Limestone mining at Marulan South dates back to 1871. Boral purchased the current facility from Southern Blue Circle Cement in 1987 and currently produces 3 million tonnes of limestone per year, the majority of which is used to produce cement, the remainder being used for the production of steel and agricultural products. The limestone is moved by rail along what was once a privately operated 9 kilometer long rail link with exchange sidings at Medway Junction where it met up with the Main South railway line. It then travels by rail to Berrima, Maldon and Port Kembla.
In 2014 Boral opened its Peppertree Quarry producing hard rock aggregate for the building material industry. It is located less than a kilometer from the Marulan South limestone processing facility and utilises the same rail link described above. Current production is 3.5 million tonnes per year which is delivered by rail to Maldon and Sydney from where it is distributed as required by road.
The Trackside Videos presentation South Marulan Limestone (produced back in the year 2000) covered the limestone preparation and loading plant at Marulan South and the delivery by rail of limestone to the major cement and fertilizer producers on the Main South Line and to the Port Kembla Steel Works. Little has changed in this regard with the exception the haulage contractor is now Pacific National hauling longer limestone trains, but the opening of the Peppertree Quarry has made some significant changes to the local Marulan South trackage and seen the introduction of TT and NR powered 34 wagon push-pull stone trains. It is on these latter aspects that this presentation concentrates.
Approximate run time: 101 minutes.