Kalamunda Zig Zag

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View from the Zig Zag railway c1920.

Completed in 1891, the Kalamunda Zig Zag line in Australia was built by the Canning Jarrah Timber Company to supply railway sleepers to Perth's growing railway system. It ran from Midland Junction through to the Darling Ranges and up into Kalamunda. It was later extended to Pickering Brook and then on to Karagullen. From Pickering Brook, the line was also run to Bartons Mill. In 1903 the line was taken over by the Western Australian Government Railways and became known as the Upper Darling Range Branch, which ran it until 1949 when it was closed.

The line was so steep (1 in 30 grade), that the engine would alternate between pushing and pulling the load.

The Zig Zag has since been converted into a scenic, narrow bitumen road. The road is one-way for most of the Zig Zag, and is not recommended for hiking. Every year the Shire of Kalamunda holds a Zig Zag Festival in which the Zig Zag is closed to all but pedestrians, providing people with the opportunity to admire the views and see the area's wildflowers; the Zig Zag is a part of the Darling Range Regional Park.

There have been moves by enthusiasts to resurrect the rail line on the Zig Zag formation, and the Kalamunda council in principle does not object to the project. It would appear funds are lacking for the feasibility studies required.

[edit] Reference

Watson, Lindsay The Railway History Of Midland Junction : Commemorating The Centenary Of Midland Junction, 1895-1995 Swan View, W.A : L & S Drafting in association with the Shire of Swan and the Western Australian Light Railway Preservation Association, [1995]