Zig Zagging in the Blue Mountains, NSW

We visited our family in Sydney back in October on one special day we decided to go for a stream train ride. We had been talking about do this trip for some years and finally did it. A great family experience.

Touring at the Zig Zag Railway near Lithgow. This BP 218 engine was built in Philadelphia, USA during WWII and served NSW Railways carting frieght over the Blue Mountains. Today it is a tourist train. The zigzag was a major switchback system to get heavy loaded trains over the steep grades of the Blue Mountains during and after the War. Eventually modern diesels & new tracks and tunnels replaced the zig zag but all the equipment and tracks were saved by a smart volunteer group. Now it operates with the approval of NSW Rail on the old separate track system.

One of the old beautiful bridges on the Zig Zag.

This is the sort of terrain that the old steam trains had to cross to get to the western plains of NSW. Now lots of cars and big trucks cross by road over the mountains with the rail frieght and passenger trains using modern track systems. Plus we have the beautiful Blue Mountains National Park to visit that attracts visitors from all over the world.

Really old train carriages with windows that open (for the smell of the steam train) and lots of doors bring back memories of slow travel for older people and for young people who did’nt have that experience. We had a great time with our family.

If you want to know more click here: Zig-Zag railway story here