Down the Line

[Michael Kurkowski <mk@netstra.com.au>]

All,

In todays Age (Today section) there is an article, and a writers account of 
the train trip from Flinders Street to Stony Point. The writer makes many 
interesting comments in this article about the whole trip and in 
particular, the benefits of using the train over the car. Four photos are 
included, showing a view out the rear door of an MTH car, a view of the 
conductor standing in the doorway of an MTH car, the second-person at his 
seat in the cab of an A class and a person sitting down in a fairly clean 
looking Comeng.

It would be interesting to see how this artical reflects against the 
rumoured Redhens to be used along the Frankston-Stony Point corridor. It's 
not highly likely that many people will be happy with going from 
comfortable airconditioned fabric seated loco hauled H cars, to older, 
somewhat slower, vinyl seated and non airconditioned railcars that once 
formed the suburban fleet in Adelaide.

In reality it looks to become somewhat of a repeat of the Bluebird 
experience of last year, when Bluebirds were set to replace suburban 
electric rollingstock on the Pakenham-Warragul. That service is now run by 
an N class with two Z cars. For Redhen services to commence on the Stony 
Point line a number of changes will need to be made. Installation of 
Metcard facilities for one, but not limited to other changes like the 
timetable, since it's rumoured that the Redhens have a snowballs chance of 
keeping the current timetable.

Speed trials are expected to happen today utilising 3 Redhen cars (Motor, 
trailer, motor) along the Frankston-Stony Point corridor.

Regards

Michael