[VIC] high speed vs 80 kph tours

[James Brook <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au>]

After looking at Steamrail's 2000 programme for the first half of the
year I noticed that there aren't any long distance tours with the wooden
cars. Also I think the ARHS are also planning several high speed tours.
I won't go into how much I hate the BK cars but just out of curiosity,
who here would like to see a few more "traditional" rail tours. ie: a
train of wooden E and W cars where you leave at 0800 (or earlier) and
return at around midnight after travelling to some obscure town on one
of the wheat lines or do a round trip to a town in central Victoria. The
two "Victoria Via Everywhere" tours were some of the best tours of the
1990's. Although the high speed tours are fun, for me the novelty factor
is starting to wear off and I want to see a return to the good old days!
:-) (Do'h I'm starting to sound like an old-timer!, lol)

On another note, I am really dissapointed to see that the 38 and R class
parallel run tour will be using the K cars because these will be really
useless for a parallel run, especially if you aren't on the standard
gauge side. The small windows are hard enough to see and lean out of
even when you are sitting right next to them! :-) I would rather have a
parallel run from Benalla in the wooden cars than the one Steamrail is
proposing because at least everyone in the train can get a good view of
the action. Whats the point of spending all that money only to be stuck
on the wrong side of a BK? I think those BK's are the worst thing that's
ever happened to Victorian rail tours because now every tour operator
wants to use them instead of the wooden cars.


--
- James Brook -

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