The Scenic World story begins in 1952 when the Hammon family took the old mining railway originally used to haul shale up the mountain and converted it into a Scenic Railway for the use of visitors.
The ride passes down a 52° incline through a rock tunnel down into the Jamison Valley to the rainforest below. These days, just to get you into the mood, they play the Indiana Jones theme while you descend at a rate of four metres per second.
Many visitors start their Scenic Walkway experience by descending via the Scenic Railway, but you can also use it to return to the clifftop.