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
Split carriage

Passenger rail services did not operate to some small towns in WA. For locations which did not have the passenger rail service, customers travelled in a dual carriage such as this. This brake carriage...

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...

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...

More Golden Outback collections

An intrepid four-wheel drive or fly in to visit this museum

This little museum is in a location that could best be described, in Australia, as ‘woop woop’ - or, the back of beyond! The Forrest Museum is in the old weather station and shares the aviation, rail...

Intimate local collection near the 'Chicken Ranch' and Rabbit Cemetery.

This is an intimate museum with items donated by farmers and organisations in the district. The Varley & District Museum is near the Chicken Ranch, a welcoming overnight camp close to the Holland...

One Man, His Dream, Our Lake

A New Year’s Eve to remember: Breaking the world water speed record at 444.71 km/h. Blink and you would miss the moment! On 31 December 1964, on Lake Dumbleyung, in his hydroplane Bluebird K7, Donald...

Petrol head pleasure at this motor palace

This Museum is a feast of everything vehicular, with over 70 cars and 15 motorbikes. There is a rotating display of vehicles and motor memorabilia over three main galleries. Don't forget to check out...

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
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
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