Lithgow Zig Zag
Encyclopedia
The Lithgow Zig Zag was a zig zag railway
built near Lithgow
on the Great Western Railway of New South Wales
in Australia
which operated between 1870 and 1910, to overcome an otherwise insurmountable climb up the western side of the Blue Mountains. It is now used by the Zig Zag Railway
, a narrow gauge tourist railway.
, had been to build a 3 km tunnel, but this was beyond the resources of the state of New South Wales at the time. The zig zag
alternative still required several short tunnels and some viaducts.
On the eastern side of the range, the first Blue Mountains Zig Zag (known as the Lapstone Zig Zag
) opened near Glenbrook
in 1867. It ascended Lapstone Hill on a gradient of 1:30 to 1:33 (~ 3 - 3.3%), which contoured up the side of the range with comparatively light earthworks.
By contrast, the Lithgow Zig Zag railway, built between 1866 and 1869, required much heavier engineering, including four large rock cuttings, three fine stone viaducts with 30-foot semi-circular arches (originally four were planned, but one was built as an embankment instead) and a short tunnel (three tunnels were planned, but two were daylighted during construction due to leaks, becoming two of the four cuttings mentioned above). In the descent of the middle road, the line dropped 101 feet between the reversing points, being part of the 550 foot descent from Clarence. The whole route had a ruling grade of 1:42 (~2.38%).
On Monday October 19, 1869 the Lithgow Zig Zag opened to traffic, completing the route over the Blue Mountains.
The Lithgow Zig Zag operated between 1870 and 1910. By then it had become an increasingly inefficient bottleneck owing to the growing traffic on the line between Lithgow and Sydney. The Top Points were also too short. It was eventually abandoned in 1910, replaced by the Ten-Tunnels Deviation
, a double tracked route with a ruling grade of 1:42 as far as the start of the ten tunnels and 1 in 90 through the ten tunnels. This is still in heavy use as the Main West line
to the central-west of NSW and ultimately the trans-Australia line to Perth
today.
During World War II Glenbrook, Clarence and Zig Zag tunnels were used to store chemical weapons for the Royal Australian Air Force. Principally mustard gas and phosgene the chemical agents were housed in a variety of weapons from bombs to cylinders. The cache was disposed of after the war.
In 1975 it was decided to restore the Lithgow Zig Zag as a heritage railway, which operates as the Zig Zag Railway
.
Zig Zag (railway)
A railway zig zag, also called a switchback, is a way of climbing hills in difficult country with a minimal need for tunnels and heavy earthworks. For a short distance , the direction of travel is reversed, before the original direction is resumed.A location on railways constructed e.g...
built near Lithgow
Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
on the Great Western Railway of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
which operated between 1870 and 1910, to overcome an otherwise insurmountable climb up the western side of the Blue Mountains. It is now used by the Zig Zag Railway
Zig Zag Railway
The Zig Zag Railway is a heritage railway at Lithgow in New South Wales, Australia on the site of the famous Great or Lithgow Zig Zag which operated between 1869 and 1910. As built, the line formed part of the Main West line from Sydney across the Blue Mountains and served to lower the line from...
, a narrow gauge tourist railway.
History
The original plan, by the newly-appointed Engineer-in-Charge, John WhittonJohn Whitton
John Whitton was appointed Engineer-in-Charge for the New South Wales Railways, Australia, in January 1867. Over the next 32 years he completed 2811 miles of railway around NSW and Victoria...
, had been to build a 3 km tunnel, but this was beyond the resources of the state of New South Wales at the time. The zig zag
Zig Zag (railway)
A railway zig zag, also called a switchback, is a way of climbing hills in difficult country with a minimal need for tunnels and heavy earthworks. For a short distance , the direction of travel is reversed, before the original direction is resumed.A location on railways constructed e.g...
alternative still required several short tunnels and some viaducts.
On the eastern side of the range, the first Blue Mountains Zig Zag (known as the Lapstone Zig Zag
Lapstone Zig Zag
The Lapstone Zig Zag was a ##Zig Zag #railway#|zig zag railway## built near ##Lapstone, New South Wales|Lapstone## on the ##Main Western railway line, New South Wales|Great Western Railway## of ##New South Wales## in ##Australia## between 1863 and 1865, to overcome an otherwise insurmountable climb...
) opened near Glenbrook
Glenbrook, New South Wales
Glenbrook is a suburb of the Lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 70 kilometres west of Sydney in the local government area of the City of Blue Mountains. At the 2006 census, Glenbrook had a population of 5,138 people....
in 1867. It ascended Lapstone Hill on a gradient of 1:30 to 1:33 (~ 3 - 3.3%), which contoured up the side of the range with comparatively light earthworks.
By contrast, the Lithgow Zig Zag railway, built between 1866 and 1869, required much heavier engineering, including four large rock cuttings, three fine stone viaducts with 30-foot semi-circular arches (originally four were planned, but one was built as an embankment instead) and a short tunnel (three tunnels were planned, but two were daylighted during construction due to leaks, becoming two of the four cuttings mentioned above). In the descent of the middle road, the line dropped 101 feet between the reversing points, being part of the 550 foot descent from Clarence. The whole route had a ruling grade of 1:42 (~2.38%).
On Monday October 19, 1869 the Lithgow Zig Zag opened to traffic, completing the route over the Blue Mountains.
The Lithgow Zig Zag operated between 1870 and 1910. By then it had become an increasingly inefficient bottleneck owing to the growing traffic on the line between Lithgow and Sydney. The Top Points were also too short. It was eventually abandoned in 1910, replaced by the Ten-Tunnels Deviation
Ten Tunnels Deviation 1910, New South Wales
The Ten Tunnels Deviation is the section of track between Newnes Junction and Zig Zag Box in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales. It was constructed between 1 June, 1908 and 16 October, 1910 to replace the Lithgow Zig Zag, which limited the length of goods trains over the Mountains.- Construction...
, a double tracked route with a ruling grade of 1:42 as far as the start of the ten tunnels and 1 in 90 through the ten tunnels. This is still in heavy use as the Main West line
Main Western railway line, New South Wales
The Main Western Railway is a major railway in New South Wales, Australia. It runs through the Blue Mountains, Central West, North West Slopes and the Far West regions.- Description of route :...
to the central-west of NSW and ultimately the trans-Australia line to Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
today.
During World War II Glenbrook, Clarence and Zig Zag tunnels were used to store chemical weapons for the Royal Australian Air Force. Principally mustard gas and phosgene the chemical agents were housed in a variety of weapons from bombs to cylinders. The cache was disposed of after the war.
In 1975 it was decided to restore the Lithgow Zig Zag as a heritage railway, which operates as the Zig Zag Railway
Zig Zag Railway
The Zig Zag Railway is a heritage railway at Lithgow in New South Wales, Australia on the site of the famous Great or Lithgow Zig Zag which operated between 1869 and 1910. As built, the line formed part of the Main West line from Sydney across the Blue Mountains and served to lower the line from...
.
Accidents
In a classic accident, a train overrun the buffer stops at Top Points, leaving the engine dangling precariously over the edge. This was one reason that the Top Points was deviated and extended, even though for a few short years.Further reading
- Full Steam Across The Mountains - Phil Belbin & David Burke - Methuen Australia 1981