Hundreds of visitors flocked to Dwellingup on Sunday morning to attend this year’s Hotham Valley Railway festival.
The event, which celebrates the 41st anniversary of the popular tourist attraction, hoped to build on the success of the 2016 celebrations, which brought people from all over Perth to the town.
This year’s festival included live music performances, a classic car display, arts and crafts stalls, and plenty of train displays.
Attendees had the opportunity to visit some of the organisation’s restaurant trains, go aboard one of the miniature steam locomotives and witness the Murray Districts Carriage Club parade around the precinct.
The event also featured food stalls, a coffee van and plenty of local products up for sale.
The Hotham Valley Railway was born in 1974 as an idea by a small group of train enthusiasts who wanted to preserve the steam locomotives on the Pinjarra-Dwellingup railway line when the world was moving towards diesel engines.
After purchasing a bunch of Mountain type W class locomotives and spending countless hours restoring the tracks, trains and depot buildings, the first steam train returned to the Hotham Valley in September 1976.
The railway is almost entirely run by volunteers who donate their time and effort to preserve and expand the popular tourist attraction.
For more information about the Hotham Valley Railway go to hothamvalleyrailway.com.au.
Happy anniversary Hotham Valley Railway!