45-663: Lithgow may refer to: Lithgow, New South Wales , a town in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia City of Lithgow , an Australian local government area Lithgow (surname) , a surname of Scottish origin Lithgow, New York , a hamlet in Dutchess County, New York, United States See also [ edit ] All pages with titles containing Lithgow All pages with titles beginning with Lithgow Lithgows ,
90-566: A Wizards Express event held a couple of times per year. During most school holidays, steam services ran every day. Passengers could join the service at Bottom Points where Zig Zag railway station is served by NSW TrainLink services from Sydney or at Clarence which is adjacent to the Bells Line of Road . The locomotives and rolling stock on the Zig Zag Railway have been mainly sourced from Queensland Railways , but there are also items from
135-517: A Scottish company Lythgoe , a surname Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Lithgow . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lithgow&oldid=1136933555 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
180-595: Is a free fortnightly paper – The Central West Village Voice. The Lithgow Mercury is a newspaper published weekly. Local bus services are operated by Lithgow Buslines . Lithgow railway station on the Main Western railway line is the terminus for NSW TrainLink Blue Mountains Line services from Sydney . As well as being a calling point for the Bathurst Bullet , Central West Express and Outback Xplorer services to Bathurst , Dubbo and Broken Hill , it
225-720: Is adjacent to a number of national parks and other attractions. Places to visit include the Zig Zag Railway , Glow Worm Tunnel, Newnes in the Wolgan Valley and Glen Davis in the Capertee Valley , the second largest canyon in the world. Other attractions include the Hartley Historic Site, Lithgow Small Arms Factory Museum, Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway and the Eskbank House Museum. Lithgow
270-461: Is also close to Jenolan Caves , which are a World Heritage Area and lie to the south of Lithgow. The most popular tourist event in Lithgow is Ironfest , an annual cultural heritage event that attracts over 10,000 visitors. Ironfest hosts the annual St George's Day Jousting Tournament which involves contestants from all around the world. The festival also features a colonial battle re-enactment, called
315-598: Is an Australian heritage railway , situated near Lithgow , New South Wales . It was opened by the not-for-profit Zig Zag Railway Co-op as an unpaid volunteer-staffed heritage railway in October 1975, using the alignment of the Lithgow Zig Zag line that formed part of the Main Western line between 1869 and 1910. The line climbs the western flank of the Blue Mountains , using railway zig zags to gain height. Operation of
360-520: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Lithgow, New South Wales Lithgow is a town in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales , Australia and is the administrative centre of the City of Lithgow local government area. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow . Lithgow
405-632: Is home to the Jurassic-age tree the Wollemi Pine , which was found growing in a remote canyon in the park. The city sits on the western edge of the sandstone country of the Blue Mountains and is usually considered the first true country town west of Sydney . Immediate surrounding areas include the old mining hamlet of Vale of Clwydd and Oakey Park, a famous iron and steel village, of which fiery night scenes have been depicted in many paintings, as well as large areas of bush and state forest. The next city to
450-551: Is on the Great Western Highway , about 150 km (95 mi) west of Sydney , or via the old mountain route, Bells Line of Road , from Windsor . At June 2021 Lithgow had an urban population of 11,197. Lithgow is surrounded by a varied landscape characterised by seven valleys which include national parks, one of which, the Blue Mountains National Park , is a World Heritage Area. The Wollemi National Park
495-490: Is one of the few Australian cities to see snow, though mostly insignificant in quantity due to the winter rain shadow brought about by the ranges to the west of the city. One major event was the late-season snowfall in October 2014, where 20 centimetres (7.9 in) of snow fell. In 1848, iron smelting began in Mittagong , Australia. It proved unprofitable for the remainder of the 19th century. This situation remained until
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#1732859180503540-661: Is the terminus for road coach services from Orange , Grenfell , Dubbo , Nyngan , Parkes and Coonabarabran . In 1983, the State Rail Authority opened the Lithgow Locomotive Maintenance Centre at the eastern end of Lithgow. It is today operated by Pacific National . Southern Shorthaul Railroad has a maintenance facility at the Lithgow State Mine Heritage Park & Railway . Zig Zag Railway The Zig Zag Railway
