I just want to note that my statement regarding this being the last operating Zig Zag Railway refers to its entire purpose and length is the zig zag, while other railways may have a switchback element to them within their track somewhere. My apologies if I did not make this clear.
Ah that makes much more sense, thanks! At least with a dedicated ZigZag train you kind of know beforehand what you are getting into whereas ones with a ZigZag component can be kind of surprising/unnerving if unexpected.
Very weak explanation. Cass Scenic Railroad in West Virginia seems to have almost the same layout (reversed), and passengers ride the entire "Z", not just the top 2 legs. Just because they call it "Zig Zag Railway" doesn't make it unique. Maybe you should change the video title.
The Zig Zag is in the state of New South Wales, on the western side of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. It was built as standard gauge, and was in operation until 1910, when it was bypassed by a series of tunnels, which are still used today. The current tourist operation is narrow gauge, and uses locomotives and rolling stock from the neighbouring state of Queensland. It's good to see the Zig Zag railway up and running again after all the damage caused by the late 2019 bushfire.
It actually was originally closed by the 2013 bushfires, and for the intervening period was closed due to damage, and then lack of funds, and then further damaged by the 2019/20 bushfires, to finally be up and running again.
@@arokh72 Yeah. I didn't cover all the issues they have had. It actually closed in 2012, due to rising costs and the increasingly complex regulatory requirements of operating a railway (Zig Zag Railway official site). There was also a lot of damage caused by heavy rain/flooding after the 2019 fire.
@@ultimateadventuresblog6564Which had the old Newnes branch line, now a bushwalk with an old tunnel full of glow worms. Pretty cool. Love the Lithgow zig zag.
It’s great to see the Zig Zag still operating. We took our son on it when he was four and he absolutely loved it. His eyes were like saucers when he first saw the engine steaming around the corner. He turned 44 last Sunday.
Train is just cruising on rail, but the system, information, control, communication and other stuff is very interesting to learn. Sometimes it pretty complicated to me as regular person but the engineering and how train operator communicate to the rail controller is absolutely genius I think.
7:26 the staff and ticket system brings back many fond memories, and some funny ones. Back in the 90s when I was involved, they ran “2 train” days to keep up with demand. The 2 trains were timed so they would cross over at top points. Signal box wasn’t hooked up back then, just some levers, and an on-duty signal-person who handled the staffs - one for top road and one for middle road. We’d go past and have to hand the signaller the staff when entering to top points area. The other waiting train would then depart and take the staff we’d just handed back. One winter, the signaller had a fire going in a 44 gallon drum to keep warm. One smart-Alec on the 2nd incoming train dipped the staff into the firebox for a bit before passing it out to the signaller. Now all were wearing gloves, so the heat didn’t do skin damage, but it made for an interesting “hot potato” moment for the signaller. They got their revenge just 10 minutes later. They dipped the staff into the fire they had going, and handed it off to the same person in the departing train - who promptly dropped the hot staff, and had to halt the train, hop off, and do the walk of shame back to pick it up. The signaller nearly wet their pants laughing, and that joke was not pulled again on that weekend! Not long after that, worksafe rules came into play, even for volunteer organisations, so the old shenanigans were now off-limits.
The Zog Zag Railway was the first ever railway I ever visited back in 2010. I went back in May 2024 for the first time in 14 years, and I got to ride on the cab of that engine! If you noticed in the workshop next to the steam locomotive, is the boiler of another one of their steam locomotives that they're restoring.
As well as the Bathurst Bullet 4x a Day in both directions, regional trains towards Dubbo, Orange, and Broken Hill, and the Indian Pacific! (But obviously as you stated, electric services are the most common sight of course)
I think the Cass railway has unique locomotives called Shay locomotives that use geared wheels and they burn wood,not coal.They are a beutufully engineered loco that are used on tight curves.
Got my guards ticket there in ‘93 and also did my fireman’s training too. Great bunch of people - quite a few families with several generations of volunteers too. I learnt so much from others when I got involved in restoration work. So many craftsmen who were willing to share their knowledge and skills with others. Sadly, life, family, mortgage etc got in the way after that.
I was active for about 7 years, then faced upheaval in my life which changed everything. I took friends and their children up there a couple of times in the noughties for a ride, and saw one or 2 familiar faces each time. It’s such a small world I ran into a former ZZR driver in Tasmania when I was on holidays down there. I have also come across children, grandchildren and nephews of former members I did lots of hours with. It’s nice to be able to recount how great their relative was in their chosen field, especially since many have since passed away.
That was really cool to see, especially on stoking the firebox and maintaining water levels and steam pressure! That was also the first time I've seen the mechanical process of switching tracks, great job Mike!
I grew up just below there. Of course 70 years ago it wasn't an attraction and as a child, groups of us would walk up there and spend most of the day wandering around. I have ridden the train on visits back to Lithgow.
Great video! I did some reading after they mentioned they are using US equipment. I’m a WWII historian on the side, I never knew that the US Army Transportation Corp designed a locomotive based on an Australian one and sent them over to help during the War. If I’m ever down there this would be a cool spot to visit!
This was known as the Lithgow Zig Zag, which is on the western edge of the Great Dividing Range, to drop the trains from the top of the range down into the valley, now replace by a deviation of 10 tunnels opened in the early 20 century, there was also a smaller zig zag on the Eastern side of the range not far from Penrith after crossing the Nepean River, this zig zag is now a hiking track, cheers, Garry from DownUnder
So glad it is still running after being burnt out a few years ago, amazing track and the tiny platform you get off and on from Sydney were my favourite
Japan has two zigzag railways in operation. One is the Hakone Tozan tourist railway near Kyoto. The other is a public railway at Okuba on JR Kyushu, on Ebino Kogen Line
And there's another zig-zag on the Hisatsu Line (as well as at Okoba) at Masaki. Plus there's a number of other locations where there are single reversals, i.e. dead end stations. There are full zig-zags, with 2 reverses, at Tateno near Kumamoto on Kyushu and at Izumo-Satane on the Kisuki Line in Shimane prefecture.
True! I've been on the Hakone "toy train" from Gora to Odawara. I think that is another difference between the Blue Mountains Zig-Zag line and the Tozan line; the Tozan train is more like light rail, while the rolling stock on the Zig-Zag railway is (or used to be) a full size narrow-gauge steam engine with standard (historical) narrow gauge carriages.
