After extensive flood damage in the 1980s, the Boyup Brook to Katanning rail line which passed through Kojonup was closed. Kojonup’s heritage wooden railway station, built in 1907, two corrugated iron goods sheds, a railway crane, and stone and cement loading ramp are well preserved and ideally located close to the Albany Highway.
With the line still in place between Kojonup and the old Farrar siding, 15 kilometres west of the town, a group of local enthusiasts have formed the Kojonup Tourist Railway Association. They are currently replacing some 5,000 sleepers, that have been removed over the years, to shore up the line and start running tourist train rides.
Five pre loved railway carriages are being restored. A loco, the Bunbury Bell, will soon be transported from Perth.
The train ride to Farrar will travel through open farmland for the first few kilometres and then pass through a dense patch of dryandra and into more open she-oak bushland.
“It is a very scenic route,” said John Lewis, from the Tourist Railway Association. “The track has many wildflowers along it, and wildlife, such as kangeroos and birds, can also be seen.”
At the end of the line is Farrar Nature Reserve, full of rare and endangered wildflowers. Some 50 species of wildflowers have been identified in the she-oak groves, open woodlands, granite outcrops and low scrub. There is also a man-made dam, built to provide water when steam trains used the line. This also has a swimming jetty.
The Reserve is a popular spot for picnics and barbecues. Other places of interest along the line, include an old well with crystal clear water just 40 centimetres below the surface.
This project has been a ten year labour of love, with the majority of the work carried out by four hard working volunteers. However, John Lewis said that when major tasks need to be completed the call goes out and many in the local community are more than willing to give their time or provide equipment. The Shire and local service clubs have also provided valuable assistance.
The station and carriages are already a tourist attraction, and the Association is hoping to have the first train rides operating by 2003. With only two or three similar ventures in Western Australia, the Kojonup Tourist Railway will provide yet another reason for people to stopover and enjoy all the Shire has to offer.
