The Zig Zag Railway is an Australian heritage railway, situated near Lithgow, New South Wales. It was opened by the not-for-profit Zig Zag Railway Co-op as an unpaid volunteer-staffed heritage railway in October 1975, using the alignment of the Lithgow Zig Zag line that formed part of the Main Western line between 1869 and 1910.
The line climbs the western flank of the Blue Mountains, using railway zig zags to gain height.
Operation of the heritage railway was suspended in 2012 following accreditation issues with the Government of New South Wales. The railway was aiming to resume services in October 2013, but was then severely damaged during the 2013 NSW Bushfires and then subsequently by torrential rain. Repairs are ongoing and trials of restored rail vehicles and track commenced in August 2016 and it was planned to re-commence limited heritage operations in 2019, until the 2019-2020 bushfires damaged key infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic further delayed restoration and plans are now planning for the resumption of heritage train services in early 2023.
History
Former schedule
Prior to the suspension of services in 2012, the Zig Zag Railways was unique in New South Wales being the only heritage operator to run every day except Christmas Day. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays railmotors were operated. Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday a steam locomotive with train would operate with Sunday having a two train timetable. Special events included Day out with Thomas and a Wizards Express event held a couple of times per year. During most school holidays steam services ran every day. Passengers could join the service at Bottom Points where Zig Zag railway station is served by NSW TrainLink services from Sydney or at Clarence which is adjacent to the Bells Line of Road.
Locomotives and rolling stock
The locomotives and rolling stock on the Zig Zag Railway have been mainly sourced from Queensland Railways but there are also items from the South Australian Railways and Emu Bay Railway.
The collection includes Queensland Railways 2000 class rail motors, Queensland Railways Evans carriages, Emu Bay Railway diesel locomotives, South Australian Railways end platform carriages and several older carriages and a considerable number of freight style vehicles that are used for demonstration trains, fire fighting, and track and infrastructure repair and maintenance.
Film use
In 2003 the railway was used in the production of the Hollywood film Stealth. The area stood in for mountainous regions in North Korea and locomotives were specially painted with Korean Chosongul (Hangul) characters.
Further reading
Belbin, Phillip; Burke, David, 1927- (1981). Full steam across the mountains. Methuen Australia. ISBN 978-0-454-00278-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
Bayley, William A. (William Alan) (1980). Blue Mountains railways. Austrail Publications. ISBN 978-0-909597-23-8.
New South Wales. Parliament. Standing Committee on Public Works (1894). Report together with minutes of evidence, appendices, and plans, relating to the proposed deviation to avoid the Lithgow ZigZag. Charles Potter, Govt. Printer.
Sallis, Roger (1979). Australian preservation of narrow gauge railways. Hyde Park, SA, Australia: Peacock Publications. pp. Chapter 5, pp.68–82. ISBN 0-909209-26-X.
