THERE is nothing quite like the sound of a steam train.
For some it's nostalgic, evoking memories from childhood watching 'Thomas the Tank Engine'.
Perhaps it transports people into the fantasy world created in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter universe.
Or for others it's about reflecting on a by-gone era, when technology was non-existent and industries relied solely on manpower and innovative thinkers.
It's a sound that represents the true power of a machine that revolutionised the region's past industries, which for Dwellingup, were timber milling and railways.
Powered by steam trains in their day, these industries drove the Western Australian economy in the early 1900s.
Established in 1974 for the preservation of steam locomotives and the railway line from Pinjarra to Dwellingup, today the Hotham Valley Railway (HVR) is dedicated to maintaining the heritage of trains, which include the steam ranger, forest train and restaurant train services. All are popular with tourists but the steam ranger is certainly the crowd favourite - at least it was for me.
Travelling on the steam ranger is like taking a tour through time as the train rolls along part of the steeply graded and tightly curved railway that was manually carved into the Darling Range.
The railway itself is a testament to craftsmanship of a former time which once served the timber industry and the agricultural areas of Dwellingup and beyond.
But it's no easy feat to keep the steam ranger (May to October) and the HVR's other trains operating on a regular weekly schedule 12 months of the year.
The HVR relies on the passion and dedication of about 140 members to keep the trains running for the benefit of the Dwellingup community and the enjoyment of visitors.
Members have joined for all different reasons,
Some have worked in the transport industry, have an interest in the mechanics of old trains, are fascinated with the industrial history that was powered by these machines, or perhaps just want to meet other like-minded people.
For Vince Baker from Perth, joining the HVR came as a result of being made redundant in his job at the time.
Now the vice president, which has a nice ring to it 'Vince the vice president', and life member, he has been part of the HVR since 1993.
"When I got made redundant, I didn't know when my next pay cheque was going to come or when I was going to get a job, but I knew that I had to keep my mind active by increasing my knowledge and network," Vince said.
"I think I decided to go with trains because I enjoy train travel.
"I wanted to increase my knowledge because I knew nothing about trains and it was something I could do either individually or as a couple.
"It was all about the social interaction and meeting people."
Vince isn't particularly interested in the mechanics of trains, but more on the significance of how they were manufactured.
"When you look at the machine and try and think back that it was made without a computer, but with only paper and pencil, and then you extend that to the railway line," he said.
"With only the moon, stars and sun, and some basic equipment by today's standard - that's how they plotted the train tracks.
"You look at the gradients, there's the locomotive that is so long with rigid wheels which manage to get around a curve.
"To build the railway in the bush at that time is just amazing."
Having been with the not-for-profit organisation for 16 years, Vince has seen people from all walks of life visit the HVR.
One occasion that has always resonated with him is when a vision impaired couple rode the train to feel and hear its power and mechanics.
"It just blows me away to think that trains can do things like that for people," Vince said.
Although the average age of the HVR membership is 58 years, it hasn't deterred some young people from joining.
Having liked trains from a young age, 17-year-old Curtis Lawrence, Perth, is beyond his years in terms of his vast knowledge of the machines.
After three years of being involved with HVR, Curtis has numerous responsibilities and is itching to take on more when he turns 18, particularly with the steam ranger as there is an age minimum for many of the jobs on that machine.
"As far as I can remember, I have always been interested in trains," Curtis said.
"I started here when I was 14 and have loved trains ever since.
"Every day is a new experience, I see new things every day that I'm here and it's never boring, which is one of the main reasons why I love it."
Curtis' responsibilities include being coach captain on the steam ranger; taking care of passenger comfort and safety checks on the forest train; and doing food preparation and serving passengers on the restaurant train.
He also assists with basic tasks for the locomotives, such as making sure there is enough sand for the locos.
Sand is applied to the tracks to assist with traction and stop the wheels from slipping on the grades, but too much sand creates drag and can have a negative effect.
Regulating the sand is a job handled by the driver.
To keep the steam ranger operating on running days, all the preparatory work is done the day before and then the light-up crew arrive at 3am on the day to test and check the train so it's ready for departure on time at 10.30am.
"From 3am on the day when the fire is lit, it's pretty much steam work all the way," Curtis said.
"Then it's pretty much a waiting and monitoring game to ensure the fire continues to burn.
"These are not toys, they are real locomotives which can do some incredible things and some devastating things."
After burning about 300 kilograms of wood fuel, the engine will start to make steam at about 5.30am and can be changed over to coal.
At 8am the driver and fireman will start work with about 70psi of pressure and prepare the engine for the journey which will include oiling the locomotive, taking coal and then getting the train ready for departure.
The steam ranger runs on a pressure system and the steam is produced in the boiler, which has a maximum of 200psi.
"That's not a lot of pressure but it is as well, because it is condensed steam which can be a massive force," he said.
"Once it's at 200psi, it's a good-to-go loco."
The steam ranger has a coal capacity of 7.1 tonnes, but it doesn't use it all, and a water capacity of 11,400 litres.
On a normal journey from Dwellingup to Isandra and return, about 1.8t of coal is used and on wet days, the train can slip and slide on hills so then about 2t of coal is used per trip.
The steam ranger requires about 5000 litres of water for a regular return trip.
"It's important to make sure there is enough water for the steam and coal," Curtis said.
"In the fire box it can get up to some incredible numbers of pressure and heat.
"These locos were built for hill work and not so much main line running.
"They did sometimes run it on the main line but more used to use the PM class of loco which was made for pulling passengers.
"They usually had two of these or one and a sister loco, like a V or S class or in later years it ran with a diesel.
"Later on rail companies ran with diesel work, as steam was phasing out."
The Hotham Valley locomotives were built in 1951 by Beyer Peacock in Manchester, England, with the W class locomotive on the steam ranger measures 18.86 metres in length.
These locomotives were designed to operate on coal and nowadays the coal is provided to the HVR by Griffin Coal, Collie.
On the trip from Dwellingup to Isandra, the locomotive travels tender first as the HVR doesn't have the facilities to turn the engine.
On the return journey back to Dwellingup, the locomotive is front facing.
The HVR has long term plans, following the current turntable installation work at Dwellingup to build turning facilities at Isandra.
This will enable the steam ranger locomotive to travel forward on both legs of the journey.
