Zig Zag Railway
Zig Zag Railway - Double DVD
This railway line is a master piece of Victorian engineering constructed deep in the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia. The Zig-Zag Railway lies 150Km west of Sydney and 10 Km to the north of the region’s main town of Lithgow. The original line was built between 1866 and 1869 as part of the western main line from Sydney to Bathurst. Produce was carried on the railway from the prosperous farming areas beyond the Blue Mountains to Sydney, the line also allowing the development of coal and iron ore deposits in the Lithgow Valley. Amazingly this section of the line lay silent for over sixty years, until a group of rail enthusiasts started running once again over the famous Zig-Zag in 1975.
Disc One: Introduction to Sydney and a brief look at the double decker suburban trains, before heading to the Blue Mountains. The Zig-Zag Railway is covered in detail. All the stations and signal boxes are shown. The motive power is provided by No.1072, City of Lithgow a 4-6-2 Pacific which was built in 1956. Total Running Time 60 minutes.
Disc Two: A cab ride over the entire 8Km of the line (speeded up) with an additional cab ride over 1Km of the new 3Km extension currently under construction to Newnes Junction. Includes a detail tour of the Engine Shed and Workshops at Bottom Points. Deleted scenes show No.934, a 4-8-0 in action at Bottom Points Station. Total Running Time 33 minutes
This line may be one of the shortest preserved railway journeys in Australia, but what it lacks in length it more than makes up for in its innovative engineering.