The Zig Zag railway in NSW runs almost exclusively Queensland railway stock, the train you rode had an American import Mikado which was given the classification of AC16, 218A was shipped down there as well as multiple other locomotives, including a C17, BB18 1/2, DD17 and an Tasmanian class 10. I hope you enjoyed your time in Australia with those kind people.
Absolutely amazing to see you documenting this, I have a special connection to this as a great uncle (John whitton) of mine was the chief engineer for the creation of the track, and also a instrumental member in the creation of railways in NSW thanks for documenting this amazing work of art.
I studied the projects of John Whitton in the early 90s. He was a man of vision, and also had the gift of knowing how to make it happen. Australia has some fantastic pioneers in many fields. Hopefully the Apple didn’t fall far from the tree 😊
Oh yes I know about him from the long decommissioned John Whitton Bridge in Meadowbank and the narrower gauntlet track version in Como decommissioned in 1972. I came across his statue and plaque in Central Station as well.
The Lithgow train does stop at the zig zag station, although it requires some consideration and planning. Apparently the platform is only a few metres long.
Yep, you only have to ask if you’re planning on getting off there. If you’re departing there you just flag the driver down. Done it many times in the 90s, and often got to ride with the driver or guard on a V set, and occasionally one of the old U boats.
There is also a functional zigzag railway called the Alishan Forest Railway in Chiayi County, Taiwan. It is a 762 mm narrow-gauge railway originally constructed for logging in 1912. Two Shay steam locomotives, No. 25 and No. 31, are still operational. If you have the chance, I warmly welcome you to visit this beautiful railway.
The way it is supposed to work, the points are set, the interlock is engaged and then the signals will allow the handle to move to set them So you can't set a green signal without the points being correct and the Interlock is engaged The interlock prevents moving any of the points The signal can only be set on a route that the points are correct for a green signal and the interlock has been set for those points Once you set a route and set the points and interlock and give the green you cannot move any of the other levers in that control point The section of track that has the signals and the points and the interlocks is called the terminal When you watch the ATCS today from control points on the frequency that they transmit back and forth from the base to the control points and wayside devices you see the progression of the commands where the first command sets each points each switch to its position whether it be normal or reversed and then you see the interlocks engaged and then you see the signal be set to Green as the train enters the approach block and reaches the separation insulators for the terminal block the train engages the circuit with the wheels on the terminal and the Green falls The train knocks down the green signal and you see that indication that bit that digital indicator is removed from the atcs And as long as the train is in the terminal in that block the interlock will not disengage Once the train has left the terminal block the interlock signal drops Once this happens the wayside devices the control point sends the signals to the base Tower and the base control points sends the next series of commands for the next movement that's going to happen on that line to the control points and you see the command sent and you see the wayside devices change to reflect the command and their bits change as the commands are executed and each time the control points send the new configuration to the base control point in a DATAGRAM Each series of 8 bits is called a DWORD The typical configuration for a simple switch is Bit 11 is NWK normal switch position Bit 12 is RWK reversed switch position Bit 13 is the Interlock 14 is 1NAK north approach block main occupied 15 is SAK South approach block occupied 16 is TK terminal block occupied 17 NGK. Northbound Green Signal 18 1SGK Southbound main Green Signal 21 2NAK north siding occupied 22 2SGK north siding Southbound Green There are indications for the power being on in normal condition and for battery power being engaged and the power from the utility being off and for the local control being activated from The bungalow and for the door to the bungalow being open and for blocks to be set to protected meaning there is someone out there working and the train Crews are alerted that someone is there by the setting of The protected status on the blocks But watching the datagrams you actually can see the trains on the lines as they approach and as they go through the signals you see the signal go from green to red on the display and you see the train moving in the box and you see the switches set to the different positions by dispatch On the track switch heaters also are on one bit so you can tell when the temperature is below 32 and they've turned on the propane heaters to keep the switches from freezing up It's really amazing how the technology today follows the exact same procedures that they used back when everything was manually done by hand levers When the electrified the switching system they put relays in the bottom of the towers and the levers when you pull them actually were connecting electrical circuits to the relays and the voltage went to the motors on the switches and the motors on the signals to set them and the digital interlocks were engaged and they had the same protection done digitally that originally was done mechanically and that same system exists in the bungalows now those silver boxes with the door that you see alongside the tracks where there are switches and signals
When i was a kid ,the tracks were gone,you could drive where the tracks are now . When the tracks were reinstated, its gone from a rarely visited place ,to one of the most famous, tourist, attractions in this country.
Great to see you back in oz seeing more great places to see. We might not mught not have much vintage trains left but the ones that are still operating are certainly amazing to go on.
What an interesting video! I LOVE steam trains. My dad was worked for the railway and as a boy I used to talk to all those drivers. The stories they had to tell was fascinating to listen to! Every steam driver had their own personalized way of blowing their engines whistle and the reason for that was so that their loved ones would know when they are back in town! Thank you so much for showing us this behind-the-scenes video!
I live in Brisbane, Qld, which is either 1.5 hour flight or a 10 hour car trip. I remember, as a kid back in the 1980s, we went to see the ZZR but it had closed for the day (it was school holidays). Just in 2022, Mrs Middo and I drove through from Bathurst after a road trip to Sydney and it still wasn't running - it wasn't school holidays. I'm 52 years old and I've never ridden it. I'm now driving to Sydney in January (Mrs Middo is flying because she needs to get back for work & I'm retired) so I could nearly convince myself to go out for a ride. The trouble is that now I want the tour you've just done, includingall the switching!
They were probably still rebuilding in 2022. A bunch of fires went through and basically razed most of their infrastructure in 2013, then again in 2019, so its been a long road back for them. If you can make it down, I definitely recommend it. The intercity train stop is very quaint too, only room for two doors on the last carriage on a tiny platform.
i grew up in Mt victoria. 15 mins from here. Good to see a vid on it. I have done it as a kid, i have taken my son on it. Drove past the station at clarence every day for 10 years.. Thanks for the vid. oh and all the ground its built on , has coal seams in it.
