high speed tours (was: [VIC] R766 and R711 Ballarat tour.)

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

Craig Haber wrote:

> Just something to take note of with regards to your earlier posts James
> (r.e. use of K cars).  It's getting harder and harder to get train paths.
> If you're going to run at 80km/h it's very hard to get paths anywhere, and
> you can't hold as many (if any) photostops.  We didn't have time for any on
> the way home with the T's (which was a real shame - two T's on the Parwan
> curves would have been great), we had to connect with 8237 at Footscray for
> passengers who'd come from Geelong and beyond.

I think WCR and SWRail shouldn't run any low speed tours. Also to get the
photostops in on Sunday, I think it was good to have a high speed train. I think
Steamrail should run some low speed tours because this is what they do best.
Steamrail has a fairly large collection of wooden rollingstock so they are in
the best position to run these tours. I think Steamrail should try to run at
least one long distance tour with the wooden cars every year. WCR doesn't have a
train of wooden cars that can run at 80 kph, so they can't do this without
hiring cars from other operators. I understand there is a problem with train
paths but once you're out of the passenger areas and onto freight only lines,
wouldn't it be much the same as it was a few years ago? Also with the number of
crossing loops on the Ballarat line and the double track on the Bendigo line,
for long distance tours are paths early in the morning and late at night that
hard to get? Steamrail seems to be running their tours so they leave later and
get back earlier. What is wrong with leaving at 0700 and getting back at
midnight? It never affected the popularity of their tours in the past. The
Steamrail Echuca round tour a few months ago is a good example of this. The ARE
and ARHS ran an excellent round tour with the wooden cars. We even left
Melbourne later than most long distance tours because the train went through the
loop. If Steamrail wasn't so concerned with trying to spend a few hours in
Echuca then I don't see why they couldn't have done that tour with wooden cars
as well. I think the high speed cars should only be used for tours where they
are really needed.

On another note, I suggested a tour, Spencer Street - Ballarat - Maryborough -
Inglewood - Bendigo - Castlemaine - Maryborough - Ballarat - Geelong - Spencer
Street or Ballarat - Bacchus Marsh - Spencer Street. Couldn't Steamrail run this
as a low speed tour? Although it has been done before, it is still fairly
interesting when you look at what's left in Victoria. This is the sort of tour
where low speed cars can be used to have a really good trip. If the Bairnsdale
line is upgraded, wouldn't this be another possibility for low speed cars?


--
- James Brook -

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