Kiama Railway Station Turntable Restored - October 2015

After nearly two decades, the Kiama Turntable is back in operation.

The Kiama Turntable is listed on the State Heritage Register and had been decommissioned due to regular locomotive operations ceasing in the area. However, with renewed interest in 2015 for using the line for the operation of heritage steam trains for tourism purposes, Sydney Trains Maintenance directorate set to restoring and putting the turntable back in use.

The 60 foot (18.5m) turntable comprises a centrally-pivoted bridge set within a circular pit. The bridge has wheels on either end which run on a circular single rail mounted on timber sleepers running around the inside of the pit.

With heritage approval, work commenced to upgrade the decking, cleaning of bottom flanges, lubrication of wheels and the central pivot. This involved fabricating and bolting strengthening plates onto the external side on both plate-web girders over structurally unsound areas of metal, as well as a final coat of paint on all new components to prevent long-term corrosion.

The turntable was put back in use in time for the ‘Kiama Picnic Train’ on Sunday 18 October, 2015.