Katoomba railway station is a heritage-listed railway station located on the Main Western line in Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia. It serves the Blue Mountains town of Katoomba opening on 2 February 1874 as Crushers, being renamed Katoomba on 9 July 1877.Katoomba Station NSWrail.net
A passing loop exists to the north of the station. West of the station is a disused yard. A level crossing immediately east of the station was replaced by a bridge west of the station on 31 January 1986."Katoomba Crossing Closes" Railway Digest March 1986 page 80
The station was upgraded in 2001 with the provision of a lift.
It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Platforms and services Katoomba has one island platform with two sides. It is serviced by Sydney Trains Blue Mountains Line services travelling from Sydney Central to Lithgow. Some services from Sydney terminate at Katoomba. The Bathurst Bullet operates 2 evening services to Bathurst.
It is also serviced by NSW TrainLink's Central West XPT and Outback Xplorer long-distance services to Dubbo and Broken Hill.
Transport links Blue Mountains Transit operates ten bus routes via Katoomba station, under contract to Transport for NSW: 685: to Wentworth Falls & North Wentworth Falls 685H: to Hazelbrook & North Hazelbrook 686: to Katoomba Golf Glub and Echo Point & Scenic World 690K: to Springwood 690H: to Katoomba Hospital 695: to South Leura 696: to South Katoomba 697: to North Katoomba 698: to Blackheath 698V: to Blackheath & Mount Victoria
Description
Station building (1891) External: The station building is a unique type 10 "Standard Eddy" design, with its curved form along the platform. The building is a single storey building of rusticated weatherboards with a hipped corrugated steel roof largely hidden behind the encircling cantilevered awning with a deep valance of fretwork timber boards. This building type is one of the first major buildings to have a cantilevered awning. The building and awning are constructed on a curve following the platform shape. Cast iron decorative brackets on timber moulded posts support the awning along both of the platforms. Fenestration includes timber double-hung windows with multi-paned upper sashes (coloured glazing), frosted glazing to bottom sashes, and timber panelled doors with multi-paned fanlights (coloured glazing). The building retains its original/early external configuration and fenestration.
Internal: The interiors of the station building generally retain the original layout combining (from west to east) a waiting room, booking office, staff room, clock room, station managers office, ladies toilet and gentlemen's toilets. The overall finishes include timber board wall and ceiling linings, moulded timber cornices and dado line, ceiling roses, fluorescent lighting, a fireplace in the SM's office with cast iron grate timber surrounds and tile hearth, and tile, linoleum or carpet floor finishes. Toilet fittings are modern.
Signal box (1902) External: The signal box is a small timber structure on brick base with corrugated iron gabled roof and curved corrugated iron awning to all sides. It is long x wide located on the country end of the platform. The operating floor is above the platform level with L-shape stair access from the eastern side. Tall multi-paned ribbon windows all around the building provide a visual connection with the other platform structures. A small gabled timber panelled relay room with brick base and concrete steps is located just off the west elevation of the signal box.
Internal: The internal finishes of the signal box are similar to the main station building with timber board ceiling and wall linings and timber skirtings. A 40 lever type A PL interlocking machine with associated signalling equipment is the major element in the space and is still in operation. Access to the relay room is prohibited.
"Out of" shed () External: A small rusticated weatherboard out-of-shed with gabled corrugated metal roof is located to the west of the signal box. It is used for flammable liquid storage and has only a timber board door with fanlight and a band window on the opposite elevation. Simple timber bargeboards and finials complete the gable ends.
Internal: Timber-framed structure with no internal wall and ceiling lining exposing the underside of the corrugated metal roofing and rusticated weatherboard. The floor is concrete.
Former inspector/electrician's office (1909 & 1945) From 2009, this was used as a CCTV and meals room.
External: Combining the 1909 two-room former inspector/electrician's office structure and the 1945 staff meal room extension, the shed is the most western structure on the platform. It is of a rectangular rusticated weatherboard building with corrugated metal gabled roof. Skillion corrugated metal awnings with timber brackets above a window and main door. Vertically proportioned sash windows are placed equally on the long sides while the shorter sides have a window and a door opening with awning. Security grilles installed to the windows.
Internal: Internal features and finishes of the Shed are contemporary consisting of plaster board walls and ceilings with simple cornices. The kitchen of the staff meal room has a wall with rusticated weatherboard.
Island platform (1891) Katoomba Railway Station has a curved island platform running approximately east–west. It is brick faced with concrete deck and asphalt finish. A number of garden beds and hanging pot plants together with remnant railway equipment/tools scattered between the buildings further enhance this unique curved station's setting. Modern lighting, timber bench seating, and signage are the other typical features of the platform. A new glass canopy is attached to the subway canopy at the eastern end.
