25-632: Valley Heights is a small township of the City of Blue Mountains in New South Wales , Australia . It is about 70 km (43 mi) from the Sydney central business district and is located east of the township of Springwood . At the 2021 Census , Valley Heights had a population of 1,188 people. Valley Heights developed its own piece of the ridgeline that has been the main route west from Sydney since colonial history, and has some strong evidence of
50-466: A fixed four-year term of office. The mayor is elected by the councillors at the first meeting of the council. The most recent general election was held on 4 December 2021. The City of Blue Mountains Council maintains cemeteries at Blackheath, Faulconbridge, Katoomba, Lawson, Megalong Valley, Mount Irvine, Mount Victoria, Mount Wilson, Springwood, and Wentworth Falls. Blue Mountains Library operates three full-time branches, three part-time branches and
75-606: A locomotive yard, a 10 bay roundhouse , 18.3-metre (60 ft) turntable , an elevated coal stage , and water tanks and columns. It provided bank engines for trains travelling to Katoomba and beyond. The engines at Valley Heights not only banked over the longest distance in NSW, but also had the envious distinction of having to operate over the longest continual and most steeply graded mainline in Australia. The 33 kilometre section from Valley Heights to Katoomba rises 670 metres, with
100-473: A rich pre-colonial inhabitance. At an elevation of 300 to 320 metres (980–1,050 ft) above sea level, the climate has been considered very conducive to a huge range of plants. The native ecological communities are fairly typical of other Hawkesbury sandstone with shale transition forests, yet exhibit the local specificness we have come to expect in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Current development
125-458: A ruling gradient of 1 in 33. During the steam era, the depot had a continual allotment of eight freight and two passenger engines. During the peak of the steam era, an average of 30 trains during any 24-hour period required banking from Valley Heights to Katoomba. The line was electrified to Valley Heights in October 1956. In February 1957, steam operations from Valley Heights were replaced by
150-638: A service for train commuters at Springwood and Katoomba stations two days a week. Blue Mountains Leisure Centres operate from five locations. All five locations have pools and the Katoomba and Springwood locations have gyms and offer various fitness classes. The City of Blue Mountains has a number of heritage-listed sites, including the following sites listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register : The City of Blue Mountains has sister city relationships with
175-567: A train lost control and slid down the mountains before being stopping in Blaxland . The Station was electrified in 1957. In 1989 the Depot was closed and used to store material until 1993. In 1994 The Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum was established on the site of the depot and a steam tramway was added in 1997. Valley Heights has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: Valley Heights' commercial area centres on and north of
200-605: Is Councillor Mark Greenhill, a member of the Labor Party . The urban part of the city consists of a ribbon of close or contiguous towns which lie on the Main Western railway line , served by NSW TrainLink 's Blue Mountains Line , and Great Western Highway between Emu Plains and Lithgow . About 70% of the city's area is within the Blue Mountains National Park which lies north and south of
225-488: Is mostly dual carriageway but is relatively slow due to the urban development and hilly terrain. The electric train service integrates into Sydney Trains, Sydney's suburban rail network. The main towns and villages in the City of Blue Mountains are: Blue Mountains City Council is composed of twelve councillors elected proportionally as four separate wards , each electing three councillors. All councillors are elected for
250-522: Is restricted by council reserves and National Park Valley Heights has a railway station , rail museum and the historic Gatekeepers cottage where the gatekeeper employed by the railway lived in the early steam era. Aboriginal People, mostly of the Dharug and Gundungurra people, lived in the area for thousands of years prior to European colonisation . One of the First mentions of the area by Colonisers
275-881: Is the home of the oldest remaining roundhouse in New South Wales, located 500 m from the eastern Springwood town boundary. City of Blue Mountains The City of Blue Mountains is a local government area of New South Wales , Australia, governed by the Blue Mountains City Council . The city is located in the Blue Mountains , on the Great Dividing Range at the far western fringe of the Greater Sydney area. Major settlements include, Katoomba, Lawson, Springwood and Blaxland. The mayor of Blue Mountains City Council
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#1732793679196300-415: The 46 class electric locomotives. The depot in latter years was an electric locomotive and freight wagon repair workshop, the electric engines receiving everything from minor repairs to complete overhauls at the depot. A variety of freight wagons were also repaired. The demise of Valley Heights depot began when the more powerful 85 class locomotives were introduced in 1979. The demise was accelerated with
325-563: The Valley Heights railway station , the locomotive depot was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999. The depot is considered "of state significance as an important locomotive depot, and the principal service and maintenance facility for bank engines working over the Main Western line between Sydney and Lithgow for almost 80 years". Valley Heights Steam Tram Rolling Stock displayed and operated at
