Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum

The Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum is a railway museum located in Valley Heights, New South Wales, Australia. It is operated by the Blue Mountains Division of Transport Heritage New South Wales.The Valley Heights Steam Tramway is also located in the former locomotive depot. The facility is located 300 metres north-west of Valley Heights railway station.Locomotive depotThe locomotive depot was constructed in 1913 when the duplication of the line between Emu Plains and Glenbrook was completed. The depot was available for service from December 1913, but was not officially opened till 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 a locomotive yard, a 10 bay roundhouse, 18.3m 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 a ruling gradient of 1 in 33.