Re: T413 tours (was: [VIC] Silver DRC)

[mk@netstra.com.au (Michael Kurkowski)]

ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au (James Brook) wrote in
<391973BF.5DA6983B@ozemail.com.au>: 

>What about T413, another T and a set of wooden cars to Tocumwal? A WCR
>or SRV T could be used from Melbourne to Seymour and T320 could be used
>from Seymour to Tocumwal.

T320 and T413 (: (Co-incidentally, two ends of the scale). Very droolworthy 
loco lashup (: (None of this EL/G junk they are raving about up north of 
the border)

>Is there an 80kph available for this type of
>trip? I noticed on Yuri Sos' site that the timetable for K190 and a set
>of wooden cars to Seymour on 14/5 is scheduled to leave Spencer Street
>at 0945. It is then scheduled to arrive in Seymour at 1152 and this
>includes a watering stop at Wallan from 1049 to 1104. As diesels don't
>require any servicing stops, would it be possible to find a path north
>of Seymour to Tocumwal and arrive back in Melbourne before 2300? Recent
>tours to the Shepparton region have had several shuttle trips to places
>like Dookie, Cobram and back to Toolamba and still make it back to
>Seymour or Melbourne within a reasonable period of time (eg: 2200). If
>you look at the map, the distance to Tocumwal is similar to Cobram. In
>addition to all of this, a tour to Tocumwal hasn't been run for several
>years. The last tour was an ARE one that just extended the normal
>Shepparton pass and this was in air conditioned cars. If this tour was
>possible, then I'm sure this would be popular for next year's
>traditional Diesel hauled tour.

It would indeed be very popular. Even offer it as an overnight service with 
optional sleeper accomodation.

>It's a pity that the WAL will be on it. I have nothing against adding
>the T and the GY's but the over-sized WAL in the WCR livery will stuff
>up the look of the train. Oh well, at least I finally get to travel on a
>Victorian train with decent windows. :-) 

You should catch a Hitachi more often then (: Hitachi windows are very 
head-worthy. Anyway, if you don't get a window seat on the V set, there is 
always the end platform (subject to conditions/indemnity/whatever that 
day).

>A few years ago the WCR livery
>on railfan trips was fairly rare so I didn't mind it. These days it is
>far too common and I haven't been on a complete train of VR liveried
>cars since the ARHS/ARE Echuca round tour last year.

Ah well, can't have everything. What does the WAL car achieve anyway? If 
it's what I think it is, and is a buffet, there is a blue and gold BRS 
floating about somewhere. But, it's a lot better than anything we've had in 
recent times, and I'm happy to improvise with the WAL car.

>When Y112 is in Echuca, will it be running trips for the public with
>just the wooden cars or will it have the T or something else attached to
>the train? Are there any details at the moment for proposed trips with
>this loco?

AFAIK, T413 is coming back down to Melbourne to run WNB trips two weeks 
after it arrives in Bendigo. 

As a proud T class fan, I propose more trips involving T413 and T320 (-:

Regards

Michael