steam train trips sydney

VISIT THE NSW RAIL MUSEUM

Explore Australia's largest collection of heritage rolling stock

Whether it's the stunning Governor General's Carriage or the Rail Pay Bus – used for transporting employees’ wages all over the state's rail system, we have something interesting to see at every corner. 

Read more about our exhibits >

Steam train rides

Bring your museum experience to life with a heritage t rain ride!  Our heritage steam train rides  run on the historic Loop Line EVERY WEEKEND from 2 March.

Food and drink options

On weekends, a small range of drinks, tea, coffee, pre-made sandwiches, salads and snacks are available from the NSW Rail Museum Kiosk.

On weekdays, we encourage visitors to stop by one of the many local cafes, pubs or restaurants — either before or after your visit to the NSW Rail Museum. For more information on local eateries visit the Visit Wollondilly website .

Picnic areas 

With over 10,000 square metres of lawns and sheltered picnic tables, the grounds are the perfect place to have a picnic – don’t forget a rug!

TICKET  TYPE

Child (aged 2-17)

Infant (under 2)

Member / Annual Pass holder

MUSEUM ONLY

MUSEUM + TRAIN RIDE

Visiting more than once? Why not become an Annual Pass holder .

The Picnic Train

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'Spectacular' day for steam train fans as historic locomotives travel through Sydney

• New South Wales

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NSW Rail Museum

Venture back in time with Australia’s largest collection of heritage rolling stock and a diverse range of interactive exhibits.

Book your ticket to experience regular heritage train rides every weekend and during the school holidays.

Go all the way back to the beginning as you walk the timeline of rail development from the invention of the very first steam engine to today, and discover how NSW railways brought life to town and country.

Climb aboard the cab of an old steam locomotive, explore a mail van, walk through a prison van and admire the Governor General’s carriage in all its glory.

Visit the Great Train Hall to see an impressive collection of locomotives, carriages and wagons – each with a unique story to tell.

Don’t miss the chance to view ‘behind the scenes’ maintenance and conservation of the heritage fleet at the Roundhouse. Serviced by a 105-foot turntable from the old Enfield steam depot, the Roundhouse is one of only three in NSW of that impressive size.

You won’t want to miss an action-packed day out at the NSW Rail Museum!

Accessibility

Disabled access available, contact operator for details.

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NEW ENGLAND STEAM TOUR

Friday 11 - sunday 20 august 2023, steam returns to the new england region in august with historic former nsw government railways steam locomotives 3265 and 3526. enjoy 1 to 1.5-hour steam train rides from tamworth or armidale stations, or take a one-way trip from maitland to werris creek, or werris creek to armidale. travel in your choice of open saloon seating or a compartment for up to 6 people. expe rience the golden era of rail travel in nsw with us., steam train rides.

Tamworth Steam Train Rides

Saturday  12 &  sunday 13 august 2023  , departure times departs from tamworth station and travels towards kootingal and return (non-stop):  9.00am, 11.10am, 12.25pm, 1.35pm, total journey duration 1-hour (non-stop) fares , open saloon car single - $39 per person, compartment (for up to 6 people) - $174 per compartment.

Armidale Steam Train Rides

Saturday 19 &  sunday 20 august 2023 departure times departs from armidale station and travels towards uralla and return (non-stop):  9.05am, 10.45am, 12.25pm, 2.05pm, total journey duration 1-hour and 20-minutes (non-stop) fares , one-way transfers, for the ultimate steam enthusiast travel aboard one of our one-way transfer operations (return travel not included)..

Maitland to Werris Creek Transfer

Friday 11 august 2023  .

Maitland (dep.) 9:15am

Singleton (dep.) 9:55am

Scone (arr.) 11.25am

Scone (dep.) 12.05pm

Werris Creek (arr.) 2.10pm

Fares 

$65 per person.

Werris Creek to Armidale

Monday 14 august 2023  .

Werris Creek (dep.) 8.10am

Tamworth (dep.) 9.15am

Armidale (arr.) 1.20pm  

CLASSES OF TRAVEL

From the moment you step aboard, you'll be transported into the past. Choose from two different seating and on-board service options as follows:

Open saloon seating  Enjoy spacious seating in one of our restored open saloon heritage carriages.

Private compartment Travel inside a private compartment for up to six (6) people aboard one of our immaculately restored comparment carriages.

About locomotives 3265 & 3526.

Locomotive 3265

Locomotive 3265 entered service as 4-6-0 express passenger engine P 584 in 1902. It was renumbered 3265 in 1924 and was equipped with superheating in 1933. The 32 class became known as the "English express locomotives” due to their origin, although some were built in the USA by Baldwin and others in Australia. 3265 was among those built by Beyer, Peacock and Co. in Manchester, UK. 

