Glowworm Tunnel

Glowworm Tunnel
Entrance to the tunnel
Overview
Official name Tunnel No 2
Line Newnes railway line
Location Newnes plateau
Coordinates 33°14′19″S 150°13′36″E / 33.238727°S 150.226593°E / -33.238727; 150.226593 (Newnes glow worm tunnel)
Operation
Work begun 1906
Constructed June 1907
Closed 1932
Operator Commonwealth Oil Corporation
Traffic train
Technical
Length 20 chains (1,320.0 ft; 402.3 m)
No. of tracks single
Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)[1]
Grade 1:25
Glow worms inside the tunnel
Northern end of the tunnel, seen from inside

The Glowworm Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel between Lithgow, New South Wales and Newnes, New South Wales, Australia. It is notable for its resident glow-worms, the bioluminescent larvae of Arachnocampa richardsae, a type of fungus gnat.

Description and history

The 20 chains (1,320.0 ft; 402.3 m) tunnel[2] was bored through the sandstone in 1907 as part of the Newnes railway line that served the Newnes oil shale mines that operated during the early 20th century. The railway was closed in 1932 and the rails were pulled out of the tunnel.

The tunnel is now contained within the Wollemi National Park and is a popular attraction for bushwalkers and tourists. Outside the tunnel, the area features spectacular gorges, caves and scenery. The site is maintained by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. On the south side of the tunnel, a large gap in the road prevents vehicular access. According to some sources, this gap was created deliberately to keep cars out of the tunnel, because the exhaust fumes would have killed the glow-worms. On the north side of the tunnel, a track leads to Newnes.

Access

Access to the tunnel is via several routes:

  • 11 km walk each way: Walk along the route of the old railway line from Newnes
  • 9 km return walk: Drive to the weir over the Wolgan River 7 km before Newnes. Walk up the nearby fire trail to the railway line to the right
  • Walk or cycle in from Newnes State forest
  • Drive from Lithgow or Clarence (both roads eventually join up), about 25 km along good unsealed road, and walk 1 km to the tunnel. (note: drive through first tunnel and park at the end of Glowworm Tunnel Road).

References

  1. ↑ Langdon, Mark; Oliver, Dean, (illustrator.); Johnson, Roger, (illustrator.); Dunn, Ian, (researcher.); Gallagher, Bob, (researcher.); Matthews, Richard, (researcher.) (2017). Shale & Shays : The Fight for Shale Oil from the Wolgan Valley. Eveleigh Press. ISBN 978-1-876568-74-0.
  2. ↑ "The Wolgan Valley Railway". Info Blue Mountains Australia. Retrieved 26 March 2016.
  • Deane, Henry (2004). The Wolgan Valley Railway - Its Construction. Australian Railway Historical Society, New South Wales Division. ISBN 0-909650-61-6.
  • Eardley, G H; Stephens, E M (2015). The shale railways of New South Wales. Australian Railway Historical Society New South Wales Division. ISBN 978-0-9807721-8-0.
  • Hicks, George; O'Brien, Dennis (1999). Shays in the Valley. New South Wales Rail Transport Museum. ISBN 0-909862-50-8.
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