Blue Mountains bushfires: Zig Zag Railway fire fails to de-rail 2020 comeback
Australia’s famous heritage railway, near the eye of the Gospers Mountain bushfire, has once again been scorched by flames but this hasn’t dampened the spirits of volunteers.
The Blue Mountains News
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Australia’s famous heritage railway, near the eye of the Gospers Mountain bushfire, has once again been scorched by flames but this hasn’t dampened the spirits of volunteers.
“It’s not as catastrophic as it could have been,” a spokeswoman for the popular family attraction, Zig Zag Railway, told The Blue Mountains News ahead of today’s dangerous fire conditions across NSW.
When the massive emergency-level Gospers mega-blaze burnt towards the Zig Zag Railway on December 20-21, the non-profit Zig Zag Railway Co-op Ltd lost an office, some small buildings, a toilet block and many sleepers — but firefighters were able to save the critical infrastructure and carriages.
“While there’s a lot of damage and there’s a lot of work to do, it could have been a lot worse,” Zig Zag’s spokeswoman told The News.
“We were very lucky not to lose the (train) station and the top point signal box.”
“We did lose some carriages, but they’d been heavily vandalised and weren’t carriages we were actively restoring. We didn’t lose anything at the depot.”
She said volunteers at the tourist railway had prepared for the worst as the spectre of the enormous Gospers Mountain blaze loomed large over the Clarence township just before Christmas, heeding the advice of the RFS to move some of the carriages into an area where they thought they would be as safe as possible.
She said despite their losses, they are optimistically looking forward to the future, and are still hoping to reopen in 2020. “We just have to make sure there’s still no trees smouldering or will fall,” she said.
The Zig Zag Railway was burnt by bushfires on October 17, 2013, and personnel from the RAAF Base Glenbrook assisted with recovery efforts. It has remained closed for refurbishment ever since.
This has been the longest time the full size, narrow gauge tourist railway has been offline since it was built in the 1860s, to transport people and produce from the western plains of NSW to Sydney.
The trains, track and rolling stock are maintained and operated by volunteers from the non-profit Zig Zag Railway Co-op Ltd who had hoped to re-open the railway last year, before facing down the Gospers Mountain mega-blaze. But mother nature wasn’t having any of it.
“Part of the track was washed away in a large storm and had to be rebuilt,” Zig Zag’s spokeswoman said.
The state government gave the project a $2.3 million helping hand in November, with funds to go towards clearing and resealing the car park, refurbishing the amenities building and crossing, track works and the installation of two electric charging stations.
This comes on top of $268,000 committed in October as part of the NSW Government's $16.5 million Crown Reserves Improvement Fund.
An exact opening date has not been set in stone, but more volunteer days and inductions are planned.
Zig Zag’s spokeswoman said the tourist railway is always on the lookout for more volunteers. Roles can include being a driver, fireman, guard, guide, stationmaster, signalman, or doing track maintenance.
“Some volunteers are developing and running the training programs. Others are applying for grants, or they are board members,” she said.
“We have volunteers on the Central Coast, in Sydney, even in Queensland — a lot of them have a train passion, while others just like the tourist side of things,” Zig Zag’s spokeswoman said.
Where required Zig Zag Railway provides training courses for accreditation under the Rail Safety Act.
To volunteer or donate call 1300 ZIG ZAG (944 924) or email info@zigzagrailway.com.au.