A Tale Of Two Networks (2)

 From Brisbane ...

... by train ...

... to Cairns ...

.... on the same train!

25 Hours On The Train!

But what is the train like? 

It is a similar unit to the Tilt Trains ...

... that run (infrequently), between Brizzy and Rockhampton in Queensland, Australia. The train has a loco at both ends ...

... with seven shiny coaches in between. Look closely and you can just see the rear loco.

Think diesel Pendolino (but not as fast) or tilting HST (but not as fast).

Thanks to a Queensland Railways website site, we can take a virtual tour of the train. There are two classes of travel: economy seat and railbed. The tour starts at the posher railbed end.

Slightly scary seats fold down to make a "bed" ...

... of small but apparently comfortable dimensions. You are served your meals 'at seat' (or 'at bed') but there is no privacy, so no opportunity for fbb to change into his pure silk jim-jams. 

Here are a few extracts from the menu.

Lunch is two course ...

... main and a pud. Dinner is more lavish ...

... with entree, main and a pud.

Photographs in the brochure suggest that food style ...

... is similar to airline, but with something slightly more amenable than a plastic tray.

As with air travel, portion sizes might be a bit meagre. But the three meals are included in the railbed ticket.

At the coach end you have toilets, water dispenser, and for railbed class only, there is one shower per carriage.

Each seat has an "entertainment" screen although the blurb does not explain what you get to see. As there us no WiFi on board, the rubric hints that you take your own downloaded entertainment and play it on the seat back screens.

For the plebs in economy class, you get a reclining seat of ample proportions and comfortably holstered up ...

... also with seat back screens in two of the three economy vehicles. The third coach is "silent" with no screens.

Wheelchair spaces are available ...

... either single or, as above beside a "companion".

The usual "hotel" extras are available ...

The brochure also offers colouring sheets (free?) ...

... but you have to bring your own colours.

Unlike in the UK, seats DO all give you a window view, even in the economy class. In fact in railbed seats you are more likely to get a pillar, but as the windows are closer together and the pillars narrower, it don't matter.

There are no at seat meals in economy class, but the buffet car ...

... has a heated display area, so you would guess that something savoury in a bun and heated might be on offer.

You would survive!

And the big question, expressed in Strine, the Australian patois:-

Emma Chizzit?

Full fare from Brizzy to Cairns, with no special offer deals and, presumably, refundable and with the option to change dates ...

Economy Single AD382

Railbed Single AD548

An Oz Dollar (AD) is about 50p in real money!

But beware; if you are already thinking of booking your flights to Brisbane, possibly flying back from Cairns; Railbed seats are booked up well in advance. fbb went to October dates for his enquiry, although there may be earlier availability buried deep in the world-wide web. .

Stupidly, you can only search by date, not by availability!

But there is another ferroequinological delight in Cairns which we shall explore tomorrow.

  Next 'Two Networks' blog : Weds 4 March 

A Tale Of Two Networks (1)

Long Distance Luxury???

But first, some geography! The States or territories of Australia have a significant amount of self governance, somewhat like the "nations" of the UK. The slight anomaly is ACT ...

... totally surrounded by New South Wales.

Most of the population of Queensland lives on or near the coast.

Brisbane, the state capital, is big and fght at the sou.thern border ..

... whereas the northernmost big city is Cairns ...

... at the eastern base of the triangular sticky-up bit. Distances are huge. From Brisbane to Cairns is 1250 miles. That is TWICE the straight line distance between Lands End and John'o'Groats.

You could almost fit FOUR mainland Britain's into Queensland - Hmmm - perhaps nearer three and a half,

Off the coast of Queensland you will find the Great Barrier Reef ...

... in desperate need of greater protection from the warming sea and dying coral.

The two Q R "networks" are, therefore, the "local' rail system centred on Brisbane and the longer distance passenger trains elsewhere.

Here we see the busiest section of the interurban routes  ...

... between Brizzy and Rockhampton, where sat the gorgeous chocolate coloured Beyer-Garratt in yesterday's  blog.

Note the blue line on the nap.

From the capital, the brown line to the west ...

... carries the appropriately named 'Westlander' train ...

... which runs for a modest 460 miles. It takes 17 hours!

From Rockhampton we might take 'The Spirit of the Outback' ...

... an 823 mile jaunt bit that includesb through running from Brisbane. This short jaunt will take you just 26 hours.

From Townsville we have the Inlander ...

.... chugging along for 607 miles ...

.... but taking 21 hours to do the trip. This is how one YouTubet describes the experience.

Hmmm??

Don't  expect Poirot style luxury on any of these.

But the daddy if them all is 'The Spirit of Queensland' at 1045 mikes and a high speed  (?) 25 hours ...

