The Rylstone Rambler will bring visitors to the Rylstone-Kandos Show on February 25 for the second time, but this year won't be allowed to travel beyond Kandos.
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The train departs Lithgow and travels through the Capertee Valley.
However organisers haven’t been able to get permission to take the train through to Rylstone, instead a coach will be used for the short transfer to the Show.
Kandos Museum president, Buzz Sanderson, said “we’re completely confounded by this refusal” by Transport NSW.
“I’m baffled as to what their reasoning is, mainly because they didn’t give one, it’s been a blank wall of ‘no’,” he said.
“I think the problem is bureaucratic - the rail to Kandos is operational, from Kandos through to Gulgong is not operational.
“But there’s been no change in the status and physically there’s been no change to the structure since last year that should impede it.”
He added that not being able to offer joyrides – which 250 people took in 2016 - is disappointing.
“One of the great things last year was that we were able to do the Rylstone-Kandos-Rylstone rides and it’s not going to happen this year,” he said.
“It’s half-baked compared to last year, let’s be frank.
“We’re selling tickets [from Lithgow] but we’re disappointed that we can’t do it like last year.”
Mr Sanderson said that plans for a Kandos-Rylstone Rail Heritage Precinct has also suffered a setback with the offer of a Heritage Operators Licence for the stretch of track.
“It’s hollow, you have to take complete control of the corridor and become responsible for rail, drainage, vegetation, fencing, and you’ve also got to have a Rail Infrastructure Management ticket and you’ve got to be qualified to do all of these things,” he said.
“Rylstone has some advantages in that it’s got a passing loop and we always envisioned that on Saturdays and Sundays you could take a $10 round trip, one of those ‘what do you do Day 2 in Mudgee’.”
Transport NSW hadn’t responded by the time of print on Thursday.