585-596: The 2019–2020 bushfires damaged key infrastructure. The COVID-19 pandemic further delayed restoration. Heritage train services resumed on 27 May 2023. The Lithgow Zig Zag was constructed as part of the Main Western line and opened on the 19 October 1869. Between Lithgow and Clarence , the Main Western line needed to climb the western flank of the Blue Mountains, overcoming a vertical distance of 550 ft (170 m). The alternative eventually decided upon required
630-512: The South Australian Railways and Emu Bay Railway . The collection includes Queensland Railways 2000 class rail motors , Queensland Railways Evans carriages, Emu Bay Railway diesel locomotives, South Australian Railways end platform carriages and several older carriages and a considerable number of freight style vehicles that are used for demonstration trains, fire fighting, and track and infrastructure repair and maintenance. During
675-608: The Ten Tunnels Deviation , a double-tracked route that by-passed the two reversing stations and the upper two inclines, although retaining the Bottom Road with its 1:42 gradient. Once this was completed, the by-passed section was closed in October 1910. The main railway corridor of the Great Zig Zag Railway forms part of a Reserve administered by Government, it is administered by a trust made up of volunteers. The area
720-412: The 'Battle of Lithgow' which involves over 120 participants, kitted out in fully authentic 19th century apparel, and involving cavalry, infantry and artillery. As well as these two historical re-enactment events Ironfest includes historical & auto displays, blacksmith demonstrations, art exhibitions, workshops and demonstrations, as well as live music and performances. The Lithgow Greyhound Racing Club
765-591: The 1920s. At that time, it was estimated that the railway would take a full year to recover from the State Mine Fire. Heavy rain then caused subsequent damage to an embankment near the western end of the Clarence tunnel, the platform area at Top Points, and to the run around loop track at Bottom Points. In September 2017, restoration of vehicles and infrastructure were still being undertaken and hopes were for recommencement of services as soon as safe and practical. Due to
810-518: The Act, that took effect for all heritage railway operators from 1 January 2007. On 1 April 2011, an incident occurred resulting in a collision between a maintenance vehicle and a two-car rail motor, between Clarence and Top Points stations. Travelling in opposite directions and carrying one passenger (in the Hy-rail ) plus one driver of each rail vehicle, two injuries were sustained. A subsequent investigation by
855-567: The Independent Transport Safety Regulator (ITSR), an agency of the Government of New South Wales that regulates safety and accredits railway operators, identified the Zig Zag Railway (and one other operator) as a "higher risk" isolated line operator because of its complex operations and high numbers of passenger trips. The ITSR gave Zig Zag Co-operative additional time to develop a safety improvement plan in order to comply with
900-513: The New South Wales 1,435 mm ( 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ) to allow locomotives and carriages to be procured from these states. In 1975, the new track was complete on the Middle Road between Bottom Points and Top Points. On 29 August 1975 1046 operated the first journey from Bottom Points to Top Points. Services commenced on 18 October 1975, the 106th anniversary of
945-592: The Office of Transport Safety Investigations found that the principal error was miscommunication. The inquiry also identified that a number of other factors were found to have contributed to the collision. From March 2012, only railcars could be operated and in June 2012, the ITSR ordered a cessation of all services until a number of safety issues were addressed. The railway was then aiming to resume services in October 2013. The railway
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#1732859180503990-978: The Zig Zag Trust, the Department of Lands and the Lithgow City Council . In 1972, the Lithgow Switchback Railway Co-op Limited was formed and this became the Zig Zag Railway Co-operative Limited in 1974. At this time, the Commissioner for Railways only made heritage locomotives and rolling stock available to the officially sponsored New South Wales Rail Transport Museum . Thus the line was relaid to 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) narrow gauge as used in Queensland , South Australia and Tasmania rather than
1035-650: The areas surrounding Lithgow is one of the largest power stations in NSW, the Mount Piper Power Station . The Wallerawang Power Station closed in 2014 and was subsequently demolished. The Lithgow Power Station was operational from 1928 to 1964. At the 2021 census , there were 12,385 people in Lithgow. Lithgow has a number of heritage-listed sites, including the following listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register : In addition,
