My friend Valerie had organised a trip to the Zig Zag Railway near Lithgow. One of the reasons for the trip was that she had never been to the Zig Zag before. Another reason was to celebrate her birthday. So with a large group of her friends, we boarded an electric train at Central bound for the tiny Zig Zag Station.
Except for the train being very crowded up to Katoomba, we had an excellent journey. We alerted the guard at Mt Victoria, and then detrained at Zig Zag. You need to use the last door of the last carriage to do this at the tiny platform. We then walked ashore way up to Bottom Points Station to board our train.
We had plenty of time, as the engine had to be decoupled from the other end of the train and then coupled back to the new front end. This was interesting to watch.
Then we boarded the train and were soon underway.
Even though the Zig Zag alignment dates back to the 1860’s, the tracks were re-laid during the Gough Whitlam era, as part of a Regional Employment Department scheme. Apparently the unemployed workers did a very poor job, and a lot of work had to be done by the volunteer team of rail enthusiasts that maintain the railway, to fix problems. I understand that due to personal differences with other historic railway groups, that the only rolling stock and locomotives they could obtain would have to be from Queensland, so the track gauge had to be 3’6″, the Queensland gauge.
After a long period of operation the group had suffered major setbacks with safety compliance problems, then a major bushfire and also vandalism. It is great to see the railway operating again – and things look great.
The rolling stock are old Brisbane suburban carriages.
We are just about to enter the lower tunnel –
And we could look top and see one of the three sandstone viaducts.
We then arrived at top points. This is not the top of the line – that is at Clarence, a long way further to climb. But it is the second place where the engine is decoupled and a siding used to shunt the locomotive to the other end of the train.
At the Top Points, there is a historic old footbridge, that was relocated from near Lithgow. This gives a good view of the shunting operation.
This footbridge is the same design as railway footbridges that used to be at Woodford and Hazelbrook.
On the engine is coupled again, we are underway.
Higher up, the railway is close to the Chifley Road.
And then the train enters the long upper tunnel.
It emerges at Clarence, where we had another break while the locomotive is moved to the other end of the train again.
The locomotive is WWII era, and was one ordered by General Macarthur for logistic purposes during the conflict.
We board again and then now travel down the incline.
Back at Top Points – more shunting.
An now we are on the bottom section of the Zig Zag, heading back to Bottom Points Station.
We could look up and see a viaduct –
And back through the lower tunnel –
After leaving the train, we had about 15 minutes to wait for the next electric train back towards the city.
On the way back, we broke our journey at Blackheath where most of the party had a nice pub lunch.
It had been a great day. The weather was perfect, and the stream train ride and been most interesting. Many thanks to Valerie for working out all the details.