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Map:  Katoomba 89301S

GR:

Track Notes:

Comments:

The Glen Shale Mines in the Megalong Valley operated between 1886 & about 1895.  Shale extracted from the mine was transported via skips on a cable drawn tramway.

The tramway ran north along the Megalong Valley & turned east to go through the Mt Rennie tunnel under the Narrow Neck Plateau.

Miners made their way to & from Katoomba via Redledge Pass & Narrow Neck Plateau.

Along its route the tramway had to cross Diamond Creek & Corral Creek.  Bridges were constructed at these crossings.  Stone culverts were built as required along the track to allow surface water to drain away.

When the track emerged from the Mt Rennie tunnel it crossed a viaduct & went through another tunnel under Malatia Point.  The shale was taken to the top of the valley via the Katoomba Incline, an incline railway at the site of the present scenic railway.

Some 20,000 tons of export quality shale was transported via the cable drawn tramway.  Another 60,000 tons of lower grade shale was stockpiled for later use.  When the mines were exhausted in 1896 the infrastructure was removed & used at other locations.

In 1903 the tramway was relaid & 16,000 tons of shale was removed from the stock piles.  The remaining stock piles have since been destroyed in bushfires.