Re: [VIC] SG sleeping car trains (was: The future of broad gauge was Ouyen - Pinnaroo line)

[james_ccj@my-deja.com]

In article <38C4ED6E.F67644BC@ozemail.com.au>,
  James Brook <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au> wrote:
> Michael Kurkowski wrote:
>
> > Someone mentioned in a previous post, that the sleeping cars would
need to
> > be retired - What is the problem with them going over to the narrow
guage
> > (NSW narrow, not QLD toy guage).

Toy gauge with "toy rains" capable of toping 210kph :-)


> Steamrail and SRHC should work together to have one set of sleeping
cars
> available on the standard gauge. If they shared the maintenence costs
then it
> might help to make SG sleeping car tours viable.

If the fare can be reasonable, yes!


>If the tour is interesting
> enough, then diesel hauled sleeping car tours can be successful, eg:
> Steamrail's Panitya weekender in 1998. It was fully booked out! SRHC
already
> have B74 sitting on the standard gauge doing nothing. This loco and a
set of
> sleeping cars would be ideal for weekend tours. Steamrail or SRHC
could even
> run them into southern NSW! Also what's wrong with weekenders to
Hopetoun or
> Yapeet. I haven't been on these lines yet, and I'm sure that I'm not
the only
> person. Even Portland is still an interesting destination and its a
pity the
> 1999 ARE tour didn't have more passengers on it.
As well as Mt Gambier/Mildura/Robinvale etc.

>The Australian SG system
> offers many opportunities for Victoria's tourist operators like
Steamrail. If
> someone ran a weekender into southern NSW then I would be very
interested.

Actually I think it's possible to form a set of sleeping cars right
now. V/line have a few "Vinelander" sleepers eating dust in Newport,
and WCR have a few ex-Overland  and Wegman sleepers over in Ballarat
East, again unused. Imaging an R class loco hauls a set of sleepers
across Victorian countryside at night....

--
Cheers

James


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