railway Archives - Page 2 of 3 - Destination's Journey

7 February 20217 February 2021

Burwood Beach Mining Heritage

Rusting Rail Wheels Buried in the Sand at Burwood Beach

Burwood Beach Mining Heritage

Located south of Merewether Ocean Baths, Burwood Beach is not only a great surfing beach, but has relics from the areas mining heritage.

There are several ways to get to the beach, each with its own benefits.

The Yuelarbah Track, which winds down a Flaggy Creek, is a great hike in coastal eucalyptus forest.
Hickson Street Lookout, which provides excellent views as you walk down to the beach
From Merewether Baths for a walk along the beach without much up and down hill hiking.

We have walked all three and the Yuelarbah Track is the more interesting, because it winds through some beautiful bushland. However, it is also the most difficult, due to the track and need to walk back uphill when returning.

On our most recent trip we walked in from Merewether Baths, mainly because we hadn’t gone this way before. We found it to be a straightforward walk along the beach.

Several of the relics are located on the rock platforms, so the best time to visit is low tide. This ensures that you can see everything while remaining safe.

Railway Wheel on the Rock Platform

When walking from Merewether Baths at low tide, a railway wheel is visible on the rock platform. This relic is now covered in seaweed and shellfish, which have made it their home on.

Rusty Rail Wheel on the Rock Platform at Burwood Beach

Marine Growth on a Railway Wheel Burwood Beach Mining Heritage — Rusty Rail Wheel on the Rock Platform at Burwood Beach

Railway Wheels in the Sand

Further along the beach are three rusty wheels buried in the sand, but partially exposed.

Remains of the Burwood Beach Mining Heritage Rail Line

A rail line once ran along the dunes hauling coal to the copper smelter but is now decaying as nature reclaims it. Rusting rail lines and sleepers, now exposed in places where wind and rain have revealed them poke through the sand.

Rusted Railway Tracks Burwood Beach Mining Heritage — Rusted Railway Tracks

Old Rusting Railway Tracks — Rusted Railway Tracks

Rail Wheels in the Sand Dunes

Near the exposed rail lines are several railway wheels, which are abandoned and rusting in the dunes.

Rusty Rail Wheel in the Sand Dunes at Burwood Beach

Rusty Rail Wheel at Burwood Beach Burwood Beach Mining Heritage — Rusty Rail Wheel in the Sand Dunes at Burwood Beach

The Coal Seam

A reminder of the coal mined here exists in the cliff face, where the exposed coal seam contrasts with the lighter coloured rocks around it.

Exposed Coal Seam at Burwood Beach Burwood Beach Mining Heritage — Exposed Coal Seam at Burwood Beach

What Did We Think?

We thought Burwood Beach was a relaxed place to visit, because of the few people there. The relics from the mining past were a great addition to the day, as they lie exposed and readily visible.

3 January 20203 January 2020

Picton New South Wales

Picton New South Wales

Stopping at Picton on our way south to Jarvis Bay, we spent some time looking around town to break the driving and get a coffee. Picton’s Main Street contains several old and historic buildings which we stopped to take photos. There was also a variety of cafes and restaurants to choose from if you wanted something to eat and drink. There is plenty of parking.

Picton Viaduct

Not far from the Picton railway station is the viaduct, a huge sandstone bridge spanning a gully and small creek. Parking is limited as no dedicated car park is available, but we found parking in a side street.

There is a walkway down to the creek where you can cross to the other side of the viaduct from a different perspective.

The Picton Viaduct From Stonequarry Creek — The Viaduct From Stonequarry Creek

The Mushroom Tunnel at Picton

Another rail related attraction is a disused rail tunnel that you can visit called the Mushroom Tunnel. We missed the entrance the first time as it is quite small. The dirt road into the tunnel can be rough so drive carefully. The tunnel itself is quite interesting, having been repurposed from a train tunnel to a mushroom farm (hence its name) and now a tourist attraction. We drove though it in the car, then turned around and drove back before walking through it. Remember to take a torch.!

Mushroom Tunnel Piction New South Wales — Mushroom Tunnel

New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere

How to Get There

Only a 10-minute drive from Picton is the NSW Rail Museum Rail Museum. The museum houses the majority of Transport Heritage NSW large collection of historic locomotives and rolling stock. The importance of this collection means that it is well protected and mostly housed under cover as well as having a modern display hall containing the most important items.

Parking is on the road outside of the museum in marked parking bays. Entry is via the new building where the staff will give you a map of the museum and answer any questions you may have.

The Collection

The main building houses the historic E18 and E78 trains as well as the Governor’s train.

Oldest Loco E18 New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere — Oldest Loco E18

Locomotive E78 New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere — Locomotive E78

The majority of the collection is held outside under cover and away from the elements. This huge collection would take many hours to explore if you wanted to examine it all in detail. There are arrows painted on the walkways to make walking around the collection easier.

Old Carriages New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere — Old Carriages

Rail Pay Bus New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere — Rail Pay Bus

D55 Class Locomotive 5595 New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere — D55 Class Locomotive 5595

As well as the trains and rolling stock, there is other memorabilia at the museum. As you walk around you will find old station clocks, time-table departure boars and baggage carts.

Old Departure Time Board New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere — Old Departure Time Board

New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere — Baggage Cart

Unfortunately the on site café was not open when we visited, but there are options available just a few minutes walk away at the Thirlmere shops.

Train Photographs

More photographs fro the NSW Rail Museum can be found here.

Thirlmere Station

While at the New South Wales Rail Museum have a look at the Thirlmere station and station master’s house as they are well maintained and make some great photos.

Boom Gates at Thirlmere New South Wales Rail Museum Thirlmere

The old boom gates where the road into Thirlmere crosses the rail tracks are also worth having a close look at.

To see what else there is to do in New South Wales, please see some of our other stories.

Our photos are available for purchase on

18 August 201820 August 2018

Paterson New South Wales

Travelling to Paterson From Singleton

Paterson is not far from where we live in Singleton in the NSW Hunter Valley, so we took a leisurely drive there via Gresford when we had a free morning. On the way we stopped at Gresford for a coffee at the Crossroads Café which is a nice quiet peaceful location.

Webber's Creek Bridge on the Way To Gresford — Webber’s Creek Bridge on the Way To Gresford

Crossroads Cafe and General Store Gresford

Paterson

When we reached Paterson we had a look at the Railway bridge over the Paterson River from Wharf Park. The park is next to an old church and opposite the Court House Museum and a great place to start exploring the town. The court house is a nice old building well maintained presentable with some great photo opportunities. The town has some old buildings that are interesting to have a look at, so wander around the Main Street and have a look. We walked around St Paul’s Anglican Church and the cemetery out the back to view the graves some of which are very old and from the 1800s. Unfortunately many are in a state of disrepair with fallen headstones and damaged tiles and brickwork. This town has a nice country vibe about it, very relaxed with friendly locals. well worth the visit.