The Kalamunda Zig Zag was completed in 1891, as part of the Upper Darling Range Railway line in Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

 which was built by the Canning Jarrah Timber Company to supply railway sleepers to Perth's

Perth, Western Australia

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....

 growing railway system.
The sections of the railway that make up the zig zag

Zig zag

Zigzag is a jagged, regular pattern.Zig zag, Zig Zag, Zigzag, or Zig-zag may also refer to:- Animals :* Several types of salamander living in the U.S.:** Southern Zigzag Salamander** Northern Zigzag Salamander...

: -

1. Ridge Hill (lower section of Zig Zag)
2. Bottom Points
3. Statham's Quarry
   Statham's Quarry
   Statham's Quarry is the site of a quarry on the Darling Scarp on the southern side of the entrance of the Helena River valley on to the Swan Coastal Plain in Perth, Western Australia...
   
    [known also as Perth City Council Siding (from 1920) ]
4. Number 3 Points
5. Top Points (upper section of Zig Zag)

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

Shire of Kalamunda

The Shire of Kalamunda is a Local Government Area in the eastern suburbs of the Western Australian capital city of Perth, located about east of Perth's central business district. The Shire covers an area of , much of which is state forest rising into the Darling Scarp to the east...

 holds a Zig Zag Walk event, 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. The Zig Zag Walk occurs around early October every year. On the last Sunday of October each year, there is a community Arts Festival called the Zig Zag Festival held in Stirk Park Kalamunda.

The Zig Zag is also used as a stage in the Targa West

Targa West

Targa West is a rally event held in and around Perth, Western Australia. The event takes its name from the Targa Florio, a former motoring event held on the island of Sicily, as well as more recent Australian events including Targa Tasmania, now defunct East Coast Targa, Targa New Zealand and...

 Rally. The road is closed to all traffic and the stage is run in reverse road direction, from the bottom to the top.

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.

See also

• Zig zag (railway)
  Zig Zag (railway)
  A railway zig zag, also called a switchback, is a way of climbing hills in difficult country with a minimal need for tunnels and heavy earthworks. For a short distance , the direction of travel is reversed, before the original direction is resumed.A location on railways constructed e.g...
  
  
• Spiral (railway)
  Spiral (railway)
  A spiral is a technique employed by railways to ascend steep hills.A railway spiral rises on a steady curve until it has completed a loop, passing over itself as it gains height, allowing the railway to gain vertical elevation in a relatively short horizontal distance...
  
  
• Hillclimbing (railway)
  Hillclimbing (railway)
  While railways have a great ability to haul very heavy loads, this advantage only really applies when the tracks are fairly level. As soon as the gradients stiffen, the tonnage that can be hauled is greatly diminished.- Techniques to overcome steep hills :...
  
  
• Zig Zag Railway
  Zig Zag Railway
  The Zig Zag Railway is a heritage railway at Lithgow in New South Wales, Australia on the site of the famous Great or Lithgow Zig Zag which operated between 1869 and 1910. As built, the line formed part of the Main West line from Sydney across the Blue Mountains and served to lower the line from...
  
   in New South Wales
• List of Australian heritage railways

External links

• Kalamunda Zig-Zag Page
• Kalamunda Zig Zag Trail - Trail Description
• Zig Zag Community Arts Festival page