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CLAREMONT
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Western Australian Government Railways
Opened : 1906 Closed : 1990 Preserved : 1994 -
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The Claremont Signal cabin is a classic example of the Victorian era signalling structures built in Western Australia.
Built in 1906, this cabin is now the only surviving, traditional, all-lever signal cabin still in its original location and operating (simulated), in the Perth metropolitan area. It has been observed by those in England, that the cabin is to a typical McKenzie and Holland design, and that the 'over-large' roof was perhaps to afford shade in our very hot summers. They were right about our summers!
The building would no doubt be called very 'light-weight' by northern hemisphere standards. Constructed of a simple timber frame, and clad with exterior weather boarding, the interior of the operating room floor was finished in match boarding. This, however, was not applied to the interlocking room beneath! Even though the Signalman was afforded the concession of the interior lining of his workspace, his other comforts were very slow in being provided - the Signalman's 'convenience' was not installed until 1938! The cabin once stood on four timber 'legs', (probably Oregon), but these were replaced in 1958 with steel girder uprights. As far as the cabin's design is concerned, it may indeed have been influenced by McKenzie and Holland, for they were one of the major suppliers of signalling equipment to the W.A.G.R. at the time, however this has yet to be proven conclusively. Access to the cabin is only via the additional stairs from the footbridge above the island platform at the station.
When originally built, the Eastern Railway was only a single line, and in those early days of the line, the Claremont signal cabin was little more than an open air lever frame on the Up Platform (No.1). Trains were worked under Staff and Ticket Rules (introduced on 1st September 1886), and being situated midway between the Indian Ocean port city of Fremantle, and the state's capital city Perth, Claremont station became the logical choice for a crossing place for trains during the 1870s and 1880s. Eventually, an enclosed, signal cabin was constructed off the Fremantle end of the Up Platform and after duplication of the line, working was by two-position Block working using Winter's instruments.
The present Claremont Cabin was located between, and worked with, Cottesloe and Subiaco signal cabins, and has seen various train working methods, ranging from two-position block (Winter's); Sykes Lock and Block working, and Automatic colour light signalling. During times of emergency or prolonged engineering works, the Claremont Signalman also used temporary equipment which included Electric Staff instruments and three-position block working, using instruments which were developed 'in-house' using some components normally found in the Winter's instruments.
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The cabin was fitted with a 35 lever McKenzie & Holland No. 9 Patt. lever frame. For a period of time, the Signalman even worked a Gate Wheel on the Fremantle end of the leverframe (the far end in this photo). Unhappily, following track and signal rationalisation in the 1980s many levers were rendered 'spare' (unused) and to signify this, the levers were painted white. By the time electrification of the line reached Claremont in the 1990s over two-thirds of the levers were 'spare'. During the busy years however, the lever frame had no 'spare' levers, in fact, the frame had to be extended several times until it's present capacity of 45 levers was reached. For so few levers, it is surprising to learn that the Signalman was able to work trains into, out of, and through, no less than five platform roads and a Goods Shed with sidings. The pointwork at the Perth end was always more complicated than the Fremantle end, this being attributable to the fact that trains from the Perth direction could come from two other lines: Namely, the continuation of the Eastern Railway to Midland (which was the junction for the once privately owned Midland Railway); and the South West Railway which branched off at East Perth (latterly Claisebrook). Livestock trains also, mainly came from the Perth direction, further adding to the Signalman's lot!
The reason for this traffic capacity was due to the local Agricultural Society moving its show ground to Claremont from Guildford in 1905. The once a year "Royal Show" is as popular today as it was back in 1906 when this cabin opened. Literally, many thousands of people journey to 'The Show' every year by train, and now have the benefit of a new station aptly called "Showgrounds" built just for this purpose much closer to the showgrounds proper. Located between Claremont, and the original Showgrounds station (formerly Loch Street station - not to be confused with the present Loch Street stopping place) it is provided with pedestrian subway direct to the Showground entrance from the platform. It is perhaps not all ironic that the station roofs of this new station are built in the exact style of the roof of the Claremont Cabin, or that the track arrangement of this new station is almost identical to that which Claremont had at the time of its closure - simply, two through suburban lines and a 'back platform' road (dead end).
Gone are the days of the 1980s, when diesel railcar sets and 'steam sets' (coaching stock, usually hauled by the W.A.G.R.'s distinctive X class diesel locos) used the back platform road to 'run around'. Of course, long gone also, are the days when one could see many classes of steam locos either heading the show traffic, or working Goods or Livestock trains into the yard or shunting the Goods Shed.
In preservation, the Claremont Cabin now fills an educational role for the Claremont Museum and the Town of Claremont. It opens on the first Saturday of every month. Visitors are given informative talks on the working life of the Signalman, and the working of trains through the station is demonstrated by the use of a custom-built simulator. The use of this simulator enabled the re-enactment of a spectacular accident at Claremont in 1944. For details of this accident, more details on the cabin itself, and our open days, please visit our other Internet site at:
