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Peak Hill Gold Mines loco Formerly plinthed at Meekatharra |
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The little Haine Saint Pierre locomotive resting in a park
at Meekatharra in October 2001.
The chimney has shrunk in stature since the
loco’s original plinthing!
Alas, spreading rust is apparent and the loco has since
been placed in storage.
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Builder |
S.A. Des Forges, Usines et Fonderies de Haine-St-Pierre, La Louvière,
Belgium |
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Builder’s Number & Year |
461 or 491 of 1894 |
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Wheel Arrangement |
0-4-0T |
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This
interesting little 0-4-0T locomotive was built by S.A. Des
Forges, Usines et Fonderies
de Haine-St-Pierre (known as Haine St. Pierre), at La Louvière,
Belgium and is only locomotive from this Belgian builder remaining in
Australia. In 1896 it started work with the United Mines Ore-Reduction Co.
Ltd. on their 4km tramway linking various mines near Coolgardie to their crushing
battery. Here the little locomotive carried the name ‘Coolgardie’. It seems the
United Mines Ore-Reduction Co. Ltd operation at Coolgardie did not achieve
much success, and by 1898 the tramway and battery were out of use. The little
Haine St. Pierre locomotive found further use to the north at the Peak Hill
Gold Mines, a remote and semi-arid location around 100km north of Meekatharra
(or ‘Meeka’ to the locals). Here the loco ferried gold ore over a short tramway
of 1.4km length connecting the mine and crushing battery. Bad luck
may have followed this loco because by 1910 it was again out of use. It sat abandoned
but intact at Peak Hill for many years. At some stage it was toppled onto its
side by scrap merchants, who cut out the firebox and stripped all non-ferrous
fittings. The little loco’s carcass lay on its side in subsequent years, derelict
and incomplete, until ~late 1960’s when it was retrieved
and salvageable parts were reassembled. The little loco was then plinthed in
the main street of Meekatharra as a tribute to the area’s mining economy and heritage. I first
came to know of this intriguing relic via the Railmac booklet 'Western
Australian Preserved Locomotives', published in 1983, which lists the loco as
Builder’s No. 491 of 1894, whereas more recent sources state Builder’s No. 461.
I don’t know which is correct, but No. 461 seems more likely as less was
known of the loco’s history at the time of the Railmac publication. My thanks
to Howard Jones for contributing the photographs shown on this page; as can
be seen the Haine St. Pierre loco is missing the right-hand side cylinder and
motion, left-hand water tank (the side onto which it was toppled) and all
backhead fittings. My thanks also to Jack Stokes for contributing further information
and more recent references. The State Library
of Western Australia (‘Encore’ online resources) includes a wonderful 1897 image
of this locomotive on its original workplace, the Coolgardie Ore Reduction
Company tramway, with the name ‘Coolgardie’ clearly visible on the side tank:
https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb3800371 The Haine
St. Pierre locomotive was classified by National Trust of Australia (WA) in
2002, in view of its connection with the developing WA gold mining industry. Hopefully
this interesting survivor will finally escape the bad luck of its early career
and be restored for display and interpretation in a suitable home. UPDATE: In
recent years the little Haine St. Pierre loco has been removed from its parkland
plinth by the Shire of Meekatharra, and placed in storage
at the council depot located in the former WAGR station yard. One source says
it was removed in 2014 and subsequently moved to Perth for restoration in 2016,
while a second source says it was removed in 2022 and remains in council storage
at Meekatharra. Further information is welcome! Jeff
Austin has provided a useful history for this locomotive in an article published
in the May 2022 edition of the Rail Heritage WA members newsletter: https://wamrc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/202205-May-Newsletter.pdf |
A further view of the little Haine St Pierre locomotive at
Meekatharra in October 2001.
The side tank support backet is visible, but no side tank –
perhaps it was crushed beyond salvage when the loco was toppled onto this side.
A further view of the little Haine St Pierre locomotive at
Meekatharra in October 2001.
A steel plate has been welded over a rectangular gap in firebox
backhead, which had been cut open by scrappers.
The
cyclonic chimney also lies dismantled in the foreground.
Image
used with permission of the wonderful Rail Heritage
WA archive:
http://railheritagewa.org.au/archive_scans/displayimage.php?pid=4571
(Image reference P07962,
original photographer unknown.)
An earlier (but undated) photo of the HSP loco plinthed at Meekatharra.
As can be seen, the chimney was originally
taller that that evident in the 2001 photos.
Image used with permission of the Rail
Heritage WA archive:
http://railheritagewa.org.au/archive_scans/displayimage.php?pid=5952
(Image reference P09344, original photographer G. Baldwin.)
References
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a |
'Western
Australian Preserved Locomotives' published
1983 by Railmac Publications, Elizabeth SA. Compiled by
D. Whiteford, C. De Bruin, L. Watson & N. Watson. |
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b |
State Library
of Western Australia (online resources) Object
slwa_b3800371_1: https://encore.slwa.wa.gov.au/iii/encore/record/C__Rb3800371 |
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c |
RAIL
HERITAGE WA Members Newsletter, May 2022 https://wamrc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/202205-May-Newsletter.pdf |
Page updated: 29 June 2023
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