... which we will experience in more detail tomorrow.

But, dear reader, do not go away with the idea that these are anything like the UKs intercity routes, e.g. every 20 min to Manchester, even 30 to York etc.

Here is the Tilt Train schedule north from Brizzy.

P

And the Westlander from the capital.

Then the Spirit of the Outback from Brisbane via Rockhampton.

The Inlander from Townsville.

As far as fbb can discern, the most you get in the way if passenger comforts is a Buflet car and, possibly, reclining seats in First Class.

You have to be a brave and determined rail passenger to cope with a full length trip. And possibly take a well -stocked picnic hamper?

CORRECTION : fbb has just fund a picture of the dining car on 'Thei Spirit of the Outback'. The car is called "The Tuckerbox" but the meal looks a little better than outlined in Waltzing Matilda.

The "Outback" tra7in also has sleeping cars.

Best check before you go!

Is it any better on 'The Spirit of Queensland'?

  Next 'Two Networks' blog : Tues 3rd March 

Sunday Variety

Go-Op Gone? Not Yet!!

NOT Co-Op but Go-Op

Remember the name?

The company was hot news a while back as it had won access rights to run trains between Weston-super-Mud ...

... Taunton and Swindon.

The plan is that Go-Op would be a Co-Op with "members" providing the cash and reaping the profits in the form of a huge "divi".

But it looks as if the profitable potential of the proposal has not propelled people into proffering sufficient pennies!

Here is what the company web site has to say.

Go-Op is not saying how much the company still needs.

Wikipedia reports a long list of proposals which might contribute to the unease of potential investors.

It would be sad to see this scheme die because it represents true innovation; the service would be the first bit of 'open access" that did not form a variant on existing inter-city operation.

But that is exactly why people do not want to risk their cash. But if you do have the odd million to spare, Go-Op would just love to hear from you.

Who Are Q R?

And does it make these?

Actually no. The letters stand for ...

... which, surprisingly, operates trains in Queensland, Australia. It once operated that gorgeous Beyer-Garratt steam loco illustrated  at the head of this article.

The steam loco is pictured at ...

... Rockhampton station, which now looks like this ...

... but once looked like this. 

Here is a full map of the current QR long distance network.

Brisbane is bottom right. Also of interest is the label "Tilt Train" which represents a service of, surprise, surprise, tilting trains.

They can go as fast as 100mph!

Wowsers!

In 1906 ...

... trains were somewhat slower.

A chum of Mrs fbb emigrated, with hubby, from the Isle of Wight to Cairns, at the northern extremity of the QR network.

The map provokes a further investigation into Q R - so a few more thoughts in tomorrow's  blog.

A1A A1A Eh?

Some of the model railway developments which fbb experienced in his youth were, for their time, exciting. In 1965, the Triang catalogue had this front cover painting.

It featured the first Triang "Rocket", later reintroduced and retooled in Hornby days. But up on the viaduct was Triang's first UK diesel.

The full sized version, later designated Class 31, was used for passenger and goods trains and appeared in a standard BR green, but with white stripes.

Locos we're built between 1957 and 1962.

The stripes did not stay white for very long.

One loco (here in model form) appeared in an experimental ochre livery ...

... an experiment not pursued. Equally experimental was a blue shade with stripes (also a model) ...

... which predated all over rail blue. It was, however, a brighter shade of blue.

Triang's model ...

... was considered the bees knees in 1965! fbb has such a model, given to him by Buffers model shop because "it wasn't working". But he bought new brushes for the motor and undertook a good clean of the commutator and it now runs well.

But its wheels are to Triang's old coarse scale and it doesn't run well on modern track. One day fbb will replace the wheels. (Really?)

Modern day modellers have a more detailed version from Accurascale ...

... at a much more detailed price.

From a distance you could not see the difference, but close up you can see why a simple-looking box shaped model is now expensive.

It's All On-Line No 257

Apparently, according to Wales On-line ...

The sign means "Pass Either Side" with the caveat that whichever side you "pass", you get to the same place. 

As is usual, the author of the article could not be brothered to do his/her research properly. The sign is WRONG. In the UK the arrows are not that shape.

They look like this:

Pedantic old codgers unite!!

Furthermore, (Grumpy, grumpy!), some local authorities install it incorrectly, meaning "traffic splits and goes in two different directions". WRONG!!

Here is the sign misused.

The right hand arrow points to a lane which will carry right hand turn traffic controlled by a traffic light phase. 

The left arrow is for straight ahead and left turning traffic.

There could be a very nasty accident if you ploughed straight on after following the right hand arrow. 

In such cases the correct display is a white blank.

  Next QR blog : Monday 2nd March