World's Steepest Railway - Scenic World, Katoomba

The Scenic Railway is the steepest cable-driven railway in the world, with a steepest incline of 52 degrees contained within a total incline distance of 415 metres. It was originally constructed for a coal and oil shale mining operation in the Jamison Valley in the 1880s, in order to haul the coal and shale from the valley floor up to the escarpment above. From 1928 to 1945 it carried coal during the week and Passengers at weekends. The coal mine was closed in 1945 and it became a permanent Tourist Attraction.