Sunday, September 8, 2013

Midland Workshops Heritage day '13

 The most intact example of an early twentieth century railway workshop anywhere in Australia, the Midland Railway Workshops constructed and maintained steam locomotives, carriages, wagons, tracks, signals and station furniture until 1994, playing a significant role in the social and industrial history of Western Australia.

 So once a year they open the old workshops for the public to go for a walk through, and doesn't it take you back to the good old days when we use to build things fairdinkumly. Here is where they use to make, assemble and repair wheel and axle sets.

Like when we use to build buildings out of ridge-didge stuff like steel and bricks, not just bloody plastic and cement! Like have a gander at the steel used in the background of this photo, fairdinkum it must of taken years to build these workshops.... maybe that's why we don't use those materials anymore... bugger. This was the southern end of Block3 where they use to manufacture, assemble and repair locomotives.

 A ripper crane and this place was filled with them, now that's a toy I'd love to have a play with.

And another workshop this was the Powerhouse, oh just so many bricks don't you just love it. And the smell as you walk around this place, that hard worked smell like diesel and grease.... oh what a lovely smell... Pop would love it!

 Inside the Powerhouse here's Oscar being a mug in front of one of the old power generators, this building had five of these so it had a pretty good supply of power. Which they needed as this place is massive, The railways workshops were involved with all WAGR rolling stock up untill it shut in 1994.

 Here's Sarah with her little brother Chase standing in front of the old Trusty Engine.

  Inside Block3 which at the northerly end use to be the old Machinery workshop, where metal components for locomotives, carriages and wagons were manufactured.

Then onto the mini train-ride which took the kiddies for a little ride around the workshops, probably the highlight of the day for the little ones as I suppose once you have walked through an old work shed these not much else for the poor little buggers.

 Yes definitely the best part of the day for the little nevilles, but as for me... well I'm
a chip of the old block (like the old man). Give me a shed and I'm happy, give me ten old workshop sheds then I'm in heaven!

 Then a walk along some more sheds on the left is the Foundry and on the right is the Pattern shop, and this photo gives you an idea how big this place is.

 Then we bumped into Railway bear! ha,ha, Chase wouldn't take his eyes of the big bear, so I gave in and just took the friggin' photo. But then again I couldn't blame him, he does look like a very strange bear!

 Then a walk through Block2 which use to house the Blacksmiths shop and the Boiler shop, and the Flanging shop and storage area. as you can see more steel, more cranes and more bricks.... just beautiful! This part of the workshops use to train apprentices in a range of industrial trades such as blacksmithing, boilermaking, fitting, mechanical and electrical engineering, machining, coach building and carpentry. 

 And old steam engine which they drove around one of the workshops, you could smell the steam and smoke mmmmmm living the dream.

 Well it was going to happen at some time, Chase pulled up shop and said no more walking! But with a promise to see a fire truck I was able to get him up, and walking to one of our last thing to see.

 And isn't she a beauty! An old legend 'Bedford' an old JB 1960, and the whole truck is in good working order, so shes in better condition then the old fellas that use to drive her.

 This was the old workshop sign which was placed on all the steam engines which it made, as you can see this one was made in the year 1947 so it's a '47 engine..... cool.

 While were talking about old things I had to take a photo of this ripper engine, it's a 109328 P510 which was made at the Midland workshops. But thats not the reason I took the photo, it was because the bloke who took the original photo was dated 19/5 1968! Thats right yours truly's birthday.... cool!

But before we were finished we had to see one more thing, back about two years ago a Belgium street artist by the name ROA came to Perth to paint a few paintings on different area of the city (three to be exacted).

  So the workshops were very lucky to get him to do something like this, and I'm sure the workshop's will keep this in place for a fair-few years to come. But that was about the end of our day, we had to walk back through one of the sheds to get back to the van. Now for a quick stop off at the old fish n' chip shop for our traditional Sunday feed, and then pop the feet up and laze away the rest of our Sunday arvo.... nice day.