350-430: The duplication of the Main Western railway line between Emu Plains and Glenbrook was completed. The depot was available for service from December 1913, but was not officially opened until 31 January 1914. With the duplication and regrading of the line, the heavy grades below Valley Heights were eliminated, the ruling gradient from Penrith to Valley Heights being 1 in 60. The depot at Valley Heights consisted of
375-649: The Great Western Highway, comprising light industrial and hardware retail services. Valley Heights has a railway station on the Blue Mountains Line of the NSW TrainLink intercity network. Valley Heights is the start of the steeply graded, 1 in 33 (3%) section to Katoomba . The gradient approaching Valley Heights from Sydney is 1 in 60 (1.67%). In older times, assistant engines were attached here to uphill trains, which explains
400-979: The benefit of the Blue Mountains community and visitor to the region. Following the destruction of the Parramatta Park Tramway by fire in June 1993, the Valley Heights Steam Tramway was established in 1997 by the Stream Tram and Railway Preservation (Co-Op) Society Limited and its remaining assets were also transferred to Valley Heights. In 2007/08, the museum built a new work shed constructed near ash disposal tunnel, former amenities building (refreshment room and visitor centre) repaired and refurbished, ongoing work in roundhouse, chargeman's office (museum) repaired and refurbished, ash disposal tunnel cleaned and restored, amenities (toilets) were repaired and refurbished. Together with
425-572: The existence of the roundhouse , now the Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum . A number of rail heritage items in Valley Heights are listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register : Blue Mountains Transit (formerly Pearce Omnibus and later Blue Mountains Bus Company) headquarters and depot are located in Valley Heights. Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum
450-415: The following cities: Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum The Valley Heights Rail Museum is a railway museum located in Valley Heights , New South Wales , Australia. The facility is located 400 metres (1,300 ft) north-west of Valley Heights railway station . The museum is operated by two partner organisations: The heritage-listed locomotive depot was constructed in 1913 when
475-432: The introduction of the 86 class locomotives in early 1983. From the mid-1980s, the number of trains requiring banking from Valley Heights had been reduced to a handful each day, the number of locomotives required for this duty being reduced to three, sometimes as few as two being necessary. In October 1988, it was announced the depot would close. One electric locomotive remained available for any bank work necessary, until
500-735: The last week of January 1989, when 4627 had the distinction operating the last train to be banked from Valley Heights to Katoomba. Milestones included: In 1994, the Blue Mountains Division of the New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (now Transport Heritage NSW ) established the Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Railway Museum, with the aim of preserving the depot to provide historical, educational and recreational facilities and opportunities for
525-535: The museum is also listed on the State Heritage Register as 'collection of steam tram rolling stock is of state historical significance as a remnant of the steam tram network in operation in NSW between the 1880s and the 1930s. On 31 January 2014, the museum celebrated the centenary of the opening of the depot, with a special ceremony featuring speeches from the NSW governor Marie Bashir and NSW premier Barry O'Farrell . The governor formally opened
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#1732793679196550-405: The ribbon of towns. The National Park is part of the much larger Greater Blue Mountains Area World Heritage Site and the city brands itself as "The City Within a World Heritage National Park". The towns and villages are generally grouped into lower, mid, and upper mountains. The economy of the upper mountains is dependent almost entirely on tourism . The road to Sydney, the Great Western Highway,
575-617: Was by William Cox in 1814 during the Construction of the first road across the Blue Mountains. Refrencing what it now known as sun valley he noted: " Water and Forest growth in the valley to the right". Some of the First europeans to come in the area where attracted to the flat area and rich soil of Sun Valley. Which was conveniently located close to the Western Road and made it a prime resting spot for Farmers transporting Cattle from Bathurst to Sydney. In 1830 "The Valley Inn"
600-797: Was established, later renamed the Woolpack and then the Welcome Inn. In 1847 Governor Fitzroy Stayed there. Following the Establisment of the Railway line the Inn went out of business and the property was purchased by Geoffrey Eager in 1870 as a mountains home. In 1902 he renamed the Inn Wyoming and operated as a boarding home until 1937 when it was demolished. He established a private Railway station there, called Eagers Platform. In 1877 it
625-422: Was renamed to "The Valley" Station. In 1880 it was renamed to the "Valley Heights Station" becoming the location of the modern Valley Heights railway station . The Railway Station was destroyed by a bush fire in 1911. In 1913 a locomotive depot was established. Due to the steep gradient around the station two major crashes occurred during this time period. In 1923 a goods train crashed near the station and in 1926
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