The Development

The volunteer based organisation New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM) established the Thirlmere Rail Heritage Centre in 1975.

It has operated rail tours and conserved a range of rail heritage items on the site, the greater part being a State-owned rolling stock collection.

In 2006 the NSW Government endorsed the Sustainable Rail Heritage Asset Management Strategy to ensure the collection of the State’s rail heritage assets is maintained and conserved by dedicated volunteers and shared with the public for current and future generations to appreciate and enjoy. RailCorp’s Office of Rail Heritage (ORH) manages the implementation of this strategy.

The upgrade of the Rail Heritage Centre is part of this commitment by the NSW Government and is a joint partnership between RailCorp’s Office of Rail Heritage and the NSWRTM. Integral to this strategy is the assurance that the State’s rail heritage is accessible to the public as a flagship destination in regional NSW.

In 2007 ORH commissioned the development of a concept design for the Centre’s upgrade. The upgrade project improved the on-site structures and amenities for the conservation and presentation of the collection with the aim of positioning the Centre as a regional tourism destination, attractive to new audiences, including families, school groups and regional, interstate and international tourists.