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Re: )Vic) Robinvale Tour Borochure Available
Stuart Thyer wrote:
>
> Well James, if you look at what equivelent tours cost in NSW or QLD are,
> Victorian Steamrail tours are the cheapest in the land. The ARHS ACT tour to
> Broken Hill at Easter was around $1000 and that was diesel hauled. This is a
> double headed tour, 2 engines, 2 crews, more costs, more fun. Plus GST, a
> full 10% kickup on prices as most of our suppliers are services and are
> going to rise by 10%, so it seems expensive, but this is post GST reality,
> made up for, in theory, by tax cuts but no good for students like yourself.
> As for the type of tour, I'm looking forward to it. It's a nice relaxing
> pace, plenty of slack in the timetable for extra photos, not an impossible
> demand upon loco servicing requirements trying to coal at 2am in almost
> total darkness. Hey, we're volunteers, we want to have some fun too!!!
My biggest problem with this tour is the date. This will cut many people
out, including me. If it was a Fri-Sat-Sun trip then it would fit into
any weekend. Even if Steamrail wanted to run it over more days, I think
the Queen's Birthday weekend would have been much more appropriate
instead of just another trip to Echuca. You can go there at the end of
each month with WCR and the ARHS are having a trip up that way as well.
Robinvale would have been a completely different destination and being
on this particular weekend, it wouldn't have interfered with any working
days like the cup day weekend will. It could have left on Friday night
and returned on Monday, similar to the 1997 Moulamein and Denniliquin
tour. As for the cost, what is the point of having more fun if you can't
afford to experience it? Tours in NSW and Queensland cover a much
greater distance than Melbourne to Robinvale. I went on the Brisbane to
Cairns tour last year with BB18¼1079 and although it was about $1800 per
person, it was a much greater distance. If I pay this sort of money I
want to travel, I don't want to sit in Bendigo or Robinvale for half the
day.
--
- James Brook -
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