Unexpected, incredible, mind blowing, and fun, not a bad day out and A MUST VISIT destination that is something of a hidden gem. Thirlmere is home to NSW’s Heritage Railway Museum. It’s an incredible visual feast, full of nostalgia, stunning beauty and history. Thirlmere is on the land shared between the Dharawal and Gundungurra people, in the Wollondilly Shire. This is a day out to share with family and friends, a place to spend a few hours exploring and if you plan ahead, you can even travel the Loop Line.
The Wollondilly is such a huge area of Sydney, with charming villages scattered through some of the best natural landscapes and so very close to Sydney. It makes for a great scenic drive day and one destination you simply have to put on your list. Thirlmere is a charming village with what must be one of the most surprising, well put together and beautiful museums you can visit. The sheer scale and size of the museum is captivating. This museum is sponsored by the NSW government and is a part of Transport Heritage NSW which brings together an incredible collection of trains, carriages and rail memorabilia.
You can explore the carriages, cabins and engines, walk through mail trains, prison vans and see the Governor-Generals carriage in all its very fine glory. The pure craftsmanship and variety of trains tucked away in sweet little Thirlmere is just mind blowing. On arrival you will enter the exhibition building. A contemporary, state of the art structure that houses some of the premium items of the collection plus the theatrette. A signature experience of the museum.
Next is the Workers Walk, this pays tribute to the industries and people who worked on the railways and shows the range of jobs that were performed on our rail network and see the very beautiful Garratt 6040 engine. The over scaled, industrial carriages and engines are in and of themselves something to behold. Worth noting this is all undercover, so this is an all-weather activity.
The Great Train Hall is next and pretty much all in the name. here you get to explore and be surrounded by an impressive collection of steam, diesel and electric locomotives along with passenger and goods cars. Some you might remember, and others are in perfect restored condition to share the beauty of a by-gone era of travel.
The Roundhouse and Turntable are at the southern end of the museum. Everything is big here and the 23-meter turntable enables the museum to manoeuvrer the enormous locomotives into the workshop for heritage restoration. This is a working museum and you can see the quality of ongoing work to restore the collection for display, education and teaching purposes. It’s about now you realise you are a rail enthusiast, whether you knew it before or not. There is just something about the beauty of the old being saved and celebrated in the present.
Thirlmere does have a railway station, built in 1885, which is a part of the Museum and the best news is it’s a working station. You can visit the station Master’s Cottage (Built in 189) and best of all you can jump on the historic Loop Line. It runs on special dates, weekends and school holidays and gives visitors and heritage rail buffs the chance for a trip on a steam train from Thirlmere to Buxton and back. That is an incredible day out all on its own, and can you believe this is right on your doorstep? There are even days where Thomas the Tank engine is running, with his big smiling face beaming down at us for kids and the young at heart taking in the festivities.
So, you’re after something to do on a weekend, and we are always asking you……What Are You Doing This Weekend? Well WEST once again has you sorted. Jump online and book tickets, jump in the car and take a magical drive out and make sure to tell your family and friends. This is one of the best experiences to be shared, bring a picnic, check out the local cafes and pubs or grab a snack from the Kiosk. So much to see and do. WEST loves it!
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