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Friends Wolgan Valley Rail trail
NB: Originally posted elsewhere on the Global Riders Network and appears via syndication.
Things have been ticking along from various fronts quietly in the background for a few years now so basically a few things have now been set up to give the project, ideas and dreams an bit more focus.
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Looks like an interesting area. I used to ride my motorbike out that way years ago.
I'd definitely be keen to join you if you do rides out that way Flynny..... let us know.
rock out with your cock out
old school Birdman - nice
Nice trail too
Looks like a fantastic project and can't wait to see it develop. I would love to do the ride and maybe camp. Looks like I could easily get lost after looking on google earth.
I was thinking the same, Chopstir.
Do you have a GPS trace of the ride? It's going high up on my 'rides to do' list.
Not the full rail easement in one go. But I have ridden most bits and pieces that are still currently ridable
The ride the vid was taken on was a round trip from Lithgow Up State mine gully and along Glowworm Tunnel rd tot he coach rd, then down the coach rd and back along the Pagoda trail to the tunnel and then down to the coal mine and out via Wolgan Gap. Approx 85km.
http://app.strava.com/activities/59403929
A popular option at the moment is coach rd to the coal mine then pick up the rail easement to the old platform opposite the camp ground. which is about 50km one way.
What would be the suitability for a cyclo cross? Looks like alot of firetrail which wouldn't be to bad.
Mostly all fire trail. Some washed out gullies to traverse. If you were to make an over night trip out of it there is plenty of single trail off to the sides though
Maybe a BMORC overnighter once it's a little warmer. Bolt those racks on to the old hardtails and ride.
When I was in yr9[1982] A group of us rode from newnes junction to the coke ovens.Was a big ride on 27in 10speeds flatbars front and rear racks we stayed in the works for 4 days and rode back out the rd.All up it was 8 days not includeing the trip from Doonside to Lithgow.
An overnighter for the warmer days sounds good. Perhaps we should put something on the calander so we can start preparing.
Flynny, im assuming the friends group has plans to try and reopen as much rail trail as possible. This does sound great. What is involved for this process to happen?
There is a fair bit involved, which is why it has taken so long just to get to this point.
The reason Railtrails are so popular in other states yet virtually non existent in NSW is that in other states it seems like a pretty straight forward process to revert an easement back for public use upon decommissioning a line. In NSW it takes an act of Parliament to do this. And this just doesn't happen.
Good news, The Wolgan line was a private line and never owned by the state.
The bad news we now have 5 or 6 different stakeholders to negotiate with.
There are businesses to deal with along with Dep lands, the Forest Corporation and National Parks. There are EISs to do and heritage issues to address. And at the end of the day it needs to be able to exist as cost neutral.
First step is to secure the corridor.
A fair chunk of it is rideable now, though not in the best condition. Some of it is the main Glowworm tunnel rd, though not in the best condition. Some of it is completely over grown.
Thanks for the links. It looks like an interesting project, another great addition to the growing number of Blue Mountain rides. Keep us all posted.