Lithgow Zig Zag

The Great Zig Zag
Lithgow Zig Zag
Top, middle, and bottom parts of the Zig Zag railway
Locale	Western Blue Mountains, New South Wales
Coordinates	33°28′33″S 150°11′52″E / 33.475882°S 150.197875°E / -33.475882; 150.197875
Commercial operations
Name	NSW Government Railways Great Western Railway
Built by	Patrick Higgins (contractor for NSWGR)
Original gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Preserved operations
Operated by	Zig Zag Railway Cooperative (established 1972) as Zig Zag Railway
Stations	Clarence, Mt Sinai Halt, No1 Viaduct, Top Points, Cockerton, Bottom Points
Length	7 kilometres (4.3 mi)
Preserved gauge	3 ft 6 in (1,067 mm)
Commercial history
Opened	18 October 1869
Closed	16 October 1910 (bypassed by the Ten Tunnels Deviation)
Website
zigzagrailway.com.au
New South Wales Heritage Register
Official name	Great Zig Zag Railway and Reserves; Zig Zag Railway
Type	State heritage (complex / group)
Criteria	a., c., d., e.
Designated	2 April 1999
Reference no.	542
Type	Railway
Category	Transport – Rail
Builders	Patrick Higgins (contractor)

v t e Lithgow Zig Zag routes
Legend
to Sydney Central Bell Dargans Deviation original route Newnes Junction Clarence Coillery Balloon Loop Ten Tunnels Deviation Newnes line Newnes Junction (original) Dargans Deviation Clarence (3rd) ( 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 Ten Tunnels Deviation 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

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.