Newsletter No - Blue Mountains Association of Cultural Heritage ...

Crisis for regional touristicon Zig Zag RailwayONE of the region’s premier touristattractions the heritage Zig ZagRailway at Clarence suddenlyclosed last month and could be offthe rails for months after its boardreceived notice to cease operationsfrom the Independent TransportSafety Regulator (ITSR)Larry Zanker, chairman, Zig ZagRailways issued the followingstatement: “Zig Zag railway hasbeen operating both steam anddiesel rail motor trains seven days aweek for many years now.“Unfortunately this intensive runningschedule is taking its toll of ourlocomotives and carriages.“Zig Zag Railway is currentlydeveloping a whole new set ofprocedures to ensure that we will beable to return to the services weoffered before.”An ITSR spokesperson said theregulatory body did not considerthere was an immediate threat tosafety at the attraction but actionhad been forced by “systemic andmanagement difficulties.”NSW Transport Minister GladysBerejiklian has offered to providethe Zig Zag Railway’s managementwith the advice, expertise andassistance it needs to update itsoperational systems to ensurecompliance with regulatoryrequirements.The Zig Zag Ralway is a 19thcentury engineering masterpieceand a renowned tourist attraction.The Zig Zag is a full size, narrowgauge tourist railway located atClarence, 10km east of Lithgow.Built in the 1860s, the line wasconstructed to transport people andproduce from the western plains ofNSW to Sydney.John Whitton, chief engineer of theNSW Government Railways,designed a ‘Zig-Zag’ line - a seriesof gently sloping ramps in the formof a letter ‘Z’ - which alternatelypush and pull trains down theescarpment.The Zig Zag Railway, passes overthree wonderful sandstone viaductsand through two hand-hewn tunnelsplus a cutting. The views during itsdescent from the Blue Mountainsinto the Lithgow Valley are striking.By the beginning of the 20th centuryrail traffic over the Blue Mountainswas heavy and the single track wasinadequate.A ten-tunnel line was constructedthrough the escarpment andcompleted in 1910 bypassing thezig-zag line.The trains, track and rolling stockare maintained and operated by theZig Zag Railway Co-op Ltd, avoluntary, “not for profit’ cooperative.The Zig Zag Railway appeals tochildren and adults alike, especiallythose who once rode behind steamlocomotives on the way to school oron holidays.An early photograph of the heritage Zig Zag railwayA BMACHO memberZig Zag Railway is an inauguralmember of BMACHO and itsmembers wish the railway’smanagement and volunteers aspeedy return of this greatattraction steeped in the heritageof this regionHERITAGE 3July - August 2012