Description
SCHEDULE
Over half the 206 tickets for this ride have already been sold as at 8th August, so you will need to be quick to ensure that you don’t miss out!
There are no holds for the club so bookings are essential.
The ride is from Clarence to Bottom Points, and Return on the 10:30am train from Clarence on Sunday the 8th of October.
Meeting Point is the McDonalds car park at 242 Windsor Road (corner of Groves Avenue) Vineyard NSW at 7:45am.
Drivers Briefing 8:15am
Depart 8:30am
Arrive at Clarence 10:00am
Train departs at 10:30am
Lunch at your own cost after the train returns is currently being organised at another venue.
RUN RULES
- Fill your car with fuel before you get to the meeting point.
- Drive with headlights on.
- Tune to channel 18 on your UHF radio
- Do not overtake Run Leader
- Keep up with the group and don’t lag. Gaps over 3 seconds increases the chances of cars getting caught at traffic lights.
- If you get separated or break down contact the Run Leader on your UHF radio
ZIG ZAG RAILWAY
The Zig Zag Railway was first opened in 1869 as part of the Western Railway line that linked Sydney with Western New South Wales. This railway line was used to transport people and produce from the western plains of NSW to and from Sydney.
In 1910, a ten tunnel deviation was completed and the Great Lithgow Zig Zag closed and the original formation was declared as a reserve by the Crown. 50 years later, the Zig Zag Railway was born.
Many will remember the Zig Zag Railway from their childhood – riding the train in the 70s, 80s or 90s. Come and relive the magic of steam trains and admire how much it has changed (and hasn’t) since you last came aboard.
ZIG ZAG RAILWAY CO-OP
In the early 1970s, a group of volunteers founded the Zig Zag Railway Co-Op – a voluntary, not for profit organisation. The volunteers began to relay the track and acquire locomotives and rollingstock with the idea of restarting passenger services. The Zig Zag Railway Co-Op carried the first passengers in 1975 between Top Points and Bottom Points.
In 1988, the Railway was extended to Clarence, with the assistance of a Bicentenary grant and supplemented the steam train services with diesel railmotors on weekdays.
Unfortunately, in 2012 the railway was forced to close due to rising costs and the increasingly complex regulatory requirements of operating a railway. Following the closure, two significant bushfires and a flood devastated the railway and left the site damaged and volunteers with an enormous challenge.
Since then, our wonderful community has been working hard to return the railway to its former glory. This work has seen the restoration of locomotives, passenger carriages and all 11 kilometres of track – and we’re so glad to have you back!
