h, but track conditions currently only allow a maximum speed of 160 km/h. The new railcars were built by United Goninan
United Goninan
UGL Rail is an Australian rail engineering company and specialises in building and re-building railway cars including electric and diesel passenger trains, electric and diesel locomotives, and freight wagons...
at their factory in Broadmeadow, New South Wales
Broadmeadow, New South Wales
Broadmeadow is the geographic centre of Newcastle city. Its main commercial hub is located at the “Nineways”.-Origins:Broadmeadow was originally part of the Newcastle Pasturage Reserve of 648 hectares...
, and consist of three driving cars WDA001 through WDA003, three driving cars without buffet WDB011 through WDB013, and a motored non-driving car, WDC021. These form two units of two cars, and a third which is three cars long; an additional two-car unit of the same design operates the AvonLink
Transwa Avonlink
The AvonLink is a standard gauge passenger train operated by Transwa that operates between Perth, Western Australia and the Avon Valley. It provides one service in each direction every weekday, to and from the regional town of Northam, and since 2004, has provided three extended services a week to...
service.
The new Prospector railcars features air conditioned saloons, reclining seats, an entertainment system and standard mains power outlets for passengers to connect laptops and other equipment during the journey. For train crew they have a computerised operational status system, showing the identity of each carriage connected; as well as engine, brake and door control; and electricity supply. The developer of the TMS was Fischer Industries, now a subsidiary of [United Goninan]. This computer system can reset passenger initiated or smoke detector alarms, and is viewable on the display in any driving compartment. The computer system comprises of 3 MPC860 cpu's in each carriage, the two slaves in each carraige have a 68030 coprocessor providing extra I/O facility . Each carraige required numerous RS232 and RS485 serial lines, and connection between carriages is run over ethernet - the media being 75 ohm coaxial cable.
Stops
- (as at August 2005)
- East Perth StationEast Perth railway stationEast Perth railway station is a Transperth railway station 1.9 km from Perth Train Station, on the Midland Line in Perth, Western Australia.It is next to the East Perth Terminal and Public Transport Centre, in Western Australia....
- Midland StationMidland railway station, PerthMidland Train Station is a Transperth train station 16km from Perth Train Station, in Western Australia, and is the terminus of the current suburban rail service on the Midland Line.-History:...
- ToodyayToodyay, Western AustraliaToodyay is a town located in the Wheatbelt region in the Avon Valley, 85 km north-east of Perth, Western Australia. Toodyay is connected to Perth via both rail and road.-History:...
- NorthamNortham, Western AustraliaNortham is a town in Western Australia, situated at the confluence of the Avon and Mortlock Rivers, about north-east of Perth in the Avon Valley. At the 2006 census, Northam had a population of 6,009. Northam is the largest town in the Avon region...
- CunderdinCunderdin, Western AustraliaCunderdin is a town located in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia 156 km east of Perth, on Great Eastern Highway.- History :The first European visitor to the area was Charles Cooke Hunt, who explored the area in 1864 and recorded the name Cunderdin, from the Aboriginal name of a nearby...
- TamminTammin, Western AustraliaThe town of Tammin is located in the central agricultural region, east of Perth, Western Australia and midway between the towns of Cunderdin and Kellerberrin on the Great Eastern Highway.-History:...
- KellerberrinKellerberrin, Western AustraliaKellerberrin is a town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia, east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway.The railway line from Northam to Southern Cross was constructed through here in 1893-94, and this section opened for traffic in 1895. Kellerberrin was one of the original stations when...
- MerredinMerredin, Western Australia-Economy:The agricultural land around Merredin produces 40% of Western Australia’s wheat quota. As a focal point for the region, Merredin’s local bulk handling co-operative receives and processes in excess of a million tonnes of grain every year...
- BurracoppinBurracoppin, Western AustraliaBurracoppin is a townsite on the Great Eastern Highway, east of Merredin in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia.The town was gazetted in 1891. It takes its name from Burracoppin Rock, a nearby granite rock, the name of which was first recorded in 1864 as Burancooping Rock. It was also shown...
- CarrabinCarrabin, Western AustraliaCarrabin is a small town located about east-northeast of Merredin, on the railway line between Merredin and Southern Cross in Western Australia....
- BodallinBodallin, Western AustraliaBodallin is a town located around half way between Merredin and Southern Cross in Western Australia.The town takes its name from the railway siding of this name, established between 1894 and 1897. When gazetted in 1918 the town was spelt Boddalin...
- Moorine RockMoorine Rock, Western AustraliaMoorine Rock is located in the eastern agricultural region of Western Australia, 347 km east of Perth and 22 km west south west of Southern Cross. It is located on the Great Eastern Highway and the railway line from Northam to Southern Cross. When the line was opened in 1895 a railway...
- Southern CrossSouthern Cross, Western AustraliaSouthern Cross is a town in Western Australia, 371 kilometres east of Perth on the Great Eastern Highway. It was founded by gold prospectors in 1888, and gazetted in 1890. It is the major town and administrative centre of the Shire of Yilgarn...
- KoolyanobbingKoolyanobbing, Western AustraliaKoolyanobbing is located 54 km NNE of the town of Southern Cross, Western Australia.Iron ore is mined here by a subsidiary of Cliffs Natural Resources of Cleveland, Ohio. Ore is railed to port at Esperance for export...
- Bonnie ValeBonnie Vale, Western AustraliaBonnie Vale is an abandoned goldfields townsite 14 km north of Coolgardie in Western Australia.The town was gazetted in 1897. It was apparently named after Bonnie, a prospector who picked up a 7 oz troy nugget here in May/June 1894...
- KalgoorlieKalgoorlie, Western AustraliaKalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
- East Perth Station
Further reading
- 100th anniversary of rail link (History of the Eastern Goldfields railway, officially completed on 1 January 1897, to the present, including introduction of the Prospector train on 29 November 1971) Kalgoorlie Miner 1 Jan. 1997, p. 2