1080-496: The cessation of steam services in March 2012. Works trains had previously only operated on the Middle Road (Bottom Points to Top Points) due to the extensive damage at Clarence caused by the 2013 embankment slip. In March 2020, the railway was well into the project of making the rail corridor safe when storms struck Zig Zag, this impacted the return to service the railway was heading for. The ability of workers and volunteers to come onsite
1125-461: The complexity of repairs and reinstatement infrastructure, the re-opening was hoped for late 2019, but all hopes were dashed with the damage from the 2019 bushfires. The railway’s website and Facebook page both have updates on the redevelopment. In late December 2019, the Zig Zag Railway was hit by the Gospers Mountain bushfire. The station buildings and most of the rolling stock survived with
1170-450: The construction of the Lithgow Zig Zag between 1866 and 1869. The line was opened as far as Bowenfels , just to the west, in 1869, but Lithgow station was not opened until 1877. Although it was superseded in 1910 by more modern engineering methods, including ten tunnels , parts of the Zig Zag have been developed into a popular tourist attraction. Following a period of industrialisation in
1215-711: The development of the reserve, in 1969, the Reserve was transferred to Lithgow Council. In 1990, the Reserve was placed in the Trust of the Zig Zag Railway Co-Op. In 1967, as the end of steam operation in New South Wales approached, a group of steam enthusiasts headed by Ian Thornton were keen to establish an operating steam museum. The Lithgow Zig Zag was chosen as a suitable site based on its accessibility by day-trippers from Sydney, its scenery, abundant water supplies and availability of coal. In March 1969, negotiations commenced with
1260-617: The early 1970s, four ex-NSWR sleeping cars were located at the Bottom Points of the Zig Zag to provide stationary sleeping accommodation, meal and ablution facilities for its volunteer train crews and workers. Unfortunately, these were all destroyed by the 2013 fires. Five South Australian Railways end platform carriages made redundant by the opening of the standard gauge Broken Hill railway line were purchased in 1972 and these were used to inaugurate services. A set of five end platform carriages
1305-502: The early 20th century when no iron ore was being smelted. The only iron being cast was by William Sandford in Lithgow. His works were bought by G. & C. Hoskins in 1907, who had previously been making iron pipes in Sydney. The Lithgow works acquired a reputation for industrial disputes. Lithgow's range of both small and major retailers include: Lithgow has one major shopping centre , Lithgow Valley Plaza. With over 500 parking spaces,
1350-445: The exception of a few already vandalised carriages. The toilet block, storage areas, communications hut, signalling equipment, water and power supplies and main office with the past 45 years of records were all destroyed along with an estimated 1500 sleepers all of which pushed the reopening a few years back. On 24 July 2020, diesel locomotive 1004 became the first locomotive to travel from Bottom Points Station to Clarence station since
1395-538: The following sites were listed on the (now defunct) Register of the National Estate : Lithgow was also the location of an alleged assassination attempt on the life of Queen Elizabeth II in 1970. Lithgow features a moderate oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ) with mild to warm summers, cool to cold winters and generally steady precipitation year-round. Despite its location on highlands, Lithgow manages to have 90.3 clear days annually. Lithgow
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1440-536: The heritage railway was suspended in 2012 following accreditation issues with the Government of New South Wales . The railway was aiming to resume services in October 2013, but was then severely damaged during the 2013 NSW bushfires and then subsequently by torrential rain. Repairs and trials of restored rail vehicles and track commenced in August 2016 and it was planned to re-commence limited heritage operations in 2019, until
1485-438: The late 1860s and 1870s, the town of Lithgow boomed during the 1880s, and it was incorporated as a borough in 1889. The town situated in the centre of a coal mining district and there is one coal-powered power station nearby. It is the site of Australia's first commercially viable steel mill , the ruins of which are open for inspection at "Blast Furnace Park". Due to the abundance of coal and relative proximity to Sydney , in
1530-440: The line, and there were several accidents with runaway trains at the reversing points. Attempts were made to mitigate this by realigning the track and relocating and extending the reversing stations, but the problems continued. As early as 1885, plans for alleviating the Zig Zag problem involved the construction of a 2 mi (3.2 km) long tunnel. This was said to provide little gain for the cost proposed. In 1908, work began on