@@cyberprince8272 😆 I have been on both. Both good, but they are very different railways. You definitely get better views from the ZZR's zig zag as the AFR's zig-zags (2) are heavily forested. But then the much longer AFR travels through a very diverse range of scenery and climates. Tropical at one end, alpine at the other.
There is also a famous example of a zig-zag railway in India is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This railway uses a series of switchbacks to ascend the steep slopes of the Himalayas, offering stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
The DHR has zig zags it crosses across roads and traffic as well as valleys and jungles a truly magnificent sight with the steam engine pulling its coaches without a tender to it’s destination
The AC16, number 218A was brought over from Queensland in 1975. Number 218A spent it's main line career around Rockhampton. 20 of the AC16 were ordered as part of a WW2 Lend-Lease program and the loco was built by Baldwin (USA), shipped to Sydney in parts and re-assembled in Brisbane. This arrangement where Queensland bought engines from Baldwin was also common in peace time too. Later when the industrial sector in the state matured Queensland built it's own engines - usually by licencing designs from companies like Baldwin.
Not really, the yanks were a development (step backwards) from the C17, this article covers it reasonably well en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USATC_S118_Class?wprov=sfti1
The train at 2:12 is the Bathurst Bullet, an Endeavour class DMU, which runs between Bathurst and Central twice in the morning, and returns later in the afternoon.
@@sjdtmv made worse by the commuter style seats in the Endeavour. Not fun for a 3 hour trip. An eXplorer, which uses the XPT style seats, would have made more sense IMO.
Now these videos that you've been doing with new experiences and teaching the history are fantastic. These are really engaging videos and help people see The technology that started it all
Love a good train journey with you, since I got lucky and the algorithm landed you on my feed, I’ve been motivated to take more rail journeys, I use trains three days a week now, I adore rail travel, it’s so relaxing. Thank you for taking us along.
I had the pleasure to ride the Zigzag railway 25 years ago. What a fantastic experience. I even got the opportunity to be shown through the engine shed. Great to see that it’s still up and running, thanks to the efforts of those hard working people.
There are, actually, several railroads in the US that have switchbacks. The Roaring Camp Narrow Gauge in Santa Cruz, CA and the Cass Scenic Railroad in Cass, WV are just two that come to mind domestically. Great job on the video. Love watching your. Adventures. Keep it up and have a blessed Christmas.
Another fantastic video Mike. I don't know how they do that all the time without going deaf. The lever switching seemed very confusing, but I guess they learn it well to not mess up the switches. I would love to get to Australia and ride this.
I had a cab ride on the Zig Zag many years ago. A friend was a volunteer Guard on the train. It really is exciting riding in a steam loco, although you’d better be prepared to get dirty and the noise is deafening. You can really feel the power of the engine.
it's been a long time since i saw it on T.V. but there was a switch back in India using a engine that looked half the size of that one and with more switches
NO WAY YOU CAME TO THE BLUE MOUNTAINS! I have lived here my whole life, my parents use to take me on that railway when I was a little kid before it closed for ages because of bushfires and only just reopened.
There's other train services in Thirlmere and down the South Coast (Wollongong) on the weekends sometimes. Lots to see here! Have fun and thank you for the video
Im not a big commenter on here. But i wanted to let you know i love your adventures. And this video was so good at explaining things. Great job and keep up the great videos.
I love the interlocking tower. Those used to be everywhere in America before centralized traffic control. Now there’s only a couple few left. Even at that, they are computer controlled rather than lever controlled. Ex. Fostoria, Ohio.
@ I might do that. Now the Coshocton Model Railroad Club in Ohio did actually save the guts of an interlocking tower and replicated the junction on the layout. So when you throw those huge levers, it actually changes the signal aspects and switches the tracks on an HO layout. Humorous and cool at the same time.
Another good place to go to in NSW is the rail museum in the town of Thirlmere. There’s both static and operational steam locomotives there, including the 3801 which is the most famous steam locomotive in Australia.
@@johnleonard2202it was not so much the time saving, there were a number of major accidents which was the trigger for the New South Wales Government to do something about removing a major bottleneck in the railway.
Show my age now….My grandfather was actually an engine driver on the Zig Zag…he was also the engine driver for the Dubbo, Orange to Sydney train…my Uncle also became an engine driver and I also used to go from Orange NSW to Sydney for diabetes treatment every second week end because we only had a base hospital…this was a steam train and it travelled overnight. When he was driving he often used to cook eggs and sausages in a pan over the coals and give them to my mum and myself upon on arrival when we did the reverse trip back to Orange. ….He would steal a bag of wheat then throw it off the train at Four Mile Creek..when he got back to Orange after his shift he would go and pick up the wheat take it home to feed his chocks…My great grandfather also worked on the railways as a supervisor when the tracks were being laid from Sydney, Lithgow (this also included many now abandoned stations in between) Orange to Dubbo. I now live in Queensland and became a member of the AHRS (Australian Historical Railway Society) to help preserve steam engines and my father was a fitter and Turner who also volunteered to work on the engines at weekends…I have made the journey from Brisbane to Sydney every year going on the now defunct Brisbane Limited which I always had a sleeper..and now it has been replaced with an EXP which some people may not know has a few hidden sleepers at the back and a communal shower room…instead of 1st and 2nd class reclining seats…Queensland and NSW also have different gauge tracks which the NSW famous 3801 when making visits can only come as far as Beaudesert in QLD.
When I was newly married (1980) my wife and I travelled on our honeymoon on the Brisbane Limited to Brissie. In those days it terminated at South Brisbane Station, having been extended from the earlier terminus that you mentioned. The Standard Gauge has since been extended all the way across the Brisbane River to Roma St Station. We have since travelled on the diesel push-pull XPT (sleeper cabin) from Sydney to Roma St Station - not quite as nice as the old loco-hauled Brisbane Limited.
Another great video as always! This Zigzag Railway looks really cool, and the fact that it's a steam train makes it even more awesome! I definitely might add this to my bucket list if I ever get the chance to come to Australia!