The 32 class hauled a range of passenger services on almost every line in NSW. With 191 members the class were among the NSW Railways’ most successful steam locomotive designs. 

3265’s original livery was black, but in 1933 it was painted maroon and received the nameplate ‘Hunter’, to haul the Northern Commercial Limited express to Newcastle. The 32 class were soon replaced by larger locomotives on this run.  

From around 1960 they were gradually replaced by diesel locomotives, mostly 48 class, but so functional were the class that the last regular steam-hauled passenger train in New South Wales was hauled by a 32 class engine from Newcastle to Singleton in 1971. These locomotives thus outlived their successors – the 35, 36 and 38 classes.  

3265 ran for 66 years across NSW and was retired in 1968 after clocking 2,965,840km of service. It still has its original frame, and the cab is stamped with its builder's number. 

Restored by the Powerhouse Museum in 2009, 3265 later received further mechanical repairs with Transport Heritage NSW and returned to service in 2019. 

Steve Burrows

Locomotive 3526

Reclassified as the 35 class during the 1924 renumbering program, these locomotives were originally known as the NN class, giving rise to the nickname 'Nanny'. 

Built in 1917, 3526's original number was 1314.

The 35 class 4-6-0 locomotives were built by the NSW Government Railways (NSWGR) at their workshops at Eveleigh. Coincidentally, there were 35 engines in the 35 class. They were intended to reduce the amount of 'double-heading' required for main line express trains following the introduction of heavy, twelve-wheeled corridor compartment cars. 

Teething problems with the new design were overcome by several modifications throughout their service (including re-framing and re-balancing the driving wheels), seeing them develop into solid performers. The original cabs were replaced to provide the crew greater protection against the weather.  

With the advent of the 36 and later the 38 classes, the 35s spent the greater part of their lives on northern services. 

Withdrawn in 1967, locomotive 3526 in that year became the first exhibit to be painted by the NSW Rail Transport Museum, forerunner of Transport Heritage NSW. 3526 is one of the few NSW locomotives to have been painted in blue livery for a time, while hauling the Caves Express services from Sydney to Mount Victoria in the 1930s. Following a major overhaul completed in 2018, it now appears in Brunswick Green livery with red and yellow trim.  

Top 5 easy day trips from Sydney

Oct 7, 2023 • 7 min read

Hiking to Wentworth Falls in the Blue Mountains National Park © Olga Kashubin / Getty Images

Sure, Sydney has enough going on to make even the most hardened traveler consider selling up and sticking down roots here, but step out a little further and you’ll soon discover that this entire region of Australia brims with breathtaking natural beauty, Aboriginal and colonial history and plenty of domestic critters to spot. 

The Blue Mountains draw walkers for their epic bush-clad vistas and hidden valleys with prehistoric forests. You'll find the Hawkesbury River region and Sydney's south Royal National Park both offer spectacular walking with water views. The Central Coast stretches north with uncrowded surf beaches and inlets rich with sea birds. And the Hunter Valley is blessed with leafy country roads dotted with producers of fine wine, chocolates and cheese. 

These are the best day trips from Sydney.

Hike rainforests and waterfalls in the Blue Mountains

Travel time: 1.5-2 hours by car, 2 hours by train

The cool haze that gives the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains their name comes from a fine mist of oil exuded by huge eucalyptuses. There are eight connected conservation areas here rising to 1100m (3609ft), with lush rainforests and epic waterfalls that can be explored on well-marked hikes (of varying lengths). 

You’ll also have the opportunity to gain insights into the mountains' importance to their traditional Aboriginal custodians by taking a guided tour. These are the homelands of six Aboriginal groups: the Darug, Gundungurra, Wiradjuri, Wanaruah, Darkinjung and Tharawal. You’ll see one of the best showcases of Aboriginal rock art in the region at Red Hand Caves near Glenbook. 

Trees form a dense canopy across a landscape of deep, and sometimes inaccessible, valleys and chiseled sandstone outcrops. In fact, some valleys are so hard to reach, a species of tree once considered extinct, the Wollemi pine, was rediscovered in a valley here in 1994. 

The three most popular walking areas for day trippers are the Jamison Valley, south of Katoomba , the Grose Valley, north of Blackheath, and the Wentworth Falls area. Some top choices include the Giant Stairway and the Grand Canyon Walk. Do take note: these ravines can be surprisingly cool throughout the year, so bring a warm layer.

