Zig Zag Railway

The Lithgow Zig Zag was completed in 1869 to bring the main western railway down the steep western escarpment of the Blue Mountains, using a series of reversing zig zags and sandstone viaducts to lose height in a short distance, an engineering solution admired internationally at the time and bypassed by tunnels in 1910. A heritage operation revived part of the line in the 1970s, running steam and diesel trains over the viaducts and through the reversals. Accreditation problems halted it in 2012, bushfires in 2013 and again in 2019-2020 kept it out of service for more than a decade, and heritage trains ran again from 27 May 2023. Operating days and motive power vary, so timetables need checking.

History

The Lithgow Zig Zag opened on 19 October 1869 as part of the Main Western line, climbing 170 metres up the western flank of the Blue Mountains on three inclines joined by two zig zags where every train had to reverse, with short tunnels and viaducts. The reversals made it a bottleneck and runaway trains caused accidents, and the Ten Tunnels Deviation, begun in 1908, bypassed it in 1910. In 1967 a group of steam enthusiasts led by Ian Thornton chose the line for an operating museum, their co-operative was formed in 1972, and the heritage railway opened in October 1975; services stopped in 2012 over accreditation, bushfires damaged the line in 2013 and 2019-2020, and heritage trains ran again from 27 May 2023 (Wikipedia, Zig Zag Railway).

What to look for

• The zig zag reversals - trains changing direction to descend the escarpment.
• The sandstone viaducts - the 1869 stone arches carrying the line.
• The heritage trains - restored carriages hauled over the original route.
• The escarpment views - the western Blue Mountains from the line.

When to go

Year-round, but only on operating days, which are limited and seasonal; the service resumed in stages after a long closure and the schedule continues to change. Booking online in advance is necessary, and steam operation is not guaranteed on any given day.

Good to know

The railway has been closed more often than open over the past decade, so verifying it is running is essential before driving out. Trips are short. Facilities at the site are basic, and steam locomotives do not operate on total fire ban days.

Nearby

Lithgow lies west; the Blue Mountains towns are east along the Great Western Highway.

Key facts