Love your train videos! You missed a great one when you were in Alaska! I was hoping you were going to check out the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad in Skagway, Alaska while you were there. About 20 years ago I hired out a private caboose from them for $1000 (but that included up to 6 people, plus sodas and snacks, so it really wasn’t bad at all), and they attached the caboose to the back of one of their trains. We took it to Lake Bennett and back, which is an all-day affair. I think the scenery beats what you saw on the Alaska Railroad. They use both diesel-electric locomotives as well as steam engines. Hoping maybe you’ll consider doing a video about it if you ever head back up that way. You would absolutely LOVE both Skagway, and the railroad! 😉
This is 5km away from the city I was born in (Lithgow NSW) back in 1954..It is the best rail museum in Australia and if you come to Australia,please visit this museum!!
The Zig Zag is is an Awesome day out, I live in Blaxland and have been there a few times. I took my son on a Harry Potter night in Winter (snowing and Magical). Staff are great with kids and Adults if you come to Australia it's an essential fro any train buff Best regards Andrew (great video by the way mate)
Oh what memories are coming back for me. Born & raised in Sydney. I remember when my parents & grandparents went out for a day on the Zig Zag back in 1988. There were a few other locomotives running on this track back then. Was very popular as going outside was how you entertained yourself back then. I remember alot of sun glare reflecting off the rock wall cuttings. Wearing wool jumpers knitted by grandmother & having to wash coal ash out of hair. Now, a new fleet of electric trains running between Sydney & Newcastle with air conditioning & phone chargers & power outlets were not even thought-of back in 1988; well the air conditioning was in some of the classes of trains in 1988 like the V-set & new TANGARA trains, but not power outlets. Drove past the Zig Zag a few years ago coming back home from a town called Orange, it was when they were still rebuilding the Zig Zag after a bushfire (forest fire) destroyed alot of the infrastructure & some of the locomotives & carriages which I rode on in 1988 but are not there today for you. Glad you loved the Zig Zag, it's a treasure for Sydneysiders.
Traveling up to the Zig zag railway before the tracks were laid & after they were reinstated was something we did a lot in the 1970s & 80s with our kids. It was always an enjoyable day out. I walked through that last top tunnel upto the station before it was opened to the trains. Then trekked back down to where it originally finished to catch the train down to the Western rail line to catch the train home to Penrith. That was the last time I got to visit the rail line as my son left shortly after to go & live with his father. I am so glad that it is open once more as it would be a shame to close down after all the work that went into restoring it all. I think it has also featured in a movie at some stage.
@@louisebrislane6607 Back in the 80s these two men made a band called CHULLORA JUNCTION & made a song about the 3801 & The Zig Zag Railway too. th-cam.com/video/rSIbEfDncYU/w-d-xo.html The 3801 song can be found on the same YT channel this song is on.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway has several "Z" sections . Probably older than the one you are showing. It's a beautiful narrow gauge railway with the tiny coaches being hauled by a small steam / diesel locomotive.
Now that's a locomotive type familiar to me! The tweetsie railroad, dollywood railroad have the fully American cousins of the 218 in North Carolina and Tennessee respectively. The ride does also remind me of the Cass Scenic Railroad, perhaps you should visit whenever you find your way back to the US! They have a lot of geared logging steam locomotives!
I just want to note that my statement regarding this being the last operating Zig Zag Railway refers to its entire purpose and length is the zig zag, while other railways may have a switchback element to them within their track somewhere.
My apologies if I did not make this clear.
Don't try to argue with railway fans 😂
You sometime got to try the Maharaja's express , Deccan Odyssey (personal recommend) , and Golden Chariot in india .
Ah that makes much more sense, thanks! At least with a dedicated ZigZag train you kind of know beforehand what you are getting into whereas ones with a ZigZag component can be kind of surprising/unnerving if unexpected.
Very weak explanation. Cass Scenic Railroad in West Virginia seems to have almost the same layout (reversed), and passengers ride the entire "Z", not just the top 2 legs. Just because they call it "Zig Zag Railway" doesn't make it unique. Maybe you should change the video title.
there is one in Hungary, and in Czechia too
The Zig Zag is in the state of New South Wales, on the western side of the Blue Mountains west of Sydney. It was built as standard gauge, and was in operation until 1910, when it was bypassed by a series of tunnels, which are still used today. The current tourist operation is narrow gauge, and uses locomotives and rolling stock from the neighbouring state of Queensland. It's good to see the Zig Zag railway up and running again after all the damage caused by the late 2019 bushfire.
It actually was originally closed by the 2013 bushfires, and for the intervening period was closed due to damage, and then lack of funds, and then further damaged by the 2019/20 bushfires, to finally be up and running again.
@@arokh72 Yeah. I didn't cover all the issues they have had. It actually closed in 2012, due to rising costs and the increasingly complex regulatory requirements of operating a railway (Zig Zag Railway official site). There was also a lot of damage caused by heavy rain/flooding after the 2019 fire.
the main line uses 10 tunnels to get to the zig zig bottom points (zig zag station) from the old newnes junction station
@@ultimateadventuresblog6564Which had the old Newnes branch line, now a bushwalk with an old tunnel full of glow worms. Pretty cool. Love the Lithgow zig zag.
It’s great to see the Zig Zag still operating. We took our son on it when he was four and he absolutely loved it. His eyes were like saucers when he first saw the engine steaming around the corner. He turned 44 last Sunday.
Train is just cruising on rail, but the system, information, control, communication and other stuff is very interesting to learn. Sometimes it pretty complicated to me as regular person but the engineering and how train operator communicate to the rail controller is absolutely genius I think.
7:26 the staff and ticket system brings back many fond memories, and some funny ones. Back in the 90s when I was involved, they ran “2 train” days to keep up with demand. The 2 trains were timed so they would cross over at top points. Signal box wasn’t hooked up back then, just some levers, and an on-duty signal-person who handled the staffs - one for top road and one for middle road. We’d go past and have to hand the signaller the staff when entering to top points area. The other waiting train would then depart and take the staff we’d just handed back. One winter, the signaller had a fire going in a 44 gallon drum to keep warm. One smart-Alec on the 2nd incoming train dipped the staff into the firebox for a bit before passing it out to the signaller. Now all were wearing gloves, so the heat didn’t do skin damage, but it made for an interesting “hot potato” moment for the signaller. They got their revenge just 10 minutes later. They dipped the staff into the fire they had going, and handed it off to the same person in the departing train - who promptly dropped the hot staff, and had to halt the train, hop off, and do the walk of shame back to pick it up. The signaller nearly wet their pants laughing, and that joke was not pulled again on that weekend! Not long after that, worksafe rules came into play, even for volunteer organisations, so the old shenanigans were now off-limits.
