Communications

Communications

Up until the mid 1980’s internal telephone communication between stations on the WAGR network was by means of magneto party line services using wires on the aerial pole routes which ran adjacent to the tracks on the railway reserve. These pole routes were also used for electric staff working.

With the progressive closing of railway stations, improvements in radio communication and the introduction of train order safe working saw the demise of electric staff working and the need for the aerial pole routes. Today you can see the poles in the country but no wires are attached.

At BBR there is a 4 wire aerial pole route between Bridgewater (Bennett Brook Bridge) at the Mussel Pool end and the Beechboro Rd entry crossing at the WVJ end on the Mussel Pool line.

Midland Railway Telegraph Pole with overhead wires. "Stayed" to the left for a right hand curve direction change

Poles lineside near Beechboro Rd entry crossing. 2nd pole circled in blue. "Stayed" to the right for a left hand curve direction change

Over the 1992-93 summer period the pole route was erected (although wire was never installed) between Whiteman Village Junction and Mussel Pool using wooden telegraph poles. These poles were later replaced during 1996, using 19^th Century wrought iron telegraph poles which were unique to the Midland Railway Co and were recovered by BBR members from Muchea in 1994. The pole route does continue north of WVJ station to Kangaroo Flats and through to Zamia Station. These poles were also installed during 1996 with the intention of carrying any future wire for Electric Staff or Phones. To date the wire has not been installed on this section of the pole route.

The aerial wire currently in use is “Hard Drawn” Copper wire which was recovered from the Perth to Fremantle railway line during a signalling upgrade on that section.

At each end of the pole route there are cables located in concrete channelling, which extend the wires to Mussel Pool and Whiteman Village Stations. One pair is used for the electric staff safe working and the other pair is used for a magneto party line between the stations. To call the other station, the magneto handle is turned quickly to ring the telephone bell at the other end. Lifting the receiver at each end is all that is necessary to talk to one another.

Concrete Channelling alongside the signals and track at Mussel Pool

There are also trackside telephones located near outer home and home signals for the train crews to contact the signalman when necessary. These are a central battery system where simply lifting the handset of the trackside phone rings the bell in the signal cabin trackside main phone.

Trackside Phone	Mussel Pool Signal Cabin Phone linked to Local Trackside Phones	Mussel Pool Station Party Line Phone.	Mussel Pool Signal Cabin Party Line Phone	WVJ Signal Cabin Party Line Phone	WVJ Signal Cabin Phone linked to local Trackside Phones	Mussel Pool Outer Home Signal Trackside Phone linked to MP Signal Cabin.	WVJ Station Party Line Phone
		All Party Line phones are linked and can be used to speak to any other Party Line phone that is answered.

The BBR is the only railway in the state utilising the aerial pole route for Communications and Safe Working using heritage equipment recovered from the state rail network.

This article supplied by

Bob Baker

Webmaster N. Blinco