Minnivale Rail and Heritage Centre

A collection of rail carriages in a disused wheatbin

Have you ever wondered what was inside the large silver wheat bins which litter the Wheatbelt landscape? Wonder no more! Step inside a decommissioned wheatbin which houses a collection of rail carriages. The Minnivale Wheat Bin opened in 1964 as a bulk handling wheat facility. A railway line goes into the centre of the wheat bin. This is a new addition to the bin and was installed to get the locomotive and carriages into the museum. Rail carriages were once filled with grain, from a siding rail, which went alongside the wheatbin. Amongst the rolling stock on display, you can see a ‘bogie van,’ a type of rail wagon made in Western Australia for bulk handling grain and an original diesel locomotive used on the Wheatbelt railway lines. There is even a Kalamazoo, a hand motion pump cart, in the collection, which sits on train tracks.

Address:

Hewitt Street
Minnivale WA 6462
Australia

Opening Hours
Contact the Dowerin District Museum on the numbers provided
Do you smell rabbit?

This rail carriage was used for carrying rabbit carcasses to Perth. In the early 1900s rabbit populations had reached plague proportions and by the 1920s there was a large industry in trapping rabbits...

Dowerin trolley

The spelling on this trolley is probably the closest to how a local might pronounce Dowerin. Local train stations in Western Australia had their own locally branded trolleys, to ensure they didn't go...

Green engine

An important part of WA rail history sits quietly on the tracks in the Minnivale wheat bin. The AB 1535 diesel locomotive is a slight modification of the original A class built in the 1960s. There...

More Golden Outback collections

Lookout for the bright red headframe

The iconic Ivanhoe Headframe is a Kalgoorlie landmark and sits above the Museum of the Goldfields, offering wonderful views of the town. At the Museum you can learn about how Aboriginal people in the...

A passion for horse racing

This is the perfect place to research local horse racing history. The Museum began after the Palace Hotel was renovated and a diverse collection of racing items were uncovered. The collection includes...

A local history archive in an old hospital

Walk through this old converted hospital,which houses an extensive array of local history items. The maze of rooms include themes and include a 'telephone room' with items from the old telegraph...

Mining in the Goldfields, from the beginning.

Put on your walking shoes as you walk through the ages of mining. Pan for gold and feel tiny in a reconstructed haul pak dump truck. The Hannans North Tourist Mine displays an array of mining items...

While you're in the area

Filter
Dowerin Museum
Attraction
Dowerin Museum
The Dowerin Museum offers visitors an opportunity to see what life on the...
16 Cottrell Street, Dowerin, WA 6461
Dowerin Short Stay Accommodation & Caravan Park
Accommodation
Dowerin Short Stay Accommodation & Caravan Park
Dowerin is a one stop shop for visitors and is only a 2 hour scenic drive...
Corner of Fraser Street and East Street, Dowerin, WA 6461
Wyalkatchem CBH Agricultural Museum
Attraction
Wyalkatchem CBH Agricultural Museum
The Wyalkatchem CBH Museum is a fine collection of agricultural history...
Lot 1500 Railway Terrace, Wyalkatchem, WA 6485