The Zog Zag Railway was the first ever railway I ever visited back in 2010. I went back in May 2024 for the first time in 14 years, and I got to ride on the cab of that engine! If you noticed in the workshop next to the steam locomotive, is the boiler of another one of their steam locomotives that they're restoring.
1:27 and before someone asks, the platforms on the left is serviced by hourly electric services to/from Sydney.
As well as the Bathurst Bullet 4x a Day in both directions, regional trains towards Dubbo, Orange, and Broken Hill, and the Indian Pacific! (But obviously as you stated, electric services are the most common sight of course)
Great to see it back up and running, it was down for over a decade as two bushfires damaged infrastructure
This is great! The Cass Scenic Railway is also a railroad that uses switchbacks to basically zig and zag up a mountain in West Virginia.
I think the Cass railway has unique locomotives called Shay locomotives that use geared wheels and they burn wood,not coal.They are a beutufully engineered loco that are used on tight curves.
Absolutely! It's stunning. I was going to mention it but you beat me to it.
@@KeithLyons-z4h They are, and have always been, coal burners. The oldest engine still in service was built in 1905
I think the two men who are operating the engines are like pilots. They have to manage very serious mechanisms
I love this place, It's so nice of you to bring attention to them. Everyone there is a volunteer and super friendly!
Got my guards ticket there in ‘93 and also did my fireman’s training too. Great bunch of people - quite a few families with several generations of volunteers too. I learnt so much from others when I got involved in restoration work. So many craftsmen who were willing to share their knowledge and skills with others. Sadly, life, family, mortgage etc got in the way after that.
@commodorenut That's awesome! Have you been up again since?
I was active for about 7 years, then faced upheaval in my life which changed everything.
I took friends and their children up there a couple of times in the noughties for a ride, and saw one or 2 familiar faces each time. It’s such a small world I ran into a former ZZR driver in Tasmania when I was on holidays down there.
I have also come across children, grandchildren and nephews of former members I did lots of hours with. It’s nice to be able to recount how great their relative was in their chosen field, especially since many have since passed away.
@@commodorenut time to come back?
That was really cool to see, especially on stoking the firebox and maintaining water levels and steam pressure! That was also the first time I've seen the mechanical process of switching tracks, great job Mike!
I grew up just below there. Of course 70 years ago it wasn't an attraction and as a child, groups of us would walk up there and spend most of the day wandering around. I have ridden the train on visits back to Lithgow.
Great video! I did some reading after they mentioned they are using US equipment. I’m a WWII historian on the side, I never knew that the US Army Transportation Corp designed a locomotive based on an Australian one and sent them over to help during the War. If I’m ever down there this would be a cool spot to visit!
We would love to show you around 🚂
man i love your vids they are always a blast, i have been enjoying your vids for over 2 years now and i still love them!
Thanks, that means a lot!
Very interesting... Your curiosity makes your TH-cam channel unique. Thanks.
This was known as the Lithgow Zig Zag, which is on the western edge of the Great Dividing Range, to drop the trains from the top of the range down into the valley, now replace by a deviation of 10 tunnels opened in the early 20 century, there was also a smaller zig zag on the Eastern side of the range not far from Penrith after crossing the Nepean River, this zig zag is now a hiking track, cheers, Garry from DownUnder
So glad it is still running after being burnt out a few years ago, amazing track and the tiny platform you get off and on from Sydney were my favourite
Japan has two zigzag railways in operation. One is the Hakone Tozan tourist railway near Kyoto. The other is a public railway at Okuba on JR Kyushu, on Ebino Kogen Line
Australia’s is better though!
And there's another zig-zag on the Hisatsu Line (as well as at Okoba) at Masaki. Plus there's a number of other locations where there are single reversals, i.e. dead end stations. There are full zig-zags, with 2 reverses, at Tateno near Kumamoto on Kyushu and at Izumo-Satane on the Kisuki Line in Shimane prefecture.
True! I've been on the Hakone "toy train" from Gora to Odawara. I think that is another difference between the Blue Mountains Zig-Zag line and the Tozan line; the Tozan train is more like light rail, while the rolling stock on the Zig-Zag railway is (or used to be) a full size narrow-gauge steam engine with standard (historical) narrow gauge carriages.
Nobody cares American
Great video, it was so much fun!
The Zig Zag railway in NSW runs almost exclusively Queensland railway stock, the train you rode had an American import Mikado which was given the classification of AC16, 218A was shipped down there as well as multiple other locomotives, including a C17, BB18 1/2, DD17 and an Tasmanian class 10. I hope you enjoyed your time in Australia with those kind people.
Absolutely amazing to see you documenting this, I have a special connection to this as a great uncle (John whitton) of mine was the chief engineer for the creation of the track, and also a instrumental member in the creation of railways in NSW thanks for documenting this amazing work of art.
I studied the projects of John Whitton in the early 90s. He was a man of vision, and also had the gift of knowing how to make it happen. Australia has some fantastic pioneers in many fields. Hopefully the Apple didn’t fall far from the tree 😊
Oh yes I know about him from the long decommissioned John Whitton Bridge in Meadowbank and the narrower gauntlet track version in Como decommissioned in 1972.
I came across his statue and plaque in Central Station as well.
The Lithgow train does stop at the zig zag station, although it requires some consideration and planning. Apparently the platform is only a few metres long.
Yep, you only have to ask if you’re planning on getting off there. If you’re departing there you just flag the driver down. Done it many times in the 90s, and often got to ride with the driver or guard on a V set, and occasionally one of the old U boats.
There is also a functional zigzag railway called the Alishan Forest Railway in Chiayi County, Taiwan. It is a 762 mm narrow-gauge railway originally constructed for logging in 1912. Two Shay steam locomotives, No. 25 and No. 31, are still operational. If you have the chance, I warmly welcome you to visit this beautiful railway.
Don't forget No.21 that used to be in Chiayi Park now restored to operation.
