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23-662: Between 1879 and 1957, Oakagee was a siding and locality on the Northampton railway line . The site was first considered as a port and railway terminus in the 1980s. Opposition to the project from local residents centred on environmental concerns, especially in relation to nearby Coronation Beach. Advocacy for the project was from a partnership known as Geraldton Iron Ore Alliance, which included miners Mount Gibson Iron, Midwest Corporation, Murchison Metals, Gindalbie Metals, Golden West Resources, Royal Resources, Asia Iron Holdings and Atlas Iron . An alternative project considered by

46-410: A memorandum of understanding with Sinosteel to investigate the feasibility of reviving the project. The port and facilities were to be constructed within approximately 6,400 hectares (16,000 acres) of land owned by the state government. The property had been used as farmland but 1,100 hectares (2,700 acres) was zoned for heavy industrial and 200 hectares (490 acres) zoned for support industries. It

69-465: A large proportion of the Midland Railway double-framed goods engines designed by Matthew Kirtley and from 1869 began building a series of engines for Russia . At some time prior to 1884 the factory employed Charles Algernon Parsons OM KCB FRS (13 June 1854 – 11 February 1931) who was engaged in building rocket-powered torpedoes. After leaving Kitsons, the brilliant Parsons went on to invent

92-582: A partner. Todd had been apprenticed to Matthew Murray at the Round Foundry in Holbeck , Leeds. Initially, the firm made parts for other builders, until it was joined in 1838 by David Laird, a wealthy farmer who was looking for investments, and the company became Todd, Kitson and Laird . That year saw the production of the company's first complete locomotives, either for the North Midland or

115-669: Is bordered approximately by the Buller River to the south, Coronation Beach Road to the north, and the Moresby Ranges to the east. The port was intended to be served by a 570 kilometre standard gauge railway line. To facilitate this Brookfield Rail rebuilt part of the existing narrow gauge line with dual gauge sleepers . 28°35′22″S 114°35′00″E  /  28.58944°S 114.58333°E  / -28.58944; 114.58333 Northampton railway line The Northampton railway line , also referred to as

138-625: The Geraldton railway station commenced in June 1878; the foundation stone was laid by Eliza, wife of Maitland Brown , on 21 August 1878, and it was completed in February 1879, the first railway station in the colony. The line opened to Northampton on 26 July 1879. The Geraldton to Northampton section was 33 miles 25 chains (53.6 km) in length; the Northampton to Ajana section

161-552: The Geraldton to Ajana railway line , ran from Geraldton through Northampton and on to Ajana in Western Australia . It operated between 1879 and 1957. It was the first government railway constructed in Western Australia. The Geraldton and Northampton Railway Act 1873 , assented to on 22 November 1873, authorised the construction of a railway line from Geraldton and Northampton. Construction of

184-641: The Liverpool and Manchester Railway . However, Todd left almost immediately to form Shepherd and Todd , and the company was known variously as Kitson and Laird or Laird and Kitson . The order for six engines by the Liverpool and Manchester began with 0-4-2 Lion , which still exists. Around 1858, it was withdrawn from service and sold to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board, where it was jacked-up off its wheels and used for pumping water. In 1930, it

207-579: The London and North Eastern Railway (LNER) between York and Hull . This hauled revenue-earning trains for the LNER, but Kitson's could not afford to develop it into a commercially viable form. The high research and development costs contributed to the demise of Kitson & Co. In 1922, Kitsons built the six K class 2-8-4 T locomotives for Palestine Railways to work the steep gradients between Lydda and Jerusalem. Kitson's last large order in 1924

230-952: The Melbourne Centennial Exhibition , held in the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne in 1888, for which the firm received the First Order of Merit in the English Court. The locomotives were a large 0-6-0 and a suburban 2-4-2T . The Kitson designs influenced the Victorian Railways for many years. Kitson built a large order of 4-6-0s for the Cordoba Railway in Argentina during 1889–91, which were among

253-489: The steam turbine and change the world forever. In 1886 Kitson's assisted its representative E. Jeffreys in the preparation of five designs for the Victorian Railways (Australia), each with standardised components which were interchangeable between the classes. Manufacture of these locomotives was by Victorian colonial builders, except for two examples built at Kitson's Airedale Foundry, Leeds, and exhibited at

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276-624: The Geraldton to Ajana line, was assented to on 12 December 1960. This act affected a number of Western Australian railways, officially closing 13 railway lines in the state. Kitson and Company Kitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet , Leeds , West Yorkshire , England . The company was started in 1835 by James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry, off Pearson Street, Hunslet, with Charles Todd as

