Wyalkatchem - SignallingWA

The Station Frame at Wyalkatchem receives a well earned restoration - an article by Barry Keens (June 2007):

McKenzie and Holland Signal Lever Frame and Landing at Wyalkatchem Western Australia.

This installation, along with the other structures in the Wyalkatchem Railway Precinct, was assessed by the Heritage Council of WA and in November 2005 was included in the State Register of Heritage Places, reference 15755.

The Lever Frame was installed circa 1916 and appears to have remained in the same position ever since, located East of the Station Building which was erected in 1937. Originally 3 steps led up to the landing on the North, track, side and a wooden post and horizontal rail safety fence was in evidence. Currently 2 steps lead to the landing from the West side and the safety rail is of metal tubular construction on wooden posts. There is no indication when this change took place.

Despite extensive research into signalling installations this signal landing appears to be a unique structure in Western Australia and must be preserved at all costs.

The McKenzie and Holland Lever Frame originally had space for 10 levers although levers 1, 4 & 7 are missing. Levers 1 & 4 were probably never installed as they would have controlled distant signals from the Eastern lines which appear to have been fixed at caution from when they were installed.

In fact, there is an Annetts Lock attached to the frame which would have prevented the installation of lever 1. Lever 7 would have been a spare.

These statements are backed up by the Signalling diagrams of 1972 and 1977.

All signals were removed from the line many years ago but 2 have been preserved by the Wyalkatchem Museum and are used as an entrance statement to the East of the 1936 Wheat Bin on the Museum site. Both signals are McKenzie and Holland somersaults, one a Distant mounted on railway lines with wooden spacers and the other a home signal mounted on a solid jarrah post. Both are restored to working order and came from the Western approach to Wyalkatchem from Dowerin and controlled by levers 10 and 9 respectively.

The Lever Frame has been recently restored by Barry Keens of the Wyalkatchem Museum with funding from the Shire of Wyalkatchem and the landing wood framework is undergoing further preservation work.

Barry Keens
June 2007

Any additional information on this Station Frame would be most welcome - please use the e-mail form provided on this page.

Information, photos, research and interpretation by Barry Keens - Diagram of Signalling by WAGR

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Photographs © by Chris. J. E. French and [] courtesy of RHWA Archives (image []) and Diagram of Signalling and Photograph © by W. A. G. R.

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09/12/2019 - Barry Keen has provided an update, and with his permission is added to this page as follows: