Steam power on display at Ironfest 2011.

Humans have been harnessing the power of steam for about 2,000 years.
But only in the last 300 years has steam power really been effective.

James Watt’s engine, developed in the latter half of the 18th century, made steam power feasible & helped power the industrial revolution.

For a more complete history of the power of steam visit Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_engine

In Australia, the story of steam power begins in 1815, with the construction of a steam powered mill on Darling Harbour in Sydney.

In 1831 in Newcastle, NSW, coal was delivered to the Sophia Jane, a steam powered ship. This was the first time steam was used in Australia for transportation.

In 1854 the first steam railway was built in Australia connecting Melbourne with Port Melbourne.

For more information on the history of steam in Australia visit the following websites:

- Australian Steam (http://www.australiansteam.com/) 
- the History of Rail in Australia (http://www.infrastructure.gov.au/rail/trains/history.aspx)

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The Lithgow Valley has a rich history in the use of steam power dating back to 1857 when coal powered steam turbines were used to drive Andrew Brown’s woollen mill. (http://www.lithgow-tourism.com/woollen.htm)

 The fact that Lithgow is located over the top of one of the largest coal seams in Australia (the Lithgow coal seam extends from Katoomba in the south-east to Kandos in the north-west) was pivotal in its early industrial development & its rich association with steam. (http://www.lithgow.com/coaltogold/coalhistory.html)

Numerous remnants of steam can be found in & around the Lithgow District.

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The Zig Zag Railway when first built was an engineering masterpiece, and today is a full size, narrow gauge tourist railway located at Clarence, ten km east of Lithgow. 

Built in the 1860s, the line was constructed to transport people and produce from the western plains of NSW to Sydney.

It was replaced in 1910 to follow its current course that included the construction of 10 tunnels.

For more information click on the above image to visit the Zig Zag Railway website.

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Eskbank House was built in 1842 by Thomas Brown, the man who established the coal industry in Lithgow. Today, as a museum, it now houses some of the best 19th century exhibits in the country.

The covered courtyard at the rear of the house is used as a museum and exhibits include a Hansom cab and a Pennyfarthing bicycle.

The steam locomotive "Possum", which was used at the Lithgow Blast Furnace, is displayed in the grounds of the museum.

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The State Mine Museum & Heritage Railway now actually exists as two separate organizations (click on the above image to visit the State Mine Museum  website (or click here for the Railway website). It is situated on, & tells the story of the history of the Lithgow State Mine, which was first started in 1916 to provide coal to a booming local & national  industrialization.

At its peak, the State Mine produced over 140,000 tonnes of coal per annum and employed over 400 men.

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The Oberon Tarana Heritage Railway, situated approximately 20km to the south west of Lithgow, is one of a number of disused railway lines in the region that have been restored as heritage attractions.

The Oberon – Tarana rail line was first opened in 1923, and operated up until 1975. It’s main purpose was to carry local produce ( cereals, potatoes, fruit, livestock) but it also carried minerals (gold & copper).

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