Blue Mountains News

The Heritage Rail Trail features on a brochure and web site which were locally designed and printed.  The design was paid for by Blue Mountains City Council, while the printing was paid for by Lithgow Council.  The website was created by local designer Brad Diedrich with assistance from Ask Roz Blue Mountains.

Visitors can now go on a fun and exciting journey through the Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, exploring over 150 years of rail and industrial heritage.

The route enables visitors to take in our breathtaking landscape and fascinating history through bush walks, bicycle rides, living history, steam train rides, historic houses and museums. Anybody interested in railway or industrial history will find enough enthralling experiences to last a whole weekend.

Rail Trail passengers will be transported along old rail beds through tunnels, along construction tramways, up and down mining inclines, past railway guest houses and into railway museums.

Blue Mountains visitors often visit only one of these locations while going past many of the others to get there. This guide will make it possible for them to visit more sites and to stay longer in the Blue Mountains.

Features of the Blue Mountains Rail Trail include:

• 13 sites listed geographically from Lapstone to Oberon via Clarence and Lithgow
• Opportunities for a variety of experiences – walking, cycling, train rides, museum visits, even a picnic in the park
• A planner that helps you decide when to visit, as some places are open only a few days a week
• A web site with a map and information about each site
• Fun for people of all ages – from miniature train rides to overnight walks
• Alternative activities where sites are closed. For instance, although the Lapstone Tunnel is currently closed, visitors can still walk or cycle down the Lapstone Zig-Zag and along the tramway to the Bluff Lookout.

The Blue Mountains Rail Trail brochure can be picked up at all local tourist information centres or downloaded from here. The sites are linked by QR codes so you can view them easily on your mobile phone.

About Blue Mountains Historical Society:

BMHS was established in 1946 by the Blue Mountains Council, later moving to the historic cottage Tarella, which is now used as a museum and is open to the public on the last Sunday of each month from January to November. The Society research rooms, library, kitchen and meeting rooms (adjacent to Tarella) are open every Tuesday and Friday.