Mussel Pool / Collie
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Mussel Pool / Collie
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The Signal Cabin currently in use at Mussel Pool station controlling the northern section of the yard, was originally used at the western end of Collie Yard controlling the junction of the yard to the mainline.
After being made redundant by Westrail, BBR purchased and relocated the 7 Lever cabin to Whiteman Park. A small group of BBR members set out early on the Saturday morning 20/4/1987 for Collie where they met up with a local representative of the transport company assisting with the move of the Collie Cabin. With both the truck and the crane on site the crane was attached to the side of the cabin where it then dragged the cabin down the embankment sideways, having earlier dismantled the entry and stairs. At the bottom of the bank the cabin was carefully manoeuvred with the crane to end up sitting "face down" on the tray of the truck with the roof overhang, hanging over the back of the truck. The BBR members present expressed concern as to the suitability of this arrangement and were assured that all would be OK!!. The cabin was duly secured in this arrangement and returned to the company yard ready for an early morning departure for Perth the next day. The BBR crew returning to Perth that evening.
The cabin arrived at Mussel Pool on the 21st of April 1987 after a somewhat unusual journey. The truck was due for an early departure from Collie with an aim to arrive at Whiteman Park around 10.30am. 11.30 came around and after a few phone calls it was soon realised that the truck had been delayed en-route. Much later in the afternoon the cabin eventually turned up on a completely different and much larger truck. Interrogation of the new driver of the new truck revealed that the original truck and driver had made it as far as the town of Harvey where upon he was pulled over by the local police, as the cabin roof was obscuring his rear indicator/brake lights. It was soon also determined that the load was over legal height for transportation and the police insisted that the load be transhipped to a more suitable vehicle. Hurried phone calls to Collie mobilised another of the companies trucks and a crane was sourced locally to effect the transfer. Some hours later the cabin was on the move again. Around 4pm the new truck rolled into the car parks at Mussel Pool. The local crane hire co. was duly contacted and arrived on site shortly after and the cabin was unloaded from the truck and put into place. It was later moved a little further up the hill to its current location by park management to enable a new extended platform to be built for Mussel Pool station. Bennett Brook Railway was very grateful to the trucking company as this move was was effected at no cost to the railway
After installation and restoration the cabin was initially used as a "Ticket Office" and "Staff" cabin, providing shelter for the ticket seller on poor weather days until the opening of the Nungarin station building in 1991.
The signals branch were busy throughout 1991 installing equipment necessary to bring the cabin on-line. The first interlocked signal operation on the BBR taking place at Mussel Pool in April 1992
The Collie cabin is still in use today even though use of the larger Cottelsoe cabin across the track has been mooted since 1988 to enable an expansion of facilities
The Mussel Pool / Collie Cabin lever frame consists of seven numbered and colour coded levers. These are assigned as
The mechanical interlocking under the floor of the cabin is a McKenzie and Holland No. 9 pattern interlocking machine. This could be likened to a mechanical computer. The levers are interlocked by a series of rollers and cams that rotate as the lever is moved, to lock or unlock "T Bars" which are attached to the other levers thereby allowing appropriate levers to be moved, and locking inappropriate levers.
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Bennett Brook Railway Webmaster N. Blinco
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