Blue Mountains, Sydney
it was time to explore outside of the city so I was going by train to the Blue Mountains
The train that would carry me for the more than two hour journey to the Blue Mountains for just GBP6.
The train coming into the station.
Another angle of the clock tower.
We set off and passed through a lot of urban landscape for more than an hour with familiar names but unfamiliar surroundings.
We passed through Penrith and across the Nepean River and then through Emu Plains, Lapstone and Glenbrook. The route took several curves to maintain a gentle gradient but it was obvious that we were heading into the hills through deep cuttings and our first tunnel on the route.
We were heading up the side of a valley with steep forested slopes off to our left. The road followed a similar route as the railway and from the train, we could see traffic on the road.
Few of my photos were worth keeping due to a combination of tinted glass, a dull day, windows covered with a layer of grime and rain. One of the few photos worth keeping showing an old style wooden hotel...
...and another showing the slopes around us, marred by a few drops of rain on the window and the views were there but often spoiled by the trees.
As we climbed further into the mountains, the rain continued and low cloud obscured the views. The wisps of cloud amongst the tree tops was atmospheric but cut out the view.
...then the rain eased off and the clouds blew away...
...the trees were still there but there were gaps...
The other hotel in the town.
The railway station...
...the signal box...
...one of the carriages of a passenger train showing both upper and lower decks...
...and as I was standing on the platform two locomotives came past hauling a coal train...
...and some of the coal wagons, I didn't count the first few and last count in the forty's.
And then it was back the way we came and the sun had burnt the clouds off and there were views that I had missed in the rain and clouds.
...but beyond the trees were some good views.
I reached the terminus for our train and walked about Mount Victoria...the old post office with a strange Hobbit like feeling about it.
The hotel, rather run down but must had been an interesting building once upon a time.
The track follows a ridge so there were often drops on either one side or the other and occasionally the track was laid on the top of the ridge and there were drops on both sides.
Another view of the scenery.
And there were some interesting buildings....
...and the domed structure next door.
And back across the Nepean River and a lucky photo timed just right taken between two of the metal struts of the bridge.
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