299-807: The earliest British examples of this type. From 1876 to 1901 the firm also built over 300 steam tram engines and steam railmotor units, which were developed from a design by W. R.Rowan . An innovation was the articulated locomotive design proposed by Robert Stirling based on the Meyer locomotive , later known as the Kitson-Meyer . The first three were built in 1894 for the Anglo-Chilean Nitrate & Railway Company in Chile, with two in 1903 for Rhodesia and three in 1904 for Jamaica . Over 50 were built, some 2-8-8-0 and 2-8-8-2 ,

322-546: The firm became Kitson and Hewitson, then, finally, Kitson and Company in 1863 when Hewitson died. The company built about 5,400 locomotives over a period of 101 years, with orders for British railways, including the Midland Railway , the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway and the South Eastern Railway , and worldwide. From 1855 many Indian railways became major customers. From 1866 Kitson's produced

345-501: The government was to deepen and enlarge the existing Geraldton Port . However, environmental factors associated with the proposal being relatively close to Geraldton militated against it. Including an associated rail project, the project was estimated to cost about $ 4 billion. The port was to have an initial capacity of 45 million tonnes of iron ore annually. Construction was expected to start in 2011, with completion possible by 2014. In 2012, media speculation about cancellation of

368-517: The last being in 1935. There were also some 0-8-6-0 s designed for rack railway working in the Andes , two examples of which survive in Chile, and one in Argentina. Kitsons were busy during the First World War , but trade dropped off in the 1920s. The experimental Kitson-Still 2-6-2 T steam diesel hybrid locomotive , combining steam power with internal combustion, was tested on

391-402: The line until 1893. Also between 1879 and 1885 two Fairlie locomotives worked on the line. Northampton had two railway stations, the first (named Gwalla) lasted between 26 July 1879 until January 1884. The second (named Mary Street) was opened in 1913 and closed when the railway closed in 1957. An interactive map of the line is available on OpenStreetMap . In 2005 an old railway wagon

414-563: The project increased with announcements of delays and cutbacks. However, the premier of Western Australia, Colin Barnett , stated his desire to facilitate conciliation between the parties. In June 2013, Mitsubishi Corporation announced that work was to be suspended work until an investment partner could be found. As of November 2014 the project was mothballed. In November 2019, Sinosteel purchased Mitsubishi's shareholding. In January 2022, Fortescue Metals Group announced it had signed

437-606: Was 33 miles 5 chains (53.2 km), and was a later extension. The line closed on 29 April 1957. The line's extension from Northampton the Ajana was authorised through the Northampton-Ajana Railway Act 1911 , assented to on 16 February 1911. The line, as an isolated line, was constructed by two 2-6-0 Kitson locomotives. Originally classed as E1 and E2 they were later classified as M class. They were constructed in 1875, and were in service on

460-508: Was for 12 London and North Eastern Railway Improved Director class locomotives. In 1934, the receivers were called in and the company struggled on under receivership until 1937. In 1937, the firm was restructured to bring it out of receivership. The downsized company ceased locomotive production in 1938. The patterns, drawings and goodwill of Kitson's locomotive building business were acquired by Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns . Kitsons continued to supply locomotive components until 1945 when

483-411: Was identified as being possibly the first item of rolling stock built for use on the line. In 1954, the state government of Western Australia had compiled a list of loss-making railway operations, of which the Geraldton to Wokerina and on to Ajana and Yuna lines were part, having had a total expenditure of two to four times their earnings in the financial year to June 1953. The Geraldton to Wokerina line

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506-473: Was restored and remains in preservation at the Museum of Liverpool . In 1842, Laird, who not receiving the financial return he expected, left the partnership. Kitson was then joined by Isaac Thompson and William Hewitson, the company becoming Kitson Thompson and Hewitson . In 1851, the company exhibited an early tank locomotive at The Great Exhibition , and was awarded a gold medal. In 1858, Thompson left and

529-480: Was the least loss-making of the three lines terminating at Wokerina, having £A 13,612 expenditure versus earnings of £A 6,734. Wokerina to Ajana was the most costly of the three lines, having an expenditure of £A 62,161 versus earnings of £A 14,371. On 29 April 1957 the line was closed, along with the associated Wokarina – Naraling – Yuna railway line at the same time. The Railways (Cue-Big Bell and other Railways) Discontinuance Act 1960 , which officially closed

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