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No 117 September 2017 Part of the crowd at the 150th anniversary celebrations at Wentworth Falls. Photo: Julie Tester In this edition 1. From the Valley Chair’s desk 7. Shopping trends 2. Community volunteer award: well done Ted! 8. Small exhibits 3. Recent happenings at Valley Heights 9. Our models 4. 150th anniversary BM railway to Wentworth Falls July 2017 10. Buildings and grounds 5. Big trains 11. Membership 6. On the “four foot” 12. Our coming events “The first word” If you’ve been in a snow cave or in deepest As you read on you will notice that your Museum Africa since Christmas, you may have missed the is moving ahead on several fronts. Projects, large news that the Blue Mountains line celebrated the and small, are complete, close to fruition, in 150th anniversary of the first train to progress, or about to commence. If you’d like to Weatherboard (now Wentworth Falls) in July take part in any way, let Membership Officer, Jeff (known as BM150). Although, for various Russell know and he will slot you into a role that reasons, planning was concertinaed into the will add to your enjoyment and help you make a previous few months, events all fell into place useful contribution to the Museum. Every little bit with a stunning result for all concerned! Many of of support counts! the Museum's members and volunteers were On the financial side, we were fortunate to raise involved in plenty of ways and I thank them all a healthy profit from the raffle tickets that we sold collectively for their combined input, effort and on the steam shuttles on the weekend of BM150. support. We’re already planning the 200th The Museum has been successful in adding anniversary so watch this space! some new prize donors for our Christmas raffle, drawn by “Santa” on December 10th. As we don’t © 2017 Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum, Blue Mountains Division of Transport Heritage NSW Ltd Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence Page 1 No 117 September 2017 have shuttle passengers to tap in to this time lift that profile, we decided to give all purchasers around, extra ticket sellers are needed, so please of raffle tickets on the steam shuttles on 22–23 let me know if you would like a book of 50 tickets July, a discount voucher to the Museum allowing to sell? Most of us have friends, relatives and free entry to children under 16 if accompanied by neighbours who are keen to support our worthy a full fare paying adult. We are yet to see what cause, so please give it a go. level of take-up there will be for this offer. Please note the Museum is always keen to hear of other There is increasing awareness of our ideas or promotions that will help us raise our responsibility to improve returns on the capital visitor numbers. being outlaid on the Museum's behalf. My role in that is to help build visitor numbers with sustainable growth that doesn't Impact on our Keith Ward, Publicity Manager VHLDHM resources - volunteers or infrastructure. To help 1. From the Valley Chair’s desk Many events have come and gone and many many hours of hard labour for our Per Way team! projects have moved forward since our last chat. I must also thank our tireless Treasurer, John As a result, the entire team at the Valley has to Carter, for his expert financial management of be thanked for being so keen and for their this project! John also finalised some major continued efforts, well done! financial documents for the Museum during this period. It was great to see the culmination of the efforts of Keith Ward, Andrew Tester and Ted Dickson Our website failed us recently and if it wasn’t for and others in the success of the BM150 the tireless efforts of our Webmaster Grant celebrations. Their sterling work is to be Robinson, this vital piece of communication applauded with such a hugely popular event equipment would have been out of action for a providing great exposure for the Museum. A much longer time. Grant is also updating and great job by our Publicity Team and all who modifying our website so that it is more “mobile helped behind the scenes. phone” friendly which as its name suggests allows our visitors to view our website on their The Teddy Bears’ Day Out was a great success mobiles. along with the working bee with our neighbours at the Boys and Girls Club to rebuild their sleeper A grant from the State Government kindly retaining wall. Thanks to all who assisted. provided by Trish Doyle, MP for the Blue Mountains has provided us with the funds to Henk (“Clogs”) Luf has also been hard at work install air conditioners in the shop and the model refurbishing our model railway room and now has railway room which are working well and will be a a range of different themed trains running for great benefit to our visitors and staff during the visitors to enjoy. Henk never misses an open day hot summer months. Da-Mell Air Conditioning & and puts on a great show for young and old alike. Heating Pty Ltd did a terrific job including a very generous offer to install a unit donated by Ted The “Coal Stage Road” refurbishment was a Mullett, Life Member of Valley Heights, in our major Per Way project completed recently. Our amenities room at no cost. Trish will now be thanks go to Life Member of Valley Heights invited to the Museum to view the completed Roslyn Reynolds for her significant donation project. This project was facilitated by the which allowed this project to go forward. Many upgrade of electrical mains to the shop carried thanks also to STARPS for their financial out by member Glenn Hargrave. Glenn has also assistance, ARTC for a donation of sleepers, to installed, at no charge, a number of power points Derryville Rail Services for the work done and to in the former DLE’s building for the new “Call our Per Way team. This project has returned this Boy” exhibition that you must see! road (now sometimes known as “Roslyn’s Railway”) to operation and increases our profile The amenities room refurbishment project, with higher visibility to the Highway. It also saved funded by a Commonwealth Government grant, © 2017 Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum, Blue Mountains Division of Transport Heritage NSW Ltd Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence Page 2 No 117 September 2017 has been completed and our federal member “I can see that the multiple purposes the Susan Templeman visited the Museum to kitchen and meeting room can now be put to, officially open the room on Sunday 13 August. after the upgrade, will be a real asset. The restoration team were on hand for a photographic session with Susan saying the “As a trainer, I always like to see professional following kind words: training facilities, and so I was pleasantly surprised to see the thought that has gone “It is always impressive to see how an into creating a learning space. organisation like Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum really makes the “There has obviously been a lot of volunteer most of the funding they receive. time put into the project to make it the success it is, and I congratulate everyone involved.” Susan Templeman, Federal Member for Macquarie, photographed with the Meal Room Restoration Team of L-R, Mike Pensini, Dennis Brown and David Grove. Photo: courtesy of Susan Templeman. There has also been further movement in the · The boundary fence is nearing completion following projects: with only a few remaining items like motorising the lower car park gate to be © 2017 Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum, Blue Mountains Division of Transport Heritage NSW Ltd Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Licence Page 3 No 117 September 2017 finalised. The final inspection took place in explains the station names on the seats at late August, with the contract to be fulfilled in this location and looks extremely good. This a matter of weeks. agreed format for interpretive signs will now be used around the Museum including at our · Negotiations to have Sydney Trains replace front gate. A further team is looking at how the corridor fence between us and the main we can make our road signage more effective line are continuing. and looking at all the legal issues of placing signs on Roads and Maritime Services and · Transfer of the Civil Depot is now in the Council roads. The Mayor of the Blue hands of Sydney Trains legal department and Mountains, Mr Mark Greenhill on a recent I am advised that we should soon see a visit has kindly offered to assist with this positive outcome. Planning on the best way project. to utilise the site has produced a draft plan which is designed to allow for a controlled · Our fettlers’ shed is slowly taking shape with and efficient move! the concrete floor about to be laid also due to a kind donation from member Roslyn · The project to refurbish our Roundhouse Reynolds. This will be a great project to have forecourt is continuing with our recent finished as our Per Way exhibits can be submission to Sydney Trains and the Office relocated from the Roundhouse, allowing of Environment and Heritage (OEH) moving better access there, and grouped in an forward. Sydney Trains have requested a authentic styled structure to tell the tale of the detailed plan of the project to be prepared as hard working railway “fettler”.

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