Thurs, 22nd October, 2015 Lake Wallace, Wallerawang (Hartley Historic Site and Mount Piper Power Station)

Dark and gloomy morning with very dark clouds hanging around. Chatted with our neighbours who had gone to see the glow worms yesterday and Steve was getting concerned when they hadn’t arrived home by nightfall. Then turned up about 8pm so all was good.

Put the genie on again to charge the laptop and batteries as we don’t think we will see much sun today.

Found some more info about Lithgow – It was the birthplace of Australia’s heavy industry. It was once called the Birmingham of Australia with woollen mills, coal mines, iron and steel works, copper smelters, coal mines, brick and pottery works, and Australia’s first modern manufacturing plant – the government Small Arms Factory. Coal fuelled the fires of Lithgow’s early industries and the fireboxes of the locomotives that hauled their products to far away markets. Coal mining sustained Lithgow through two World Wars and many economic changes. In the late 1940s the Lithgow region was one of the largest coal producting areas in Australia. Coal mined for export and electricity generation still provides the backbone of Lithgow’s economy.

Coal created Lithgow. Easily worked outcrops of coal encouraged the exploitation of this resource from as early as the 1840s. In the 1860s local landowners, realising the benefits of bringing the railway through Lithgow, influenced decisions regarding the route of the Main Western Railway. The Great Zig Zag was constructed to bring the railway through the Lithgow Valley. The completion of the railway to Eskbank in 1869 led to the establishment of a number of collieries. By 1874 production of coal had commenced at mines including The Hermitage, Lithgow Valley, Vale of Clwydd and Eskbank colleries.

Very quickly other industries developed around the coalmines. In 1874 directors of the Bathurst based Cobb & Co began the Eskbank Ironworks Company. The valley’s first copper smelter was built in the same year.

The Lithgow Valley Colliery Company started a brickworks in 1876 and then a major pottery works. Thomas Sutcliffe Mort had developed New South Wales’ first meat freezing works in Lithgow in 1875.

After a cuppa we headed off to the Mount Piper Power Station for the 11am tour. 

Jumpers on today as the wind is cold. There was a busload of older people but they were only there for the talk. We were the only two for the tour. Great explanation diagram on how the power station works.

The power station is now owned by Energy Australia which is owned by the Chinese. Another utility sold off by the government for a pittance apparently. It cost 8 billion dollars to build back in the 1980s and was commissioned in 1994. When the government owned it they decided to incorporate an educational side to show everyone that coal power stations are a good way to make power. There are 85 employees working here.

We headed off with our safety glasses and helmet to walk through the plant. There are two generation plants and room for two more but since solar panels were introduced on homes there is not the demand for more power so the land is just sitting there empty. Wallerawang was closed this year due to the cost of coal and complying with the EPA rules on cleaner emissions. Here they have installed many filters on the stack which cleans the air very well that you can’t see anything coming out of it now.

Watched a big truck collect the ash for the coal. It is used by the brick companies instead of sand so it is recycled. The coal is crushed by 50mm steel balls in big tumblers – there were heaps of them making a racket.

Up the lift 120m to the platform walkways around the furnace – the platform bases are buckled from the heat – this one was off line today so we were all good. Looking out over the site of two cooling towers. Only this one working today. Very interesting hearing how they clean the water and reuse it. They lose 2 percent of the water in the steam that rises out of the tower. They own the three lakes nearby – Wallace, Lyell and Thompson Creek and they have ponds here too.

The other tower and ponds and between them is the demineralisation tower that the water goes through. In the distance is where they store the ash etc.

Zoomed in on the coal – they can store 2 week’s worth in the shed to keep it dry as it clogs up the crushes when it is wet. The coal is brought here from the colliery by big conveyor belts.

Looking down on where the coal was being crushed.

The other boiler and furnace area that is in use.

The power goes out into the substation then heads off in three directions at 33000 volts.

Down the lift to level 4 to the computerised control room – only two guys in there. Lots and lots of computer screens to watch.  6% of the power made here is used to run the power station. Looked into where the crushed coal was being passed through to the furnace.

Into a big area where the turbine was spinning at Mach 1. The first part of the turbine is at 530 degrees and spinning very fast then the next part was 520 degrees but a bit slower and the last part the generator was down to 160 degrees and going a lot slower.

Looking down on the transformer outside.

Down the stairs – calves still complaining about all the stairs in the Blue Mountains. Chatted with the chap about travelling has he is shopping around for a caravan and looking forward to hitting the road. He was very information and I just wished I had a tape recorder to remember everything he told us. Very interesting tour and for free!!

Headed back into Lithgow to try and find the gun emplacements.

Eventually found the Lithgow anti-aircraft gun stations at South Bowenfels. But unfortunately they have built a retirement village and housing estate around it so we couldn’t get to the site. There was also another site at Scenic Hill up the Bells Road from Lithgow. The Prisoner of War Memorial is there now. The guns were the only known inland heavy anti-aircraft gun stations of their type in NSW. They were constructed during World War 2 to protect the Lithgow Small Arms Factory as well as Lithgow’s important mining, manufacturing and transport industries. Following the entry of Japan into WW2 and improvements in aircraft technology, there were growing concerns about the vulnerability of inland areas. Also one of the guns was used in the filming of the Baz Luhrmann movie ‘Australia’.

After lunch in the park where it started to rain on us. Back on the highway down the steep descent to Hartley to check out the historical precinct. NP&WS are looking after the street of old buildings and the sandstone Court House.

Got out our umbrellas and wandered around reading the signs. My camera is struggling focusing now – hope I get my new one soon.

The walls are a bit wobbly.

On the other side of the street was the Court House.

And a garage. Such a contrast in building styles.

This used to be the road to Jenolan Caves and the Post Mistress used to take photos of groups heading down to the caves.

Steve was amazed how many people were in this car – 11.

Too wet to take the walking track to Bell Rock.

In the old woodshed is Talisman Gallery – the Magic of Metal – handcrafted metal art and silver jewellery by Ron Fitzpatrick. He had some wonderful mirrors. Vortex Mirror ($650) – heat treated steel.

Thought the girls at home would like these.

Lots of amethysts and other gemstones too. Lovely roses.

This rose is a toilet roll holder.

The wet weather is settling in and the clouds are down low now as we head back to Lithgow. Stopped at Coles for some groceries then headed back to the van for a cuppa to warm up.

Worked on my blog again – trying to keep up to date. Too miserable to be outside anycase!!

Rang Marion and Pete. Will go to Linda’s first for a few days as Marion has her mum’s funeral to organise etc for Tuesday. Will be thinking of them at this sad time.

Rang Mum and Dad too. The rain has stopped but the wind has increased. Should have wound in the awning – luckily only had it half out but we will be listening to it flap tonight. Probably the worst wind we have been in so far.

Certainly feeling colder tonight 20 degrees in the van but a lot colder outside.