The railway thread

[roKWiz]

Rather than clog up the truck thread with rail talk, this might be the place to talk about all things trains.

[jaydee]

Did the Rocky Mountaineer in 07, fantastic.
The Kuranda from Cairns is recommended too.

[smoo]

I have been enjoying this guys content.
His travel reviews are great, so many vloggers, or whatever they’re called miss out a lot of info travellers want and may need to know when planning their trip but this bloke covers it all.

https://m.youtube.com/@FromtheWindowSeat

[roKWiz]

Couple of big old girls, I've done trips on.

[Itsme]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Did the Rocky Mountaineer in 07, fantastic.
The Kuranda from Cairns is recommended too.

Did that one in 2013, up by train and back down by sky rail, well worth it with the visit to the markets.

[1970XW351]

I did the Rocky Mountaineer in 2017. It was the first run of the year, so heaps of snow about and the rivers running fairly hard with Spring melt. The scenery was glorious and the food (and drink) service was fantastic.

I'd love to do the Indian Pacific one day.

Cheers, Tony

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by 1970XW351

I did the Rocky Mountaineer in 2017. It was the first run of the year, so heaps of snow about and the rivers running fairly hard with Spring melt. The scenery was glorious and the food (and drink) service was fantastic.

I'd love to do the Indian Pacific one day.

Cheers, Tony

Indian Pacific or the Great Southern would be great.
Think it starts running again soon. Brisbane to Adelaide via Victoria.

[Tonz]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

Indian Pacific or the Great Southern would be great.
Think it starts running again soon. Brisbane to Adelaide via Victoria.

Brisbane via Victoria to Adelaide and onto Perth.

[HIPO]

Worked for ANR on the Trans line in W.A. back in the late 70's. Was operating heavy track machinery with Special Gang RECON 1..... pretty wild!

[66FAIRLANE]

Originally Posted by HIPO

Worked for ANR on the Trans line in W.A. back in the late 70's. Was operating heavy track machinery with Special Gang RECON 1..... pretty wild!

I worked for ANR out of Islington workshops in Adelaide. Used to fix the track machines the gangs broke.

[Tonz]

Trans Alpine across the south Isl New Zealand, awesome ride even better when you get it free.

[HIPO]

No exotic train travel here.... Adelaide - Alice, Melbourne & Kalgoorlie x4.

Most interesting but very crude, was Adelaide - Zanthus W.A. by goods train, to start work with ANR.... one ancient passenger wagon on the back & lots of stops , shunting & chats with locals along the way.

Once living out there, we were serviced for personal needs, Pay check, Banking, Post Office, food stuffs & clothing etc. fortnightly by way of the Tea & Sugar train.

[Sar4890]

Finally! At least there are a few train heads on here I don't feel so bad.

[jaydee]

Went on the Bernina Express through the Swiss Alps a few months ago.

[mad2]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Went on the Bernina Express through the Swiss Alps a few months ago.
image

BARSsTAARD!

looks a blooody good view tho good trip?.

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by mad2

BARSsTAARD!

looks a blooody good view tho good trip?.

Outstanding, highly recommended.

[roKWiz]

Get up to Maitland occasionally in April for Steamfest.

Pity, missed this years Great Race.



The long straights from Sandgate to Maitland allow them to stretch their legs.
Love the Garrett.

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by jaydee

Went on the Bernina Express through the Swiss Alps

I guess it runs like a Swiss sewing machine.

[Citroënbender]

Originally Posted by roKWiz

I guess it runs like a Swiss sewing machine.

Apparently it doesn’t Pfaff about. Although cold air at the lunch stop made the local Singers a little Huski.

[jaydee]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

Apparently it doesn’t Pfaff about. Although cold air at the lunch stop made the local Singers a little Huski.

Oh dear the mods should ban you for a week
Actually quite witty CB.
We did meet the Swiss rapper on the train, Yo Dell.

[roKWiz]

See this track inspection train, just about everywhere.
Usually made up with 3 modified old Southern Aurora carriages and lately been running a couple of Vintage 44 class streamliner diesels, I've yet to click.



