Valley Heights Rail Museum facts for kids
The roundhouse, pictured in 2007
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| Established | 1994 |
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| Location | Tusculum Road, Valley Heights, New South Wales, Australia |
| Type | Railway museum |
| Key holdings | Valley Heights Steam Tram Rolling Stock |
| Nearest parking | On site |
The Valley Heights Rail Museum is a fun place to explore trains and railway history. It is a railway museum located in Valley Heights, New South Wales, Australia. You can find it about 300 meters north-west of the Valley Heights railway station. Two main groups work together to run the museum:
- The Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum (VHLDHM) is part of Transport Heritage NSW. They help keep the old train depot special.
- The Valley Heights Steam Tramway runs the historic steam trams and trains. They let visitors experience rides on these old machines.
Contents
The Historic Train Depot
The museum is built inside an old train depot. This depot was first built in 1913. It was made when the railway line between Emu Plains and Glenbrook was made into a double track. The depot officially opened on January 31, 1914.
Why Valley Heights Needed a Depot
The railway line from Penrith to Valley Heights had a steep slope. Trains needed extra help to climb this hill. The depot at Valley Heights was built to provide "bank engines." These were extra locomotives that pushed trains up the steep hills.
The depot had a large roundhouse with 10 bays for engines. It also had an 18.3-meter turntable to turn the engines around. There was also a tall coal stage and water tanks. These helped keep the steam engines ready for their important job.
The section from Valley Heights to Katoomba was very challenging. It rose 670 meters over 33 kilometers. This was one of the steepest and longest main lines in Australia.
Steam and Electric Engines
During the time of steam trains, the depot always had many engines. About 30 trains each day needed help from Valley Heights to Katoomba.
In October 1956, the railway line to Valley Heights was electrified. This meant electric trains could now use the line. By February 1957, electric locomotives took over from steam engines. The powerful 46 class electric engines became the new bank engines.
The depot then became a place to fix electric locomotives and freight wagons. They did everything from small repairs to big overhauls. However, newer, more powerful electric engines came along in the 1980s. This meant fewer trains needed help from Valley Heights.
The Depot Closes
In October 1988, it was announced that the depot would close. The last train to be pushed from Valley Heights to Katoomba was in January 1989. It was pulled by electric locomotive 4627. The depot officially closed in 1993.
Key Moments in Depot History
- 1914: The new roundhouse and depot started working.
- 1957: Electric locomotives took over from steam engines.
- 1988: The depot's use for bank engines was reduced.
- 1993: The depot officially closed.
- 2014: The museum celebrated 100 years of the depot. The Governor of NSW, Marie Bashir, officially opened the museum.
The Museum Today
In 1994, the Blue Mountains Division of the NSW Rail Transport Museum started the Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Railway Museum. Their goal was to save the depot. They wanted to create a place for history, learning, and fun for everyone.
After a fire destroyed another tramway in 1993, the Valley Heights Steam Tramway was started in 1997. They brought their old steam trams and equipment to Valley Heights.
Over the years, the museum has worked hard to fix up the old buildings. They repaired the refreshment room, visitor center, and the old chargeman's office. They also cleaned and restored the ash disposal tunnel.
Special Heritage Status
The Valley Heights locomotive depot is very important. It is listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register. This means it is a special historical site. It is important because it was a key place for helping trains on the Main Western line for almost 80 years.
The old Valley Heights Steam Tram Rolling Stock at the museum is also listed as heritage. These steam trams show what the tram network in NSW was like from the 1880s to the 1930s.
Museum Exhibits
The museum has a great collection of old railway locomotives, carriages, and other equipment. You can see many different types of trains that were used in New South Wales.
| Locomotives | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No | Description | Manufacturer | Year | Status | Ref | NSW Heritage Office | Custodian | |
| 103A | 0-4-0T Steam saddle tank tram engine | Baldwin Locomotive Works | 1891 | operating exhibit | Exhibit information, Steam tram motor 103A | Valley Heights Steam Tram Rolling Stock | Valley Heights Steam Tramway | |
| CPC2 | 0-6-0T Steam loco | Robert Stephenson & Company | 1899 | operating exhibit | Exhibit information, Stephenson Locomotive No CPC 2 | Valley Heights Steam Tramway | ||
| 1022 | 0-4-0T Steam saddle tank | Vulcan Iron Works | 1896 | in parts under restoration | Exhibit information, Locomotive 1022 | Valley Heights Steam Tramway | ||
| 1308 | 4-4-2T Steam passenger loco | Beyer, Peacock & Company | 1877 | parts only | Exhibit information, Locomotive 1308 | Locomotive, Steam 1307 | Valley Heights Steam Tramway | |
| 3214 | 4-6-0 Steam passenger loco | Beyer, Peacock & Company | 1891 | static exhibit | Exhibit information, Locomotive 3214 | Valley Heights Loco Depot Heritage Museum | ||
| 5461 | 2-8-0 Steam goods loco | Clyde Engineering | 1915 | static exhibit | Exhibit information, Locomotive 5461 | Locomotive, Steam 5461 | Valley Heights Loco Depot Heritage Museum | |
| 5711 | 4-8-2 Steam goods loco | Clyde Engineering | 1929 | static exhibit | Exhibit information, Locomotive 5711 | Locomotive, Steam 5711 | Valley Heights Loco Depot Heritage Museum | |
| 4601 | Co-Co Electric loco | Metropolitan Vickers | 1956 | static exhibit | Exhibit information, Locomotive 4601 | Valley Heights Loco Depot Heritage Museum | ||
| X206 | 0-4-0 Diesel mechanical shunting loco | Chullora Railway Workshops | 1963 | operating exhibit | Exhibit information, Locomotive X206 | Valley Heights Loco Depot Heritage Museum | ||
You can find more details about these exhibits on the museum's website.
Images for kids
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Valley Heights Mixed train at Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum
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NSWGR Steam Tram and Trailer at Valley Heights 2015-12-06
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NSWGR Steam Tram and Trailer at Valley Heights 2023-07-08
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4601 on turntable at Valley Heights 2015-03-17
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Locomotive 5711 under restoration at Valley Heights
