Re: Tasrail, gardens and tourism

["James Shugg" <james@shugg.freeserve.co.uk>]

<ben_scaro@my-deja.com> wrote in message
8eqskl$odv$1@nnrp1.deja.com">8eqskl$odv$1@nnrp1.deja.com">news:8eqskl$odv$1@nnrp1.deja.com...
> The Tasman Limited was actually promoted when it operated, probably by
> the state government tourism department.  (I am not sure how well.) I
> don't think it helped much, despite the fact that it was a comfortable
> train with an OK food and liquor service.  The train took about 9 hours
> to do a trip which can be done comfortably in 4 hours by car.  Tasmania
> has never had rail lines suitable for fast trains.
>

Aaaah... the Tasman Limited... now that brings back memories.

Like when as a school kid in the mid 70s  I used to pay 15 cents on a
Saturday morning to travel from Hobart to Brighton, or a little bit more to
Campagnia, and once even to Colebrook, thru the Rhyndastan tunnel.  Mum
would drop me off at the station, then go get her hair done, do the weekly
shop and then drive to my destination, to pick me up again.

But the highlight for me was in January 1977, when my family hired a shack
on the beach near Wynyard.  My brother, cousin and I took the Tasman from
Hobart to Wynyard, and then did the return a week later, while my parents
drove.  Hobart departure was at 9.20am, arrival at Wynyard scheduled for
6.09pm, and as I recall it we were right on time at both ends.  The guard
spun one set of seats around for us so we could sit facing.  Very
comfortable seats they were too, reclining at the push of a silver button,
and upholstered in a maroon coloured material.  There were two yellow X
class diesels up front, and exactly the same hostesses that I recalled from
my first trips in 1975.  They would serve meals at your seat - I had soup
and a ham salad - and offer trinkets for sale, including souvenirs like
colour slides of the train.  Wish I had bought one now.

While in north Tassie, Dad drove my cousin and I to Burnie, for the 7am
departure of the Emu Bay Railway's mixed goods to Rosebery.  This was a
9-hour return journey thru fantastic scenery, hauled by diesel hydraulic
1004.  We travelled in the guards van, which was painted blue, and I suspect
a left-over from the steam-hauled West-Coaster days.  Some bushwalkers
brewed a billy on the floor which they shared with us.  Years later my
cousin Linda told me she was so bored she wanted to cry, but I thought it
was fantastic!

All up, we had nearly 28 hours of long distance train travel that week, in
the closing days of commercial passenger operations on the Tasmanian
government and private railway systems of the day.

These days I catch Eurostar to Paris, Richard Branson's Virgin trains
service up to Manchester, the GNER service to Edinburgh (with fantastic
dining car on weekdays!) and countless other European rail services, but
nothing compares to the old days in Tassie.

Thanx for jogging my memory Ben

James