Re: Vale Vic Steam (and all special trains?)

["Grahame Ferguson" <grahamef@users.mcmedia.com.au>]

Paul Nicholson wrote in message ...
>What about Puffing Billy and other tourist operations in Victoria? Surely
>they are accredited operators in their own right and would have had to go
>through the process of  "hours of proceedure writing, consultancies etc."?
I
>recall that the Ballarat museum tramway advising its members that it was
one
>of the first groups to complete the process of accreditation.
>Paul in Melbourne.
>.
>
Puffing Billy are operate under their own Act of Parliament, and do not come
under  Rail Safety accreditation, although they do adhere to these
standards.

Being a main line operator as compared to an isolated branch tourist
operator in Victoria are two different things. Once you get on the main line
it is a whole new ball game.  You have to act and come to the same standards
as a main line operator ie FA, NX, NR etc.. Also you have to be able to met
standards for crew training or have documented criteria for which you can
hire crews, and then have money to pay for them.

The money to upgrade from an accredited supplier of rolling stock to an
accredtited operator is measured in the thousands of dollars.  Think of all
the paper work that railways like VR  & NSWGR had to produce in days of old
for proceedures and documentation, then you see what volunteer groups in
Victoria are up against

You also have to go into agreements with the network owners, and meet
criteria that ensure your train won't block others on the same line.  If you
break down on your own tourist line, well then you don't have to worry about
heafty fines running into 4/5 figures that will be imposed on you.

If the proceedure was complex as being an accredited supplier of rolling
stock, then there would not be the dilemma that Victorian Main Line
enthusiast groups now face.

It is through the good will and co-operation of the present operators that
Victorian Mainline groups can still run.