Kojonup steam engine set to get back on track

It's full steam ahead for the Kojonup Tourist Railway as members plan to build a historic display to house a 71-tonne steam engine locomotive train.

Built in 1912, the Kojonup railway station was part of the Bunbury to Katanning line and was a strong link for the region, until it was washed out by floods in 1982.

The P-class locomotive, similar to the one used on the railway, will be housed in a display shed at the old railway station site off Albany Highway, giving visitors and families the opportunity to learn more about the train and Kojonup's history.

Kojonup Tourist Railway president Ned Radford remembers racing down to the railway station when he was about 10 years old to collect groceries off the train from Donnybrook.

"The railway was the lifeblood for this region, these trains used to shift everything, stock; fertiliser, food, passengers, and a lot of people in the area were employed on the railways and share a link with it," he said.

"We want to put the train on the top side, right beside the highway, so it will make the families and kids stop and have a look."

After an overall project cost of about $43,000, which will include transport and track preparation, the train will become one of the only locomotives of its type on display in WA.

"We were very lucky to be offered a train, and it has been more than three years in the making to try and get it down here," Mr Radford said.

Subject to funding, the project will take about 12 months to complete.