Lachlan Valley Railway Heritage Centre in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia | Non-profit organisation

Lachlan Valley Railway Heritage Centre

Locality: Cowra, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 423 202 269

Address: 3 Campbell Street 2794 Cowra, NSW, Australia

Website: http://lvr.com.au

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20.01.2022 This marvellous piece of rollingstock is TFR852. It is a second class DEB trailer car with the larger buffet area provided for light refreshments to passenger...s. TFR852 has been in our roundhouse for quite some time but now we want to finish the car to put on display with our other fantastic exhibits at Cowra (it would look great buffered up to TM853 that is now on display). This also helps us clear the way for other projects within the roundhouse. So, what do we need? Anyone willing to lend a hand really we have general cleaning, aluminium paneling to add, panel work, painting, electrical testing, and other smaller tasks around the car. Please throw your hat in the ring! If you have a family member or friend moping around the house saying they are bored, we are happy to keep them occupied during the day! Please throw their hat in the ring! As you will see by the photo's we are not that far off completing the car. The LVR have accommodation on site for volunteers, so if you are looking for a post lock down getaway keep us in mind (our Cowra Museum is a certified COVID safe location) Please also consider donating to the project and assist us in improving the experience of our depot to visitors. Donations can be made via our online portal at https://www.lvr.com.au/donate/ A bit of history....... TFR852 entered service in May 1955 as TBR852 (on the Canberra Monaro Express), as a first-class DEB trailer car with a buffet. In December 1956, the car was converted to TFR as the first-class patronage on the Canberra Monaro Express was lower than anticipated so second class seating was installed. The car itself was involved in a few minor mishaps in its career but the biggest of note was it derailed in Queanbeyan yard on the 21/01/1973. No further information given around the cause of the derailment. It appears that the car was also shared with the Riverina Express from 1973 to 1982 (when replaced by the XPT). Ultimately the Canberra Monaro Express was discontinued in 1988 and the car was placed into service on the City Rail Southern Highlands and South Coast Services. The car was condemned and struck off the rollingstock register on 24/11/1994. In a few years’ time it will be sold to the LVR and moved to the Cowra Depot. And here we are! Have you ever thought about using an LVR membership as a gift to a friend who likes trains? (we like trains). It would make a great gift and give someone ownership in our unique co-operative! https://www.lvr.com.au/join-lvr-2/

20.01.2022 WE NEED YOU! (or a family member or friend you wish to get out of the house for a little holiday and exercise!) The LVR is looking for 5 (or more) energetic and... safety conscious volunteers to assist with an urgent resleepering project at Cowra. We have completed restoring two carriages for our branch line train (coming soon) and we need to get access to the top shed to get a couple more cars and keep the restoration team going....... and as you can see by the photo, we have a little track work to undertake first. Thankfully most of the hard work is done and we only need to lay around 40 sleepers to finish the project, plus tie up the remaining unsecured sleepers. We would like to make a start in the next few weeks as we are currently rounding up our flying resleepering gang from Orange for a temporary transfer to Cowra to begin. Please send us a message on FB if you can assist (or dob in someone else - tag them in this post too!) This project will see us not only get more cars out of the shed for restoration but put other cars away out of the elements. We can provide modest accommodation onsite for an extended stay with all required facilities. We do ask that people staying onsite follow the site accommodation rules. We are also pleased to report that Cowra is a certified COVID safe location. Please contact within for more information and position requirements. Thanks for the support, this is an exciting time for the Cowra depot!

17.01.2022 Some scanned photos from one of my early albums (Album 23) showing typical views around Cowra Locomotive Depot between October 1983 and January 1984. I regularly visited the depot on most days from 1972 to 1986, first accompanying my father Jim Ryan who worked there from December 1941 until his retirement, following a work injury, in mid-1977 in a variety of positions; casual cleaner, cleaner, fireman, driver and relief chargeman. When he retired I would often take him up to the depot for a look around and to catch up with his former workmates. It was not unusual for him to be invited to have a drive. There are more detailed descriptions accompanying of the individual photos.

16.01.2022 What a weekend! we may not have been operating heritage services but some serious work has been taking place. Two fronts at our Lachlan Valley Railway Heritag...e Centre at Cowra with Resleepering around the turntable and restoration work continuing on Rosie for our upcoming Branch Line train. Grandma was out and about on a work train in Sydney this weekend and two of our 47 class loco's were all the way in Armidale assisting with the track inspection (AK) cars. It may seem odd to see our traction on other trains but it is solid income after a year of reduced income as a result of COVID. Thanks to all our volunteers slogging it out over the weekend.

15.01.2022 LACHLAN VALLEY RAIL Wonderful to visit the Lachlan Valley Railway Heritage Centre Depot at Cowra today to chat to some of the hard working volunteers who ...have been making the most of COVID-19 downtime to restore part of the track needed to bring two more R-Cars into the main work area for restoration. The R-Cars will join two others which have already been restored behind the engine Rosie when she makes her journey along the re-opened line to Holmwood. Can’t wait to visit again soon (in more practical clothing so I can give you a hand). Sx

14.01.2022 Finally! Come Visit!!

10.01.2022 Cowra Holmwood Update. Today LVR met (online) with representatives of the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator (ONRSR) to discuss the grant and the Co...wra - Holmwood reopening. The conversation was positive, and some initial steps were outlined by ONRSR for LVR to undertake prior to applying for a Notification of Change to become a Rail Infrastructure Manager (Currently the LVR is accredited as a Rolling Stock Operator). We also met with the Cowra Council to discuss the funding plan and the pathway for the society to achieve the outcomes desired by the grant from the Australian Government. Cowra Council are bending over backwards to make this work for the society and agreed to assist in all areas requested so far. Finally, the society submitted the Heritage Operators License to John Holland Rail this afternoon and we have been advised that the license process will commence tomorrow with an initial review. This will also require review and approval from Transport for NSW. So, we are under way. Please, consider joining the LVR and continue supporting us creating a rail tourist and training hub in Cowra. Don’t forget work is also continuing to open our new main line Depot at Orange and we thank the volunteers working tirelessly to get the depot open. More to come!