I will check it out next time I’m back in Taiwan. What a beautiful country, full of beautiful people! 🇦🇺🇹🇼
There’s also a railway in Peru or Ecuador that has these zig zag sections.
There’s also one in Japan in Hakone
That sounds amazing!
The way it is supposed to work, the points are set, the interlock is engaged and then the signals will allow the handle to move to set them
So you can't set a green signal without the points being correct and the Interlock is engaged
The interlock prevents moving any of the points
The signal can only be set on a route that the points are correct for a green signal and the interlock has been set for those points
Once you set a route and set the points and interlock and give the green you cannot move any of the other levers in that control point
The section of track that has the signals and the points and the interlocks is called the terminal
When you watch the ATCS today from control points on the frequency that they transmit back and forth from the base to the control points and wayside devices you see the progression of the commands where the first command sets each points each switch to its position whether it be normal or reversed and then you see the interlocks engaged and then you see the signal be set to Green
as the train enters the approach block and reaches the separation insulators for the terminal block the train engages the circuit with the wheels on the terminal and the Green falls
The train knocks down the green signal and you see that indication that bit that digital indicator is removed from the atcs
And as long as the train is in the terminal in that block the interlock will not disengage
Once the train has left the terminal block the interlock signal drops
Once this happens the wayside devices the control point sends the signals to the base Tower and the base control points sends the next series of commands for the next movement that's going to happen on that line to the control points and you see the command sent and you see the wayside devices change to reflect the command and their bits change as the commands are executed and each time the control points send the new configuration to the base control point in a DATAGRAM
Each series of 8 bits is called a DWORD
The typical configuration for a simple switch is
Bit 11 is NWK normal switch position
Bit 12 is RWK reversed switch position
Bit 13 is the Interlock
14 is 1NAK north approach block main occupied
15 is SAK South approach block occupied
16 is TK terminal block occupied
17 NGK. Northbound Green Signal
18 1SGK Southbound main Green Signal
21 2NAK north siding occupied
22 2SGK north siding Southbound Green
There are indications for the power being on in normal condition and for battery power being engaged and the power from the utility being off and for the local control being activated from The bungalow and for the door to the bungalow being open and for blocks to be set to protected meaning there is someone out there working and the train Crews are alerted that someone is there by the setting of The protected status on the blocks
But watching the datagrams you actually can see the trains on the lines as they approach and as they go through the signals you see the signal go from green to red on the display and you see the train moving in the box and you see the switches set to the different positions by dispatch
On the track switch heaters also are on one bit so you can tell when the temperature is below 32 and they've turned on the propane heaters to keep the switches from freezing up
It's really amazing how the technology today follows the exact same procedures that they used back when everything was manually done by hand levers
When the electrified the switching system they put relays in the bottom of the towers and the levers when you pull them actually were connecting electrical circuits to the relays and the voltage went to the motors on the switches and the motors on the signals to set them and the digital interlocks were engaged and they had the same protection done digitally that originally was done mechanically
and that same system exists in the bungalows now those silver boxes with the door that you see alongside the tracks where there are switches and signals
When i was a kid ,the tracks were gone,you could drive where the tracks are now .
When the tracks were reinstated, its gone from a rarely visited place ,to one of the most famous, tourist, attractions in this country.
I love the sound of the switch room. The mechanical clicks are beautiful. Well done!
Great to see you back in oz seeing more great places to see. We might not mught not have much vintage trains left but the ones that are still operating are certainly amazing to go on.
What an interesting video! I LOVE steam trains. My dad was worked for the railway and as a boy I used to talk to all those drivers. The stories they had to tell was fascinating to listen to! Every steam driver had their own personalized way of blowing their engines whistle and the reason for that was so that their loved ones would know when they are back in town! Thank you so much for showing us this behind-the-scenes video!
12:21 I love this moment when he talks and causually takes the token.
I live in Brisbane, Qld, which is either 1.5 hour flight or a 10 hour car trip. I remember, as a kid back in the 1980s, we went to see the ZZR but it had closed for the day (it was school holidays). Just in 2022, Mrs Middo and I drove through from Bathurst after a road trip to Sydney and it still wasn't running - it wasn't school holidays.
I'm 52 years old and I've never ridden it.
I'm now driving to Sydney in January (Mrs Middo is flying because she needs to get back for work & I'm retired) so I could nearly convince myself to go out for a ride. The trouble is that now I want the tour you've just done, includingall the switching!
They were probably still rebuilding in 2022. A bunch of fires went through and basically razed most of their infrastructure in 2013, then again in 2019, so its been a long road back for them. If you can make it down, I definitely recommend it. The intercity train stop is very quaint too, only room for two doors on the last carriage on a tiny platform.
i grew up in Mt victoria. 15 mins from here. Good to see a vid on it. I have done it as a kid, i have taken my son on it. Drove past the station at clarence every day for 10 years.. Thanks for the vid. oh and all the ground its built on , has coal seams in it.
to deliver it from usa to aus in those days is cool
there’s another zigzag railway in taiwan that is still operating. it’s called alishan forest railway.
Of course Alishan has 2 zig-zags as well as the triple spiral of Dulishan. Oh, and Shays. :)
Australia’s is better though!
@@cyberprince8272 😆
I have been on both. Both good, but they are very different railways. You definitely get better views from the ZZR's zig zag as the AFR's zig-zags (2) are heavily forested. But then the much longer AFR travels through a very diverse range of scenery and climates. Tropical at one end, alpine at the other.
nobody cares
The detail you go into sets your channel apart from the regular travel type vlogs. Well done!
Greg was so cool, Greg is my favorite
We love Greg
There is also a famous example of a zig-zag railway in India is the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This railway uses a series of switchbacks to ascend the steep slopes of the Himalayas, offering stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys.
There are also zig-zags in South America - southern Argentina near the Andes comes to mind!