How to get to the Blue Mountains from Sydney: Hourly trains to Katoomba take two hours from Sydney's Central Station. You can then walk from here, or catch the Blue Mountains Explorer Bus to tour the region, with options ranging from one-hour tours to all-day hop-on-hop-off tickets to see it all.

Get hiking, canoeing and photographing Royal National Park 

Travel time: 1 hour by car, two hours via train and ferry

To Sydney's south, the  Royal National Park  protects 15,091 hectares (3,7290 acres) over a 32km (20 miles) stretch of beautiful coast. It is also one of the world's oldest national parks – declared in 1879. As well as secluded beaches, sea cliffs, heathlands and forest, the park protects a cornucopia of Australian animals including wallabies, lyrebirds and raucous flocks of yellow-tailed black cockatoos. 

Audley, at the junction of Kangaroo Creek and the Hacking River, is home to the main visitors center and is the perfect place to pick up park maps, have a picnic or hire a canoe to get out on the river. There are a number of walks to tackle in the park including the fabulous 26km (16 miles) Coast Track, but unless you’re Usain Bolt, you will only have time to complete one of the shorter marked trails during a day trip.

The park is also home to the Insta-famous Figure Eight Pools , a series of figure of eight-shaped tidal pools near Burning Palms Beach. Visible only at low tide, it’s a two-hour hike to the rock shelf so try to arrive in the morning and only visit when it’s safe to do so – freak waves can (and do!) wipe out visitors. Check the National Park website for details.

How to get to the Royal National Park from Sydney: The easiest way to visit is by car ($12 per vehicle per day). For public transport take the train to Cronulla (45-60 minutes) Sydney's Central Station, where Cronulla Ferries travel hourly to Bundeena (45 mins). 

See Aboriginal rock art and birdlife in Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park

Travel time: 1 hour by car, 2 hours by bus

The majestic Hawkesbury River flows to the ocean past honeycomb-colored cliffs, historic townships and into quiet bays and inlets. It passes through a series of national parks, including the spectacular Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park . Declared in 1894, its name comes from its original inhabitants, the Guringai people. Remnants of pre-colonial Aboriginal life are visible today thanks to the preservation of more than 800 sites, including rock paintings, middens and cave art.

For information about Ku-ring-gai and walks in the area stop by the NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service information center at Bobbin Head  (accessible by car). There’s also a marina, picnic areas, a cafe and a boardwalk leading through mangroves here.

Further inland, t​he riverside hamlet of Wisemans Ferry (yes that’s the town’s name) spills over a bow of the Hawkesbury River. It’s another perfect spot to access the Hawkesbury, and its natural environs rich with bird life like kookaburras and sea eagles.

The surrounding area retains remnants of the convict-built Great North Road, originally constructed to link Sydney with the Hunter Valley and now part of UNESCO's Australian Convict Sites World Heritage listing . As well as walks, consider booking a boat tour or hire a kayak and get out on the river. Even better if you have the time, do as Sydney locals love to do and stay longer on a houseboat.

How to get to Hawkesbury River from Sydney:  Take the train from Central Station to Hawkesbury River Station and explore the river by boat. Buses also run from central Sydney’s Wynyard to Mona Vale and then on to ​​Church Point where you can get a ferry across to the park. The journey there takes approximately 1-2 hours.

Discover secret beaches and forests along the Central Coast

Travel time: a full-day return driving tour

The Central Coast runs between Sydney and Newcastle and includes some gorgeous beaches, swathes of national park and a series of inlets and saltwater lagoons. Closer to Sydney, the southern end of the Central Coast near Ettalong can be accessed by ferry from Sydney's Palm Beach. On the north side of the mouth of the Hawkesbury are the enticing Killcare Beach, Pearl Beach and Bouddi National Park . 

Beyond this, you’ll need a car and there are many epic spots to stop off on a day trip north to Newcastle, including the pelican-packed town of The Entrance and deep, placid Lake Macquarie. Popular beaches to take a dip along the way include Avoca or Terrigal. 

The more industrial Newcastle is blessed with an eclectic mix of historic architecture, as well as a much-loved beach and ocean baths. South of Newcastle Beach, below King Edward Park, is Australia’s oldest ocean bath, the convict-carved Bogey Hole . It’s an atmospheric place to splash about in when the surf’s crashing over its edge. The most popular surfing breaks are at Bar Beach and Merewether Beach, two ends of the same beach a bit further south. Merewether has huge ocean baths of its own.

How to get to the Central Coast from Sydney: If driving, take the M1 Pacific Motorway north towards Newcastle from Sydney where the Gosford exit will take you along the coast. 

