TO many among us the most pleasing sound of the times in Lithgow was the return of the dulcet tone declaring '...the next train leaving platform one will ... ' emanating from our railway station (perhaps not so pleasing if you live within earshot).
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Finally passenger trains are again running between Lithgow and Mt Victoria for the first time since the bushfire devastation of infrastructure prior to Christmas.
More than five months later the sounds of silence on the platforms at our interchange have given way to familiar commuter activity, albeit with the restrictions imposed by that little pandemic thing.
It has been a complete inter urban shutdown on the western end of the Blue Mountains Line but we're back on track and the buses that have provided a no doubt costly fill in between here and The Mount have headed off home to their depots around NSW.
One more step towards life as we once knew it and, for now, allaying growing concerns that the 'buses option' could become permanent.
New life looming
SHOOTS of new life continue to emerge from the COVID induced carnage in our community so it was pleasing to note a revival for the former and long disused Lithgow railway station ticket and parcels office perched on the Bridge Street bridge.
The facility with its attached long foot ramp to the platform (long gone) was pensioned off when the new interchange opened around 1990. It had a brief new role transformed by Council as a mothers and babies change room but closed after the increasing presence of, shall we say, undesirables who found it convenient for their activities.
Since then Sydney Trains has allowed the street frontage faade to become very shabby. But now it's been leased for a headquarters for the local heritage and tourist railway group, COC/Lithgow State Mine Railway. They plan to tizzy up the old heritage listed place and that's welcome news for the mid town environment. Meantime the organisation has put out the word that like minded volunteers will be welcome.
Escapism
IF hitting the highway is the yardstick for freedom (I was going to suggest think 'Easy Rider' but that didn't end well, did it?) then we're further on our way to post lockdown normality.
Traffic through town and on our highways at the weekend was the busiest in many weeks, heaps of bikers were in Lithgow looking for a snack and a coffee and at Blackheath there were so many tourists swarming around you could swear there was free beer at The Ivanhoe.
Feathered friends
OUR Mayor Thommo has again put out a plea to stop feeding those rotten pigeons that are messing up our town. Good luck with that Ray. Previous such pleas have fallen on the deaf ears of our usual suspects and the pigeon poo continues to pile up. Maybe some real penalties are needed.
Chilly business
SO here we are into officially the first week of Winter and all of the difficulties the season so often brings. But look on the bright side; the Winter Solstice is approaching to the daylight hours get longer and Springtime is, calendar wise, only 12 weeks away.