Doesn't the shay railway system in the USA climb the mountain via a zig zag system
The DHR has zig zags it crosses across roads and traffic as well as valleys and jungles a truly magnificent sight with the steam engine pulling its coaches without a tender to it’s destination
Amazing journey, built on a two feet gauge to manage the tight mountain turns. Has a storage / workshop house at the top station
In West Virginia, there's a little railroad called Cass. They have a big switch back up the mountain
I would recommend the Cass Scenic Railroad in West Virginia for more zig zags on the mountain route to the summit
The AC16, number 218A was brought over from Queensland in 1975. Number 218A spent it's main line career around Rockhampton. 20 of the AC16 were ordered as part of a WW2 Lend-Lease program and the loco was built by Baldwin (USA), shipped to Sydney in parts and re-assembled in Brisbane. This arrangement where Queensland bought engines from Baldwin was also common in peace time too. Later when the industrial sector in the state matured Queensland built it's own engines - usually by licencing designs from companies like Baldwin.
Not really, the yanks were a development (step backwards) from the C17, this article covers it reasonably well en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USATC_S118_Class?wprov=sfti1
In Peru, the train from Puno to Cusco backs up more than once to climb the grade
5 switchbacks
The train at 2:12 is the Bathurst Bullet, an Endeavour class DMU, which runs between Bathurst and Central twice in the morning, and returns later in the afternoon.
Yes the "Bathurst Bullet" one of the slowest if not the slowest trains in the NSW fleet of trains
@@sjdtmv made worse by the commuter style seats in the Endeavour. Not fun for a 3 hour trip. An eXplorer, which uses the XPT style seats, would have made more sense IMO.
@@arokh72 As I live about 12 mins from Bathurst railway station, it is convienment but very slow
@@sjdtmv The Armidale Explorer tales a very leisurely 8 1/2 hours on it's way up the ranges.
Now these videos that you've been doing with new experiences and teaching the history are fantastic. These are really engaging videos and help people see The technology that started it all
Love a good train journey with you, since I got lucky and the algorithm landed you on my feed, I’ve been motivated to take more rail journeys, I use trains three days a week now, I adore rail travel, it’s so relaxing. Thank you for taking us along.
I had the pleasure to ride the Zigzag railway 25 years ago. What a fantastic experience. I even got the opportunity to be shown through the engine shed. Great to see that it’s still up and running, thanks to the efforts of those hard working people.
The whole Zig-Zig track and the locomotive seems awesome. It reminds me of silent movies. Love the aesthetic.
There are, actually, several railroads in the US that have switchbacks. The Roaring Camp Narrow Gauge in Santa Cruz, CA and the Cass Scenic Railroad in Cass, WV are just two that come to mind domestically.
Great job on the video. Love watching your. Adventures. Keep it up and have a blessed Christmas.
Awesome. I went on it earlier this year, great experience.
Another great video Mike. It's remarkable how much knowledge is required to operate a steam engine.
Absolutely adored the Thomas the Tank Engine days they did when I was a kid seeing real steam trains with 'faces' blew my mind
Ive lived in australia for all my life and only found out about this today. This is sick, definitely need to experience this.
Knowing how to drive the vintage stream trains is a dying trade.
Love to meet you one day, You inspire me to go outside ❤️
This seems like something that @Hyce would love to see in action with the mechanical interlocking!
Another fantastic video Mike. I don't know how they do that all the time without going deaf. The lever switching seemed very confusing, but I guess they learn it well to not mess up the switches. I would love to get to Australia and ride this.
LOVE the stream engine whistle blowing train! 🦊🚂
I had a cab ride on the Zig Zag many years ago. A friend was a volunteer Guard on the train. It really is exciting riding in a steam loco, although you’d better be prepared to get dirty and the noise is deafening. You can really feel the power of the engine.
Wonderful to see! Four generations of my family did this trip last Christmas ❤
In Perù there is a zigzag train too. Thanks for sharing. Nice video.
it's been a long time since i saw it on T.V. but there was a switch back in India using a engine that looked half the size of that one and with more switches
NO WAY YOU CAME TO THE BLUE MOUNTAINS! I have lived here my whole life, my parents use to take me on that railway when I was a little kid before it closed for ages because of bushfires and only just reopened.
I remember going to the harry potter day as a kid in the early 2000s,
I absolutely loved this.
Very cool Mike! Yet another thing I gotta add to the "Do before kicking the bucket" list. Haha.
It's an amazing experience, I did it as a child and now as a father I have done the trip with my child.. totally amazing
There's other train services in Thirlmere and down the South Coast (Wollongong) on the weekends sometimes. Lots to see here! Have fun and thank you for the video
Im not a big commenter on here. But i wanted to let you know i love your adventures. And this video was so good at explaining things. Great job and keep up the great videos.
Very interesting seeing and feeling how the steam engine works. Amazing machines.
I love the interlocking tower. Those used to be everywhere in America before centralized traffic control. Now there’s only a couple few left. Even at that, they are computer controlled rather than lever controlled. Ex. Fostoria, Ohio.
Come to Australia, we will show you through ours 🚂
@ I might do that. Now the Coshocton Model Railroad Club in Ohio did actually save the guts of an interlocking tower and replicated the junction on the layout. So when you throw those huge levers, it actually changes the signal aspects and switches the tracks on an HO layout. Humorous and cool at the same time.
Another good place to go to in NSW is the rail museum in the town of Thirlmere. There’s both static and operational steam locomotives there, including the 3801 which is the most famous steam locomotive in Australia.
I recently was in Sydney and the 3801 did a special trip across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
My parents took me here as a kid. Very fond memories.
Thanks for sharing
in the US the Moffit Tunnel replaced a zig zag that took almost a full day to climb and descend, tunnel took one full day off trip
I don't know what the time saving is, but the 10 Tunnels is what replaced the Zig Zag Railway in this video.
@@johnleonard2202it was not so much the time saving, there were a number of major accidents which was the trigger for the New South Wales Government to do something about removing a major bottleneck in the railway.
I travelled through the Moffat Tunnel a few years back aboard the California Zephyr. It took all of 11 minutes.