Go food and wine touring around the Hunter Valley 

Travel time:   a full-day return drive, or coach tour

Picturesque roads criss-cross this verdant valley, but a country drive isn’t the main reason to visit. Over two hours' drive from Sydney, the Hunter Valley is famous as Australia’s oldest wine region, with vines dating from the 1860s. It’s the perfect spot for a day trip from Sydney for fine wine, gourmet restaurants, boutique beer, chocolate, cheese, olives, you name it. It’s also a beautiful spot to go hot-air ballooning while in Australia.  

You’ll probably recognize some of Australia’s biggest names in new world wines, especially for semillon, shiraz and chardonnay. The valley’s 150-plus wineries range from small-scale, family-run affairs to massive commercial operations so let your nose guide you. Most offer cellar door tastings either free or for a small fee. You can get a copy of the free touring map from the Hunter Valley visitor center and use it to hunt out the tucked-away small producers.

If no one’s volunteering to stay sober, there are plenty of guided coach tours available, ranging from mini buses that just do basic hop-on-hop-off transport between wineries to full-on gourmet extravaganzas, some on bicycle, horseback or chauffeured in a classic car. 

How to get to the Hunter Valley from Sydney: If driving, take the M1 Pacific Motorway north to Newcastle from Sydney where the Hunter Expressway will lead you into the valley.

This article was first published Jul 25, 2021 and updated Oct 7, 2023.

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Steaming into the past!

One date only! ​

Sydney  or Strathfield to Moss Vale  (return) ​

Sunday, 16 April 2023

Join us for a fun day out to the Southern Highlands. Newly restored diesel 42107 will haul the train from either Sydney Terminal or Strathfield to Enfield Yard where our mighty steam locomotive will take over.

R766 will haul our train, unassisted by diesels, all the way to Moss Vale. Here you will have an hour and a ha to explore or head for the nearby pub. 

Please Note: All fares are for same-day return travel.

Private Compartment - $500 per group

Enjoy the benefit of an entire compartment to yourselves in a heritage 'FS' type non air-conditioned carriage - great for families and social groups! One booking is good for up to a maximum of eight (8) people, including children. Compartments are fitted with tables.

Four Seater Booth - $320 per group

Spacious four seat booth with table in a 'N' type classic non air-conditioned heritage saloon carriage. Booths are fitted with tables.

Classic Duo — $260 for two people

Window seating for two people within a 'N' type classic heritage carriage. Enjoy a large individual seat on either side of a table.

Full Carriage or Full Train Hire — Call for Quote

SPECIAL GUEST

42107 :   This privately owned locomotive, one of 10 built in Granville in 1965/66, has recently undergone a year-long restoration. Sporting the NSWGR 'reverse' livery, the double ended streamliner will haul our train from Sydney Terminal to Enfield yard (and vice versa).

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Please pay special attention to the number and type of seats you have selected before making your purchase.

Indicative  

Timetable 

PLEASE NOTE:   Passengers may  di sembark at Moss Vale . Your ticket is for the round-trip journey aboard the train only. This tour will be diesel hauled from Sydney Terminal to Enfield and return. The remainder of the journey will be steam hauled.

16 April 2023

(Sydney or Strathfield to Moss Vale return)

Hauled by 5917 & 42107

Sydney Terminal  - de p 11.3 0 am 

Strathfield -  dep 11.45am 

Moss Vale  - arr 2.55p m  | dep 4.30p m

Strathfield - arr. 7.10pm

Sydney Terminal - arr. 7.25pm

NOTE: The locomotive rostered for each service cannot be guaranteed and is subject to change due to operational reasons with or without notice. Your ticket is for the journey and is not dependent on the locomotive advertised.

*I ndicative times only. Please arrive at least 20 minutes prior to departure. An update email will be sent to the ticket booking a couple of days prior to the event with final details. Train departure and arrival times are subject to change at any time. Should anything change on the day the onboard crew will keep you informed.

Buffet Car:

Our buffet car will not will be available on this train. In the spirit of The Picnic Train, we encourage passengers to bring their own picnic hampers.

BYO alcohol is allowed, however, large eskys are not permitted. 

Babies and Toddlers:

Babies in arms and small toddlers not requiring a booked seat may be brought along at no additional cost.

Prams, wheelchairs and walkers:

Due to space restrictions and for the safety of all aboard, large prams and mobility equipment cannot be taken aboard the train.  You may bring a small collapsible pram that can be stored in overhead luggage racks. The pram must be collapsed and ready to bring aboard when the train arrives at the platform. If in doubt please call us for further information.

Toilets are available in most carriages. These will be locked while in metropolitan areas.

Mobile Phones:

There are no charging points on the heritage carriages. It is recommended that you bring an external battery charger for your mobile devices.

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