09.01.2022 The departure road times past.

09.01.2022 In late 1983 a large number of redundant goods and service wagons were scrapped by private contractor, at Cowra Locomotive Depot. Most of the wagons arrived at Cowra attached to regularly scheduled trains. After arrival they were marshalled into long lines and shunted to Cowra Locomotive Depot for storage. When space became available they were moved on to the Loco departure road and propelled across the turntable to a site for dismantling. (That area is now the main entrance... for the Lachlan Valley Railway's (LVR) Rail Heritage Centre.) Some of the wagons scrapped had actually been based at Cowra. If preserved they would have become an important part of the LVR's collection. One wagon scrapped was S type 4-wheel open wagon S 2794. Cowra's postcode is 2794. I approached the contractor and asked if I would buy the wagon's two cast iron identification plates. He said that I could have them both for $10, plus any others that I wanted. I ended up with quite a few. Any assistance with more details about individual wagons shown in the photos would be appreciated.

08.01.2022 I prepared this presentation for a railway conference in Blayney in 2013. It gives a quick overview of the rail lines in the Cowra area.

07.01.2022 We might be getting a step closer to steaming into Cowra. COWRA RAIL LINES FUTURE EXPLORED New work will look at next steps for reinstating the Cowra Lines fol...lowing the completion of a rail feasibility study on the corridor. Minister for Regional Transport and Roads Paul Toole and Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke, today released and presented the Cowra Lines Feasibility Study to key stakeholders from Blayney, Cowra, Forbes, Hilltops and Weddin councils. The Cowra Lines served regional NSW for many years until they were progressively suspended between 2007 and 2009, Mr Toole said. Since then, a number of studies have been conducted on sections of these lines and focused on lower axle loads, which is why we commissioned the study to investigate the Cowra Lines in their entirety. Mr Toole said while the study found the reinstatement of the Cowra Lines did not achieve the required benefit cost ratio (BCR) it showed the potential in the lines to drive new opportunities and boost resilience. Many projects in regional NSW are not captured by a BCR assessment but may have economic, social or safety benefits that can change the lives of people living in these areas, Mr Toole said. With the long-term freight task increasing across the State and the need to build a resilient network to cope with natural disasters and pandemics, this year has shown it’s an opportune time to further investigate our rail freight capabilities. The Cowra Lines has the potential to be economically viable when freight capacity on the Main West is constrained in the future and that’s why I have asked for this study to be taken to the next stage to complete a high level design and some investigation works to determine a closer project delivery cost. Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke, a strong advocate for the reinstatement of the Cowra Lines, said the next stage of design work would provide the community with certainty on whether the Cowra Lines could progress to construction phase and ultimately, reinstatement. Commissioning this further work recognises the potential of the region and the opportunities re-opening of the rail lines would offer in terms of improving transport links, supporting regional economic growth and increasing efficiency, connectivity and access through the Central West, Ms Cooke said. The Cowra Lines Feasibility Study can be found at: https://www.transport.nsw.gov.au//Cowra-Lines-Feasibility-

07.01.2022 VISIONARY - BLAYNEY TO DEMONDRILLE LINE GOES TO NEXT STAGE This week Steph Cooke MP and I met with the Mayors of Blayney, Cowra and Weddin council...s to present the Cowra Lines Feasibility Study. With freight increasing across the State and the need to build a resilient network to cope with natural disasters and pandemics, this year has shown it’s an opportune time to further investigate our rail freight capabilities. The Cowra Lines has the potential to be economically viable when freight capacity on the Main West is constrained in the future. That’s why I have asked for this study to be taken to the next stage to complete a high level design and some investigation works to determine a closer project delivery cost. This is about futureproofing the movement of rail freight through the Central West.

05.01.2022 In the USA it's Independence day. The 4th July 2020 marks a sort of independence for Canowindra as it is the 110th Anniversary of the arrival of the railway thu...s making the town and its population free to exploit the agricultural potential of the district as they could now get produce to city markets quickly and economically. The three photos show the first train in Canowindra and the population celebrating the culmination of a long struggle to get the railway built. "800 passengers travelled on the official first train from Cowra to Canowindra on 4 July 1910. With formal proceedings over, A(5) (later Z19) class locomotive 113 (renumbered 1918 in 1924) prepares to depart for Cowra. It is believed that this is the only photo in existence of a member of the 13-strong A(5) class of locomotives. Also known as the Improved A they were modified members of the 1877-introduced A(93) class, featuring improved cabs and increased tractive effort." Information and images courtesy of Lawrence Ryan of Cowra, author of " ‘Lines to the Lachlan".

02.01.2022 #WEWANTYOUBACK TO EXPLORE OUR RAILWAY HERITAGE! Once bustling with 118 full-time employees and an operational home for up to 20 locomotives, the Cowra Locomot...ive Depot was closed by the NSW government in 1985 due to declining rail services and disrepair. Thanks to the immediate action of the Lachlan Valley Railway Society, the depot now acts as a well-preserved railway heritage centre. Wander through an extraordinary collection of historic engines, carriages and wagons. You’re welcome to explore the exhibits and enter a number of the carriages on display. The sleeping cars, with their beautifully preserved cedar panelling and original fixtures and fittings, evoke memories of a past era of train travel. Start planning your next trip to the Cowra region via the link below: https://visitcowra.com.au/we-want-you-back . . . #Cowra #VisitCowra #UnearthCentralNSW #LoveNSW