Clarence Tunnel

105 years ago the 500 metre long Clarence tunnel still carried the main western railway line into the New South Wales interior. The great "Zig Zag" which constituted this section of the line was bypassed by much faster and higher spec tracks in 1910, leaving the Zig Zag bridges, track beds and Clarence Tunnel lying unused until 1975. It was then that the volunteer "Zig Zag Railway" began nearly 40 years of operation using narrow gauge track and rolling stock from Queensland. It, too, closed down a few years back after a series of misadventures and will probably remain closed although the fading organisation, which still controls the bits and pieces, continues to unrealistically insist otherwise.

Sadly the railway infrastructure has rotted away and/or has been vandalised since last it operated. Most of it is in a terrible mess. The costs of recommissioning and the labour required must now be prohibitive and the number of legal operating regulations, which have to be complied with, must forever remain beyond the capabilities of a small group, one would think. I earnestly hope that I will get a big surprise one day .... but I don't think so.

A "Derelict Thursday" blip perhaps?

Anyway I have blipped various aspects of the old railway in the past, even a few dating back to the time when the railway still operated. Things look pretty sad right now I am afraid.