The Upper Darling Range railway line (also known as the Upper Darling Range branch) was a branch railway from Midland Junction, Western Australia, that rose up the southern side of the Helena Valley and on to the Darling Scarp via the Kalamunda Zig Zag. At the time of construction it was the only section of railway in Western Australia to have had a zig zag formation.
History Completed in July 1891, the Upper Darling Range railway line was built by the Canning Jarrah Timber Company to supply railway sleepers to Perth's growing railway system. It ran from Midland Junction railway station through to the Darling Ranges and up into Kalamunda. It was later extended to Canning Mills and in 1912 to Karragullen.Upper Darling Range Extension Act 1911 Government of Western Australia 9 January 1912 From Pickering Brook, a line branched off to Bartons Mill.History of the Railway Pickering Brook Heritage Group
On 1 July 1903, the line was taken over by the Western Australian Government Railways and became known as the Upper Darling Range branch. The last service ran on 22 July 1949. The line was formally closed by the ; it was dismantled in 1952.Railways (Upper Darling Range) Discontinuance Act Government of Western Australia 29 December 1950Complaints About New Railway Bill The West Australian 1 December 1950 page 4
Stopping places
Named stopping places and locations on the line included:Part of this table is sourced from:- Slee, John (1979) Cala Munnda pp. 55–56 NamePrevious name(s)Distance from PerthHeight above sea level Midland Junction station Helena Vale Bushmead (now under Roe Highway) Waterhall Rifle Range Poison Gully Creek (scene of 1904 crash) Number 1 Points Ridge Hill (lower section of Zig Zag) Number 2 Points Statham's Quarry Perth City Council siding from 1920 Number 3 Points Number 4 Points (upper section of Zig Zag) Possibly known as The Knoll Gooseberry Hill Kalamunda Stirk's Landing South Kalamunda Guppy's Siding Walliston Wallis's Crossing Bickley (named Heidelberg between 1904 and 1915) Carmel Green's Landing Pickering Brook Pickering Junction Canning Mills Canning Timber Station Karragullen
References
Further reading Gunzburg, Adrian (1967) Upper Darling Range Railway: WAGR held at Battye Library Price, Eric T. (1983) The Canning jarrah line, 1891–1903 Western Australia : E.T. Price Slee, John. (1979) Cala Munnda : a home in the forest : a history of Kalamunda Kalamunda, W.A. : Shire of Kalamunda. Steele, Ken.(1993) Zig Zag to Kalamunda : the story of the Upper Darling Range Railway Lesmurdie, W.A.: Drillmark Publications Division. Watson, Lindsay (1995)The Railway History of Midland Junction : Commemorating The Centenary of Midland Junction, 1895–1995 Swan View, W.A : L & S Drafting in association with the Shire of Swan and the Western Australian Light Railway Preservation Association. Webb, E.G. (Eric Godfrey) & Kalamunda and Districts Historical Society (1996). Rails in the hills : a history of the railway from Midland to Karragullen, 1891–1949 Kalamund & Districts Historical Society, Kalamunda, W.A
External links Kev's Workshop Kalamunda Zig-Zag Page