Show my age now….My grandfather was actually an engine driver on the Zig Zag…he was also the engine driver for the Dubbo, Orange to Sydney train…my Uncle also became an engine driver and I also used to go from Orange NSW to Sydney for diabetes treatment every second week end because we only had a base hospital…this was a steam train and it travelled overnight. When he was driving he often used to cook eggs and sausages in a pan over the coals and give them to my mum and myself upon on arrival when we did the reverse trip back to Orange. ….He would steal a bag of wheat then throw it off the train at Four Mile Creek..when he got back to Orange after his shift he would go and pick up the wheat take it home to feed his chocks…My great grandfather also worked on the railways as a supervisor when the tracks were being laid from Sydney, Lithgow (this also included many now abandoned stations in between) Orange to Dubbo. I now live in Queensland and became a member of the AHRS (Australian Historical Railway Society) to help preserve steam engines and my father was a fitter and Turner who also volunteered to work on the engines at weekends…I have made the journey from Brisbane to Sydney every year going on the now defunct Brisbane Limited which I always had a sleeper..and now it has been replaced with an EXP which some people may not know has a few hidden sleepers at the back and a communal shower room…instead of 1st and 2nd class reclining seats…Queensland and NSW also have different gauge tracks which the NSW famous 3801 when making visits can only come as far as Beaudesert in QLD.
When I was newly married (1980) my wife and I travelled on our honeymoon on the Brisbane Limited to Brissie. In those days it terminated at South Brisbane Station, having been extended from the earlier terminus that you mentioned. The Standard Gauge has since been extended all the way across the Brisbane River to Roma St Station. We have since travelled on the diesel push-pull XPT (sleeper cabin) from Sydney to Roma St Station - not quite as nice as the old loco-hauled Brisbane Limited.
Another great video as always! This Zigzag Railway looks really cool, and the fact that it's a steam train makes it even more awesome! I definitely might add this to my bucket list if I ever get the chance to come to Australia!
Love your train videos! You missed a great one when you were in Alaska! I was hoping you were going to check out the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad in Skagway, Alaska while you were there. About 20 years ago I hired out a private caboose from them for $1000 (but that included up to 6 people, plus sodas and snacks, so it really wasn’t bad at all), and they attached the caboose to the back of one of their trains. We took it to Lake Bennett and back, which is an all-day affair. I think the scenery beats what you saw on the Alaska Railroad. They use both diesel-electric locomotives as well as steam engines. Hoping maybe you’ll consider doing a video about it if you ever head back up that way. You would absolutely LOVE both Skagway, and the railroad! 😉
What a fantastical eclectic range of videos you have been putting up. All different apart from being very very interesting.
Interesting railway , Enjoyed video , thanks
The steam loco is a S-118 class. Like dollywood express 192
Correct here is some info for those following at home: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USATC_S118_Class?wprov=sfti1
I never knew it reopened, looking forward to the Harry Potter Wizard express and Thomas day out days
Didn’t expect you to be a 20 minute drive from where I live
Incredible engineering feat from the 1860s !
Now running ex Queensland locos and carriages.
3’6” gauge too.
This is 5km away from the city I was born in (Lithgow NSW) back in 1954..It is the best rail museum in Australia and if you come to Australia,please visit this museum!!
Fantastic! we love it when you do train videos. Lots of great info and lots of fun too!
Good to see you back in Oz 🌞
The Zig Zag is is an Awesome day out, I live in Blaxland and have been there a few times. I took my son on a Harry Potter night in Winter (snowing and Magical). Staff are great with kids and Adults if you come to Australia it's an essential fro any train buff Best regards Andrew (great video by the way mate)
Love the zig zag railway rode on it as a kid. its great it finally reopened again
There's another zig zag unused at lapstone near Emu Plains you can walk the old cuttings ..
Just as a side note, that interlock system is similar to how some locks work for doors (disc detainers, combination locks, etc)
Thanks for sharing this video experience with us. Great watching
That was great thanks Mike.
love it ..
really enjoyed it and watched in full to the end … very interesting … 👏🏻 … thanks for sharing and greetings from 🇮🇩 Indonesia
🇦🇺❤🚂
Oh what memories are coming back for me. Born & raised in Sydney. I remember when my parents & grandparents went out for a day on the Zig Zag back in 1988. There were a few other locomotives running on this track back then. Was very popular as going outside was how you entertained yourself back then. I remember alot of sun glare reflecting off the rock wall cuttings. Wearing wool jumpers knitted by grandmother & having to wash coal ash out of hair. Now, a new fleet of electric trains running between Sydney & Newcastle with air conditioning & phone chargers & power outlets were not even thought-of back in 1988; well the air conditioning was in some of the classes of trains in 1988 like the V-set & new TANGARA trains, but not power outlets. Drove past the Zig Zag a few years ago coming back home from a town called Orange, it was when they were still rebuilding the Zig Zag after a bushfire (forest fire) destroyed alot of the infrastructure & some of the locomotives & carriages which I rode on in 1988 but are not there today for you. Glad you loved the Zig Zag, it's a treasure for Sydneysiders.
Traveling up to the Zig zag railway before the tracks were laid & after they were reinstated was something we did a lot in the 1970s & 80s with our kids. It was always an enjoyable day out. I walked through that last top tunnel upto the station before it was opened to the trains. Then trekked back down to where it originally finished to catch the train down to the Western rail line to catch the train home to Penrith. That was the last time I got to visit the rail line as my son left shortly after to go & live with his father. I am so glad that it is open once more as it would be a shame to close down after all the work that went into restoring it all. I think it has also featured in a movie at some stage.
@@louisebrislane6607 Back in the 80s these two men made a band called CHULLORA JUNCTION & made a song about the 3801 & The Zig Zag Railway too.
th-cam.com/video/rSIbEfDncYU/w-d-xo.html
The 3801 song can be found on the same YT channel this song is on.
New Zealand next! Wooohooooo
Blue Mountains Sydney 😊 great to see it up and running again 🙏
Sign me up. 🤘🤘
So glad you got to ride this on your trip to Oz. Fun!!
Thanks for sharing this with us.
The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway has several "Z" sections . Probably older than the one you are showing. It's a beautiful narrow gauge railway with the tiny coaches being hauled by a small steam / diesel locomotive.
Thank you for an informative video. Regardless of comments, in my opinion, well done!
I am so sad to be living in a time when all this analog technology is replaced by boring computers with no moving parts.
Now that's a locomotive type familiar to me! The tweetsie railroad, dollywood railroad have the fully American cousins of the 218 in North Carolina and Tennessee respectively. The ride does also remind me of the Cass Scenic Railroad, perhaps you should visit whenever you find your way back to the US! They have a lot of geared logging steam locomotives!