WITH the long delays in resuming normal passenger rail services between Lithgow and Mt Victoria the more suspicious among us are becoming more than a little concerned - again!
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The horrendous bushfires that impacted our part of the world pre Christmas did considerable damage to the railway infrastructure west of The Mount, shutting down the entire system.
Buses were brought back in from many parts of the State to do the passenger shuttle, sometimes as far as Lawson.
But more than four months later the buses are still doing the run on the Mt Vic-Lithgow section of the line.
Yet coal trains have been back in action for weeks. So too have massing container trains and even the Bathurst Bullet.
So what's the problem? One rule for freight and another for passenger cargo?
In the absence of any recent statement from official sources about a full resumption there are again murmurings that have been around for years that Mt Vic would become the terminal for the line - concerns aggravated by the problems with the versize' new off-the-shelf trains from Korea.
The reports, usually from within railway sources, have always been denied.
So can someone now inform a concerned public just what's going on. And mean it.
Memories of The Bloodhouse
WITH all this lockdown stuff showing no signs of early easing, memories of a cosy hour or two at the pub are a fading memory.
So here's a plea for assistance from anyone whose fading memories are recorded in photographs. Former resident and railway historian Shane Morris, now in exile on the North Coast, is seeking photos of the 'interior of the front bar' of the old New Scenic Hotel (more affectionately known as The Bloodhouse) preferably from the era of the 1970s and 80s.
The pub was demolished years ago (Shane believes 1995) to make way for the Workies extensions. If you can help phone Shane on 0434 560 199 or email Ciara Bastow at the Lithgow Mercury and we'll pass it on.
Garbage gridlock
LITHGOW Council re-opened Lithgow garbage tip to the public at the weekend after a lockdown of a couple of weeks.
But it's still limited access - one in, one out, that sort of crowd control. The result at the weekend was something akin to peak hour gridlock on the M4 with long delays at the weigh station checkpoint.
One regular correspondent waited in line for 45 minutes - and says he was one of the lucky ones.
Vital statistics
ANXIOUS communities across Australia need to know just how they're faring with COVID19 infections. Well help is at hand.
NSW Health has now released an interactive online tool where you can check a daily update on confirmed cases by postcode.
Lithgow had four at the weekend after sitting on three for weeks. Wang and Portland had none. It's handy information and a need to know.
Correction
IN an obituary in Friday's edition for William Thomas Mansell we referred to him as Bill. We are informed that he was always referred to as Tom. We stand corrected.
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