Spotted this one around $ydney a few times.

[yanknbank]

Was always a big fan of the 'R' class operated by Vic rail, mostly in the '50's and '60's. Used to know a chap who was one of the few left that was rated to operate them back in the day and he swore black and blue that they'd touch a 100MPH (using the old terminology) on the long straight stretches between Bendigo and Melbourne.
Watching, feeling and listening to an R class run past you at something approaching full tilt is something to behold. A magnificent piece of machinery.

[DJM83]

Im not ashamed to admit ive spent a bit of time streaming on this channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@VirtualRailfan

[HIPO]

Originally Posted by DJM83

Im not ashamed to admit ive spent a bit of time streaming on this channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@VirtualRailfan

Interesting! i've watched a couple of "real time" long vids, which i've liked.

[Charliewool]

This thread bought back memories, as a young tacker crawling all over Heavy Harry at Newport rail museum in the 60s..
https://locomotive.fandom.com/wiki/V...ilways_H_Class

[jaydee]

Took the family on The Rocky Mountaineer a few years ago.

[HIPO]

Some interesting rail transport we used with ANR was Section Cars. Sure most have seen them in some form. Light mostly open vehicles, easily removed off the tracks. Various trailers for them as well.... work passengers - gear etc.
We had a few different types over time. Drive trains included VW 4 speed, GMH 186 4 speed & a GMH 179 t-bar.

A company called Comeng i think made some, but there were other makers as well!

A few times when i was in charge of flags & detonators for rail traffic, i'd save a few Dets & lay a trap for the Section car boys coming home to camp. I've been in their shoes & it scares the crap out of you! lol

https://www.maryvalleyrattler.com.au...r-1024x768.jpg

[Citroënbender]

Couldn’t do that now - you’d surely be done for workplace bullying and mishandling explosives. And probably for causing intergenerational trauma.

Originally Posted by HIPO

A few times when i was in charge of flags & detonators for rail traffic, i'd save a few Dets & lay a trap for the Section car boys coming home to camp. I've been in their shoes & it scares the crap out of you!

[roKWiz]

Originally Posted by HIPO

Some interesting rail transport we used with ANR was Section Cars. Sure most have seen them in some form. Light mostly open vehicles, easily removed off the tracks. Various trailers for them as well.... work passengers - gear etc.
We had a few different types over time. Drive trains included VW 4 speed, GMH 186 4 speed & a GMH 179 t-bar.

A few times when i was in charge of flags & detonators for rail traffic, i'd save a few Dets & lay a trap for the Section car boys coming home to camp. I've been in their shoes & it scares the crap out of you! lol

https://www.maryvalleyrattler.com.au...r-1024x768.jpg

Those little lift off inspection trolley's are great.

Funny story when we arrived in Maldon Vic. for the first time. My partner wandered into town while I went up to check out the Historic station and railway.
Wanting to know about local mountainbiking rides, I asked a worker there if he knew anything about the forest trails the line past through to Muckleford.

He said you're in luck, I'm about to go and inspect the line. So starts up the little 2 seat, 4 wheeler (similar to below pics) and tootle off down the track stopping in several places on banks to check if the line is shifting off course. Had a great chat about all things bikes and trains.
We get down to Muckleford (where the line originally finished now goes to all the way to Castlemaine) get out, and I ask how do you turn around, within an instant a single hydraulic piston raises to whole deal off the ground and we spin it around for the trip back up.
We get back into town and there's my girl looking at me, as much to say how did you manage that.
Been riding through the forests there ever since. Great Steam train journey as well.


Snapped these at the Wang fly-in and truckshow earlier this year.

[HIPO]

Flags & Dets were put on the track to stop any trains coming through during track maintenance.
You would plant the metal flag 1km ( if memory serves me) from the work site & 3 Dets 100mts apart on the work side to alert us & driver.

Communication for us to get approx train time etc was via a box type phone, that could be hooked onto the overhead wires .... pretty crude! this allowed communication between Parkston W.A. & Pt. Augusta S.A..... anyone hooked up between there was privy to anyone using it.