Thread: great british railroads

And up here in the so called "Smart State",we're still playing toy trains with 3'6",but don't start me on that
....Gregg

Originally Posted by 3-Gees

And up here in the so called "Smart State",we're still playing toy trains with 3'6",but don't start me on that
....Gregg

And it is the biggest and most successful rail system in Australia by a country mile. Get a copy of "Triumph of the Narrow Gauge" from your library.

Almost runs more track than the all the rest of the country combined.

First out of steam. First air-conditioned trains. Only main line electric system in Oz, and so on.

Originally Posted by 3-Gees

And up here in the so called "Smart State",we're still playing toy trains with 3'6",but don't start me on that
....Gregg

Hi Gregg, I spent my entire railway working life on NSW’s Standard Gauge and only since moving up to QLD and taking some time to look at the QR, I have to be honest and say I think the QR is by far, more interesting than NSW or Vic railways.

Originally Posted by 3-Gees

And up here in the so called "Smart State",we're still playing toy trains with 3'6",but don't start me on that
....Gregg

Be very interesting to know what you have against standard gauge. Fell free to let us in on your views.
John.

Originally Posted by Disco44

Be very interesting to know what you have against standard gauge. Fell free to let us in on your views.
John.

4' 8 1/2" is standard gauge.

Originally Posted by V8Ian

4' 8 1/2" is standard gauge.

Sorry meant 3'6' gauge,bit late at night I think.

Brian Hjelm wrote,...

And it is the biggest and most successful rail system in Australia by a country mile. Get a copy of "Triumph of the Narrow Gauge" from your library.

Almost runs more track than the all the rest of the country combined.

First out of steam. First air-conditioned trains. Only main line electric system in Oz, and so on.

Spot on Brian!

QR would run rings around every other system, and up until silly Anna Bligh and her even sillier Treasurer floated QR National...the freight side of QR, it was a wholly owned and operated Government system.

ARG (Australian Railway Group) which runs freight trains in SA and WA is now a wholly owned subsidary of QR. The narrow gauge system now runs trains in every state, interstate and intrastate. What an achievement. More passenger trains per head of population in QLD than any other state, tilt trains both diesel and electric, the latter is the fastest narrow gauge train in the world, and of course coal trains..massive coal trains. In the Hunter Valley here in NSW, QR runs arguably the largest locomotives in terms of size, mass and power to be seen anywhere outside of the Iron Ore railways of the Pilbra in WA.

Ron.

It may be QR today that hold the top spot, but at the outbreak of World War 2, the only rail system in Australia that could cope with the increased traffic/ladings was the South Australian Railways. Commissioner Webb brought a run down shambolic system plagued with conservatism since the start far beyond the other state systems.