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

["John Kerley" <deaftech@ozemail.com.au>]

James Brook <ajmbrook@ozemail.com.au> wrote in message
38604889.B20275F1@ozemail.com.au">news:38604889.B20275F1@ozemail.com.au...
>
> Its a pity that all the groups try to do things by themselves and there is
hardly any
> co-operation between them. Just look at what happened in February between
the ARE and
> Steamrail when Steamrail moved the date of their Sea Lake tour to the same
day as the
> ARE Portland tour. I find it hard to believe that Steamrail didn't know
about the
> Portland tour as that had been advertised for weeks before Steamrail moved
their tour.
> Many members of Steamrail are also members of the ARE and even if they
aren't, it isn't
> hard to find out about other tours.

There has been a tour co-ordinating committee, organized by Tom Murray, in
existence for many years to prevent precisely this type of situation.  It
meets every 2-3 months with representatives from most of the tour operating
groups in order to prevent clashes.  Unfortunately Steamrail, for whatever
reason, would not attend (although I think Elecrail did).  I suspect that
after the above mentioned disaster, Steamrail may now change their tune!

 I really don't see what Steamrail hoped to get out
> of that because both groups lost. Steamrail split up the railfans between
the two trips,
> and there are many like me who went on one tour and would have gone on the
other. (I
> went on the Portland tour.)
>
Cheers,

John Kerley