Thirlmere

Picnic lunch at Thirlmere Rail Transport Museum

Meeting Point:	Car park beyond the fuel pumps at the Star Service Station, Eastern Creek, on the F4 heading West.
Time:	8:30am - Gathering of the Clubbies 9:00am - Leave for Thirlmere

Route Card

Distances and times are only approximate and are for each section – sourced from maps and www.whereis.com. This run has not been surveyed.

Distance – approx 90kms

Time – approx. 120mins

km	Route
19.5	Start at Star Servo. Join M4 and head west. Proceed to Mulgoa Rd Exit
13	Turn left to Mulgoa. Proceed
32	Take the 2nd exit at Roundabout to Silverdale Rd. Proceed along Silverdale Rd until you arrive at the Oaks.
445 m	Turn left at John St, The Oaks. Proceed
223 m	Turn right at Mary St, The Oaks. Proceed
5.7	Continue along Burragorang Rd, The Oaks. Proceed
9.9	Turn Left into Barker Lodge Rd, Lakesland. Proceed
3	Turn Right into Barker Lodge Rd. Proceed
1.5	Turn Left into Mullhollands Rd. Proceed …
1	Turn right into Cedar Creek Road. Proceed
1.5	Veer Right, then left and continue along Cedar Creek Road. Proceed
1.3	Turn Right into Westbourne Avenue. Proceed
360 m	Continue into Barbour Rd, Thirlmere. . Proceed and Park at Thirlmere Rail Museum

The info below is from the Rail Transport Museum website http://athene.riv.csu.edu.au/~barmst04/. Prices are those for October 2004 - they may have changed.

Thirlmere Rail Heritage Centre

The Thirlmere Rail Heritage Centre is located at the foot of NSW's Southern Highlands. Located in a rural setting, the museum is set parallel to the Picton - Mittagong Loop Line, a former section of the Great Southern Railway to Albury. Over 125 railway exhibits representing the development of the NSW railways from the late 1800s to present day. There is a large covered exhibition area, with mock railway platforms that allow visitors to see inside carriages and engine cabs.

Visit the Small Exhibits Museum, see the Signalling Display and Fettlers Gang Shed. (under construction) Souvenirs, magazines and railway publications on sale at the Museum Shop. Hot Food and refreshments are also available from the Museum Shop. After a value day out? Then why not bring along food for a BBQ, with BBQ and Picnic facilities available free on site. Hot water is also available for a cuppa from the shop at no charge.

Admission charges (Oct 2004); Adults $9.00, Senior Citizens $4.50, School Children $2.50, family groups of two adults and two school children $20.50. All charges include GST. Please contact Jenny at Thirlmere on (02) 4681 8001 for Group Bookings and other enquiries. Weekend opening hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm

Thirlmere Heritage Railway

Operate Sundays only with heritage trains scheduled to depart Thirlmere at 11.00am, 12.30pm and 2.00pm, operating on a 75 minute round trip from Thirlmere to Picton and Return on the former Great Southern Railway.

The journey features views of undulating countryside and into Picton, nestled in the valley carved by Stonequarry Creek. The train then joins the current Main Southern Line and crosses Stonequarry Creek on Picton's Historic 1867 sandstone viaduct. The return journey to Thirlmere is marked by the long ascent of Thirlmere Bank, with 6km of unbroken 1 in 40 grades. A climb to test steam and diesel locomotives alike.

Our Steam Engine 2705 operates on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, with heritage branch-line diesels 4803 and 4916 filling in at other times. (This means there will be a diesel running on the day we are there – Ed)

Fares (Oct 2004) - adults $9.00, senior citizens $4.50, school students $2.50, family groups of two adults and two school children $20.50.

Combined Museum admission and train ride (Oct 2004) - adults $16.00, senior citizens $8.00, school students $4.00, and family groups $36.00. All charges include GST.