Don Rhodes Mining and Transport Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Don Rhodes Mining and Transport Museum

A view of two of the locomotives on display.
Location	Wilson Street, Port Hedland, Western Australia
Type	Mining museum Transport museum
Owner	Town of Port Hedland
Nearest car park	Adjacent (no charge)

The Don Rhodes Mining and Transport Museum is a cool outdoor museum in Port Hedland, Western Australia. It's like a park where you can see old mining machines and big railway trains.

You'll find the museum on Wilson Street. This street connects the town to the main highways. The museum is right across from Nelson Point Yard, which is where the huge Mount Newman railway ends.

History of the Museum

Who was Don Rhodes?

The museum is named after a very important person named Don Rhodes. He was a pioneer, which means he was one of the first people to develop the mining and transport industries in the Pilbara region. This area is in Western Australia.

The Amazing Roadtrain

Don Rhodes was famous for ordering the very first modern roadtrain built in Australia. A roadtrain is a huge truck with many trailers. It's used to carry very heavy loads over long distances.

At first, Don Rhodes used trucks made in England for his manganese mining work. But these trucks weren't strong enough for the tough job. So, he asked his main engineer, Harold Ridley, to design a super-strong truck.

Building a Giant Truck

Harold Ridley designed and built the "Rhodes Ridley" roadtrain. This giant truck could carry 70 tons! When it was finished in 1958, it was able to pull the company's 100-ton crushing machines.

However, the government at the time wouldn't let the Rhodes Ridley drive on public roads. It only traveled about 3,000 miles before it had to stop working.

Awesome Exhibits

Locomotives on Display

At the center of the museum, you can see three large locomotives. These are powerful train engines. Each of them used to work on one or both of the big mining railways that end in Port Hedland. These railways are the Goldsworthy railway and the Mount Newman railway.

• Goldsworthy No. 2: This locomotive was built in 1965 by English Electric. It helped build the Goldsworthy railway. In 1966, it pulled the very first train full of iron ore from Mount Goldsworthy to Finucane Island.

Goldsworthy No. 2, a powerful locomotive from 1965.

• Mount Newman Mining 5451: This engine was built in 1951. It was first owned by a company called Western Pacific Railroad. Then, in 1967, Mount Newman Mining bought it. It helped build the Mount Newman railway and then carried supplies until it retired in 1971.

Mount Newman Mining 5451, which helped build the railway.

• Mount Newman Mining 5497: This large locomotive was built in 1975 by ALCO and Commonwealth Engineering. It was first owned by Mount Newman Mining. Later, it was used by BHP Iron Ore, another big mining company.

Mount Newman Mining 5497, a strong engine from 1975.

See also

• Silver Star Cafe (Port Hedland)