Construction of a railway across the Blue Mountains began in the 1860’s with Katoomba Railway, then known as ‘The Crushers’ (a quarry to provide ballast for the railway) opening in 1874. The railway allowed people to travel to the upper Mountains with ease and comfort however, the question was ‘where to stay’?Although ‘The Crushers’ at Katoomba was not initially a passenger terminal, it paved the way for development in the surrounding area. The name ‘Crushers’ was changed to Katoomba in 1877.