Zigzag Railways - Switchback Railroads , Bo Justusson
Basics A zigzag is used to attain elevation on a mountain side using two switches. In the USA zigzags are called switchbacks. The train can gain three times the heigth in a zig-zag as compared to a single track.

Zigzags are ideal for use in model railways, especially for small shelf layouts (micro layouts).
With one station at lower level, and one at the upper level.
NEW December 2011: Station buildings and castle added to my model layout

Great
zigzag lines

Darjeeling line in India - Zigzags
  - Darjeeling - Loops
  - Darjeeling - Trains

Lithgow zigzag in Australia
High up in the Andes in South America
Logging railroads in USA - Cass RR

Some small zigzags in Europe:
  - Glava Glass Mill Railway, Sweden
  - Visby, Sweden - Zigzag down to the Harbour
  - Steinhelle-Medebach Railway, Germany

Help, Links and Literature
Model Railways
Zigzag up to a Castle
  - Construction
  - Station buildings and castle, December 2011

Some ideas for micro layouts
Links to model railroads

News
1 Dec 2011 Station buildings and castle added to model layout,
28 Jul 2005 Updated facts for Darjeeling line,
  reference to new booklet "Going Loopy".
25 Jan 2003 Link to Bob LeBrun's photos from Cass
21 Jan 2003 New page: Links to model railroads.
19 Jan 2003 First version published

If you have information on zigzags, please contact me.
Check the Help page above for some questions.
  www.justus2.se - Bo Justusson's homepage
e-mail: justusXownit.nu (change X to @)