First up, I'd like to do a shout out to our marvelous multi-talented multi-tasking editor Jacqueline Spedding whose beautiful artwork work 'Transcend' has been awarded the 2014 Scenic World Acquisitive Award, up in the Blue Mountains. It's part of the Sculpture at Scenic World exhibition, the Blue Mountains answer to Sculpture by the Sea. We're very proud of her! If you're visiting Katoomba make sure you take a trip down the Scenic Railway to have a look at the exhibition. It's on until the 18th May. And of course there is another Dictionary of Sydney connection. The Dictionary of Sydney embraces greater Sydney and the Blue Mountains has been integral to Sydney's industry and community. We have a piece about Katoomba by John Merriman and another on the Katoomba Coal Tramway by Matti Keentok. Many people may not be aware that the Scenic Railway was part of a large industrial railway developed to support shale and coal mining at Katoomba. So if you ride on the Scenic Railway your experiencing part of Sydney's industrial history and heritage, as well as tourism history. John Britty North opened a coal mine at the base of the cliffs near Katoomba Falls in 1878. Within a year the high quality of his coal was winning prizes at the Sydney International Exhibition and the small settlement of Katoomba was gaining a reputation as an important mining centre. Later in the 1920s the coal trade was localised to Katoomba, - to the Katoomba Electric Power House, and small amounts to the hotels, guesthouses and local residents. There were also shale mining activities at the Ruined Castle and Glen Shale mines in the Megalong Valley. Shale was essential to the creation of Kerosene. Shale mining in Katoomba declined in the late 19th century and ceased by 1903. Although shale mining continued further west at Hartley. The steep tramway system was used to haul coal and shale up the cliffs and then on to the Great Western Railway at Katoomba. So the Scenic Railway was part of a much larger tramway system which extended to the Shale Mines and back to the main rail road. As the fortunes of Katoomba Colliery Ltd waned in 1920s and 1930s, the mining company supplemented its declining income by integrating the coal haulage system into the booming Katoomba tourist industry. The 'Mountain Devil' enjoyed by tourists in the 1930s eventually became, somewhat modified, the Scenic Railway of today. --- If you missed Lisa's chat with Mitch on 2SER Breakfast this morning, you can catch up here and don't forget to tune in again next Wednesday morning for more fascinating Sydney history on 107.3 at 8:20am.