Subway and awning (1891 & 1920) The subway was constructed in 1891 with the awning added in 1920. The subway is constructed of face brick and displays unusual and well detailed construction with a curved flight of stairs leading from Bathurst Road. The scale of the subway is consistent with the importance accorded to Katoomba in the early 1890s. An exposed gabled roof in clearstory form with original/early iron truss roof structure and new corrugated metal roofing covers the ramp to the platform. Notable murals are located on both walls of the subway tunnel.
Signals branch office (1910) and yard office (1881/1891) These two structures located adjacent to each other at the entrance to the yard form part of a relatively intact yard group. They are still used for railway purposes. They also have a close relationship to the railway station buildings. The structures are of a small scale with detailing consistent with the platform buildings.
Signals Branch Office: The signals branch office is a single storey weatherboard building to the northwest of the Progress Building. It is a simple rusticated weatherboard shed with a gabled roof and a vaulted roof vent running along the ridge of the roof. The original windows are small multi- pane double-hung sashes. A large double hung window and a door opening with a skillion roof on timber brackets has been added on the west wall. Internally it appears to have been recently reclad with plasterboard panels and painted. It is not in regular use at this time (2009).
Yard office: The yard office is also a weatherboard building with a simple gabled roof immediately south of the signals branch building. It is elevated on brick piers with no mortar and steel posts where the brick pier is missing. Two small four-pane casement windows are located on the side elevations while an unused door is located on the Station side of the shed. The shed appears to have been accessed from the Signals Branch Office (access was locked). An elevated ventilation roof at the ridge level with louvered sides and a skillion roofed timber lean-to the rear are other features of the Yard office.
Progress Building (1938) The Progress Building is a single storey group of three shops facing south to Bathurst Road with an additional shopfront facing east to the exit from the railway station subway. The building has a rendered parapet wall to the street with curved elements and a simple cornice. Panels in the parapet wall indicate the names of the shops. The easternmost shop, 283-285 Bathurst Road, retains its original brass shopfront, albeit with some modification, and tiled piers between, the shop entries are recessed from the street with splayed shopfront reveals. The tiled and marble threshold records the name "MARX" an early Katoomba businessman who used the premises. The building has a skillion roof behind the parapet. The rear walls are of fibro with a weatherboard spandrel and have paired 2 pane casements windows with fanlights.
Goods shed (1881, altered 1884, moved 1891) External: The goods shed is a standard building with significant alterations. The original structure was built around 1881 as the original station building with extension in 1891. The additions illustrate the increased freight handling of the yard. The goods shed is a simple gabled timber building on an east–west axis sited close to the south side of the yard. It is clad in weatherboard and elevated on brick piers and dwarf walls with timber floor. There is evidence of window openings being changed. A number of timber framed four-pane sash windows in various sizes are placed to the end of the front elevation and the side elevations. Two timber boarded double loading doors with timber docks and a timber panelled office door in the centre with timber ladder are also located on the front elevation.
Internal: Access to the interiors was not available (2009).
Timber platforms (1881) A timber loading platform supported on brick piers and timber beams with a rail siding is attached to the western side of the Goods Shed. A timber corrugated metal awning widened by steel truss awning covers the entire platform. Another timber loading platform on timber posts is also attached to the eastern side of the Goods Shed just to the west of the Crane.
Crane (1884, moved 1891) The crane is a Class 1, standard 5 tonne jib hand crane, No. T171, fixed on a stone base adjacent to the western timber platform. The stone base was not widely used. It is still in use irregularly and in fair condition.
Yard and gates (1883–1884) The material and form of the original 1891 gates appear to have been removed and replaced with wire mesh and pipe gates at an unknown date. The yard is no longer used for regular loading and goods yard purposes. A sandstone retaining wall raises the railway boundary of the site, behind the goods shed, extending the Yeaman Bridge at the west. Another sandstone retaining wall raises along the railway site above Goldsmith Place on the northern side.
Eastern store shed (modern) Located to east of platform is a large shed building, painted with a mural and corrugated iron roof. It does not form part of the heritage listing.
Moveable items The following moveable items have been observed:
2 x Seth Thomas clocks: in the Booking office and the Signal Box A number of railway equipment, machinery and tools are scattered within the site including Simmos Siding display. 40 lever interlocking machine and signalling tools in the Signal Box First generation railway steel container at the station site Road tanker TBX from Hamilton Depot at the station site An early timber station naming sign attached to timber posts is located on the north side of the store.
Landscape features A number of platform garden beds with shrubs and small trees and hanging pot plants exist along the platform. The Signal Box is adorned with hanging plants, memorabilia and stone edged planter beds, which form part of the significance of the station precinct.Longworth, 2012, 7