1575-494: The original opening. On 4 April 1987, the line was opened along the Top Road between Top Points and Mt Sinai Halt and on 29 October 1988, through to Clarence . A further extension to meet the Main Western line at Newnes Junction has been started with track laid for 50% of the distance. On 25 January 1996, locomotive 1072 derailed after hitting maintenance equipment. No injuries are known to be reported. In August 2006,
1620-415: The plaza has two anchor stores and over 30 specialty retailers including: The Lithgow District Chamber of Commerce has been providing advocacy, events and services for local retailers and the economy of Lithgow and the surrounding towns and villages since 2015. Lithgow offers a unique range of retail and specialised boutique stores along the main street, along with a large variety of quality cafes Lithgow
1665-469: The suspension of services in 2012, the Zig Zag Railways was unique in New South Wales being the only heritage operator to run every day except Christmas Day. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays railmotors were operated. Every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday a steam locomotive with train would operate with Sunday having a two train timetable. Special events included Day Out with Thomas and
1710-463: The use of two railway zig zags where all trains had to reverse. The line had a ruling grade of 1:42 (~2.38%) on three inclines known as the Top Road (above Top Points ), Middle Road (between the two zig zags) and Bottom Road (below Bottom Points ). The line included several short tunnels and some viaducts. The steep gradients and need to reverse trains proved to be a serious bottleneck to traffic on
1755-457: The west is Bathurst , 60 km (37 mi) away. Lithgow is in the NSW State electorate of Bathurst , while federally it is part of electorate of Calare . Lithgow is the western terminus for the electric section of the Main Western railway line from Sydney. It is home to the Zig Zag Railway . The mountainous terrain of the Blue Mountains and the expense of building long tunnels required
1800-645: Was established in 1928 and its Saturday race meetings are also a popular tourist attraction. The annual feature event is the Lithgow Golden Muzzle held every December, which is sponsored by the Lithgow Workers Club. Electronic media in Lithgow is represented by commercial radio stations 2LT and Move FM operated by Midwest Radio Network , public broadcasters ABC and SBS , and commercial networks Seven , WIN and Southern Cross 10 , 7two , 7mate , 9Gem , 9Go! , 10 Bold and 10 Peach . There
1845-568: Was impacted by COVID-19 restrictions in NSW between March and September 2020 and June and November 2021, slowing the progress of work on the railway. Additionally, the railway has been repeatedly affected by weather events, such as storms in January and March 2022. The line reopened on 27 May 2023. The railway celebrated its reopening and 154th anniversary on 21 October 2023 with a tape-cutting ceremony, pre-booked steam train rides, local performances, displays, heritage buses and market stalls. Prior to
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1890-425: Was proclaimed a public reserve in 1881 which was one of the first public reserves in NSW, originally supervised by Blaxland Shire Council. In 1946, it was added to the Trust that administered Hassan's Walls, the trust opened Top Road to road traffic in 1949. In 1964, it added the picnic shelter under number 1 Viaduct, naming it in recognition of H K Cockerton Place. Cockerton served as a trustee for 17 years, instigating
1935-816: Was purchased in 1974 from the Public Transport Commission of NSW but ultimately not used when 15 Evans side door compartment carriages were purchased from Queensland Railways in 1986 went into service instead. Subsequently additional carriages were purchased from the Beaudesert Railway . Zig Zag Railway has a variety of four-wheeled and eight-wheeled freight, fire fighting, and works vehicles. These include fuel and water tank cars, hopper wagons, flat wagons and covered and louvered vans. These vehicles have been sourced from NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory, and Tasmania. It also had one Hi-Rail vehicle (that can operate on road or rail). In 2003,
1980-494: Was severely damaged by the 'State Mine Fire', part of the October 2013 bushfires . The railway suffered millions of dollars of damage which included ten passenger carriages and four accommodation carriages. The most extensive damage caused by the fires was at Bottom Points workshop where most of the north side was destroyed. This included the spare parts stores, offices and most of the machine shop. Electrical equipment to operate signals
2025-403: Was totally destroyed as was the repeater tower for the safety radio communication system and the internal telephone lines and exchange. One thousand new railway sleepers were also lost as was the caretaker's converted accommodation carriage. Locomotive 1047 which had been stored behind Bottom Points workshop was also badly damaged. Much of the damage was suffered by original railway equipment from
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