Thread: Train Rides

I didn’t win the trip on this train and there were only cans of soft drinks between the six-star sandwiches



This is the beginning of a blizzard at Arthur's Pass, NZ

I just got back last Sat from a holiday in Tasmania. This train ride from Queenstown to Straun was fantastic. Although only a small train it does a mighty job.

The mountain it goes over is so steep they had to use a rack and pinion to get it up the hill as seen in the pictures. The scenery is magnificent and I recommend anyone who goes to Tassie for a holiday does this train trip.

This railway also has a very interesting history dating back to the late 1800's

Here is a link for any one who is interested

West Coast Wilderness Railway - Tasmania Steam Train Ride - Australia

Dave.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

According to my brother in law, who travelled by train from Brisbane to Cairns in 1942 (along with a lot of other troops and a number of vehicles including tanks) the theme song of QR was "I'll walk beside you". On a number of hills they had to unload the tanks and drive them to the top of the hill, and then reload them.

Much later than this, in 1963 I had to travel (with my Series 1) on a mixed train from Torrens Ck to Balfe's Ck (the road bridge at Torrens Ck had washed out). Travelled eighty miles in just on ten hours.

John

I travelled a number of times in the period 1959-1961 from Brisbane to Rockhampton on the Northern Mail train which departed Roma St. at 6.00pm and reached Rocky some 20 hours later. Average speed about 20 mph. It did make frequent stops for mail, passengers, refreshments etc. though.

QR's performance during WW2 is really magnificent. It was a lightly built narrow gauge system constructed to serve the needs of a rural population of less than 1,500,000 widely decentralised over a quarter of Australia's land mass.

During the great period of railway construction and expansion, the government policy was that no farmer should be more than a morning's haul from a railway station, siding, or goods yard from where he could send his produce to market. The map of Queensland was a spider web of main and branch lines, plus a lot of "proposed" and "under construction". The economic collapse during the 1920's and the Great depression put an end to this.

It was never envisaged that Queensland would become the base depot for vast armed forces and QR the main logistics system for them. QR moved around 3,000,000 troops and hundreds of thousands of tons of their equipment during the period. All done on narrow gauge lightweight rails and lightly ballasted track built that way to get more track miles for the government's money.

By the war's end QR's track, rolling stock, and locomotives were pretty much worn out and many years were to pass before the system recovered. A sore point with the department was that precious few thanks and little money was received from the federal government.

A late colleague was manpowered into QR during the war and worked as a fireman. He had been a shearer. He told me the main northern line to Cairns was absolute chaos, normal service goods trains & passenger trains had to be moved into sidings, yards and loops to allow troop trains with priority to pass. Goods train after goods train heavily laden with military equipment making heavy work of the grades and holding up all behind. He did tell me once how many locos and wagons were needed to move an AIF division and its equipment but I have forgotten. The number was remarkable as a division had hundreds of vehicles alone plus all their other gear and up to 20,000 men.

He told a story of being flagged into a disused loop at Bowen by Bowen signals to allow a number of troop trains through. Due to the common delays, it was the practice then for a goods train to have a camp wagon and tucker boxes. After nearly three days and running short of supplies, Ray was sent off on foot to Bowen signal box to find out what was going on. "Who are you, what train" was the reaction. "What! you were passed through three days ago." "We are still in the loop" says Ray. Apparently a shift change ocurred and the new shift was not told to send someone down to get xxx moving. The outgoing shift had taken them off the board and not told anyone. Three days overtime for the crew.

Originally Posted by Mr Whippy

I just got back last Sat from a holiday in Tasmania. This train ride from Queenstown to Straun was fantastic. Although only a small train it does a mighty job.

The mountain it goes over is so steep they had to use a rack and pinion to get it up the hill as seen in the pictures. The scenery is magnificent and I recommend anyone who goes to Tassie for a holiday does this train trip.

This railway also has a very interesting history dating back to the late 1800's

Here is a link for any one who is interested

West Coast Wilderness Railway - Tasmania Steam Train Ride - Australia

Dave.

G'Day Dave,
I did that trip a few years back.I wholeheartedly agree what a trip.Highly recommend it as a must do for all visiting that part of Tassie.
Cheers,
John.

Originally Posted by Disco44

G'Day Dave,
I did that trip a few years back.I wholeheartedly agree what a trip.Highly recommend it as a must do for all visiting that part of Tassie.
Cheers,
John.

John,
The trip can also be done in a modified LR Defender. This is what we were originally going to do. Had it all booked, and a week before we got a phone call saying that it had broken down (Bloody Landrovers) so we had to do the train instead. We plan to still do it in the Defender another time.


Tasmanian Holiday Experiences - Piners and Miners - Pure Tasmania

Dave.

Originally Posted by Mr Whippy

John,
The trip can also be done in a modified LR Defender. This is what we were originally going to do. Had it all booked, and a week before we got a phone call saying that it had broken down (Bloody Landrovers) so we had to do the train instead. We plan to still do it in the Defender another time.


Tasmanian Holiday Experiences - Piners and Miners - Pure Tasmania

Dave.

We've also done the trip on the train Dave. Last time in Tassie, by train from Strahan to QT in the morning, returned by bus, and then out on a boat trip in the afternoon.

Had never come across the trip in the Landrover though ............... next time.....

Originally Posted by BMKal

We've also done the trip on the train Dave. Last time in Tassie, by train from Strahan to QT in the morning, returned by bus, and then out on a boat trip in the afternoon.

Had never come across the trip in the Landrover though ............... next time.....

Dave.

G'Day again,

Have attached three more pics.
I. Queensland (1089 & 1079 ) Pacifics up the range to Toowoomba with a tourist train.
2. "The Yank" 221A which was given to QR during WW2 as the fall of Singapore stopped it being delivered.Others were delivered and are still running in India.221 was restored and is used on tourists all across Queensland
3.Beyer Garret ( 1009 ) Restored & running incursions.
As with all restored Qld steamers they can be seen at the Railway Museum which is at the Old Workshops in North Ipswich.
John.