Lithgow Zig Zag

The Great Zig Zag
Lithgow Zig Zag
Top, middle, and bottom parts of the Zig Zag railway
LocaleWestern Blue Mountains, New South Wales
Coordinates33°28′33″S 150°11′52″E / 33.475882°S 150.197875°E / -33.475882; 150.197875
Commercial operations
NameNSW Government Railways
Great Western Railway
Built byPatrick Higgins (contractor for NSWGR)
Original gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Operated byZig Zag Railway Cooperative (established 1972) as Zig Zag Railway
StationsClarence, Mt Sinai Halt, No1 Viaduct, Top Points, Cockerton, Bottom Points
Length7 kilometres (4.3 mi)
Preserved gauge3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Commercial history
Opened18 October 1869
Closed16 October 1910
(bypassed by the Ten Tunnels Deviation)
Website
zigzagrailway.com.au
Official nameGreat Zig Zag Railway and Reserves; Zig Zag Railway
TypeState heritage (complex / group)
Criteriaa., c., d., e.
Designated2 April 1999
Reference no.542
TypeRailway
CategoryTransport – Rail
BuildersPatrick Higgins (contractor)
Lithgow Zig Zag routes
Bell
original route
Newnes Junction
Clarence Coillery
Balloon Loop
Newnes Junction
(original)
Clarence
(3rd)
Parking
(
2nd &
4th
)
Clarence
Clarence
(1st)
No. 1 Tunnel
(
1,115 m
3,658 ft
) Summit
No. 2 Tunnel
Clarence Tunnel
No. 3 Tunnel
No. 4 Tunnel
No. 5 Tunnel
No. 6 Tunnel
No. 7 Tunnel
No. 8 Tunnel
No. 9 Tunnel
No. 10 Tunnel
Mt. Sinai Halt
Bottom Points
Edgecombe Siding
Zig Zag
Bottom Points Depot
Mileage 92.1 Junction
Belmore (Zig
Zag) Tunnel
No. 1 Viaduct Halt
Cockerton Halt
No. 1 Viaduct
No. 3 Viaduct
No. 2 Viaduct
Top Points
Eskbank
Lithgow
to Dubbo and Bourke
A View of the Zig Zag railway

The Lithgow Zig Zag is a heritage-listed former zig zag railway line built near Lithgow on the Great Western Line of New South Wales in Australia. The zig zag line operated between 1869 and 1910, to overcome an otherwise insurmountable climb and descent on the western side of the Blue Mountains. It was designed by John Whitton and built from 1863 to 1869 by Patrick Higgins as contractor. It is also known as the Great Zig Zag Railway and Reserves and Zig Zag Railway. The property is owned by Department of Planning and Infrastructure (State Government). It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.[1]

Part of the railway line is now used by the Zig Zag Railway, a narrow gauge tourist railway.

  1. ^ "Great Zig Zag Railway and Reserves". New South Wales State Heritage Register. Department of Planning & Environment. H00542. Retrieved 2 June 2018. Text is licensed by State of New South Wales (Department of Planning and Environment) under CC BY 4.0 licence.