About SideTracked Caches
This geocache belongs to the SideTracked series. It is not designed to take you to a magical place with a breathtaking view. It's a distraction for the weary traveller, but anyone else can go and find it too. More information can be found at the SideTracked Series website.
Valley Heights
Valley Heights is a small township village in the lower Blue Mountains, between Springwood and Sun Valley & Warrimoo. At the 2021 census, Valley Heights had a population of 1,188 people. At an elevation of 300 to 320 metres (980–1,050 ft) above sea level, the climate has been considered very conducive to a huge range of plants. The native ecological communities are fairly typical of other Hawkesbury sandstone with shale transition forests, yet exhibit the local specificness we have come to expect in the Blue Mountains, NSW. Current development is restricted by council reserves and National Park.
Aboriginal People, mostly of the Dharug and Gundungurra people, lived in the area for thousands of years prior to European colonisation. Some of the first Europeans were attracted to the flat area and rich soil of Sun Valley to the east. Which was conveniently located close to the Western Road (now known as Great Western Highway) and made it a prime resting spot for Farmers transporting Cattle from Bathurst to Sydney.
Valley Heights Station
The Great Western Railway went through Valley Heights in 1867. A platform was opened in 1875 to service a private residence for the NSW colonial treasurer of the day. The station opened in May 1875 as Eagers Platform. Public facilities and a waiting shed were erected in 1877 and the name was changed to The Valley in 1877; and again to Valley Heights on 19 August 1880. The line was duplicated in 1902, when the present brick platform building opened. The Railway Station was destroyed by a bush fire in 1911. In 1913 a locomotive depot was established.
Valley Heights formerly had a yard and locomotive servicing facilities. Until January 1989 it provided locomotives to assist trains up the heavily graded section of the line to Katoomba. The former depot still exists and is now maintained as the Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum. It is noted as the home of the oldest remaining roundhouse in New South Wales.
Pedestrian access to the railway station is provided from Green Parade near Great Western Highway. By foot, the rail museum is 1.1 km via Tusculum Road. On special days, such as the Steamfest, courtesy buses may be provided. Refer to the museum's social media.
Located downwards at 110-112 Green Parade, the Valley Heights railway gatehouse was built in 1867. It is also known as the Valley Heights Gatekeeper's Cottage. The property is privately owned. The gatehouse is one of twelve virtually identical constructed at the time of the western railway line expansion. The gatekeepers would close and re-open the gate over the railway line when trains were scheduled. Because the railway shared a narrow ridge with existing road systems from the 1860s onwards, numerous level crossings were required. Twelve of these were guarded by gates controlled from a gatekeeper's cottage.
The group of the railway station precinct, locomotive depot (roundhouse, machine workshop, turntable and more) and the gatehouse was listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.
Valley Heights Railway Station - level crossing and gatehouse: c. 31 December 1878
Cache
The geocache is not at the posted coordinates, but you need to go to the station to collect some information.
A: How many wheels are displayed on the 'Please remember' noticeboard?
B: On the same noticeboard, how many icons crossed out in red? Take 1.
C: Count the number of benches without station name. Subtract 3.
D: Look for the 'Opening Hours' noticeboard. After 'WS', what's the 4th numerical digit?
E: Count the number of double-light poles (check platform ends)
F: Find the Payphone Identification Number. What's the 3rd digit?
Cache can be found at South 33 42.ABC East 150 35.DEF
You can check your answer at GeoCheck.
While the cache has a pencil, please bring a writing stick. Please return to the same hiding spot. If you have not signed the log you have not officially found the cache. Invalid logs can be deleted.