Re: GM's in Melb

[desktop@pipeline.com.au (Frank Jones)]

On 20 Feb 1999 08:31:21 GMT, "Roderick Smith" <rodsmith@werple.net.au>
wrote:

>Clearly,
>the committee *is* still needed:

Definitely... and the failure of certain groups to co-operate is
particularly disappointing.


>this thread arose because Steamrail
>shifted its advertised tour from 20.2 to 27.2, 
>deliberately clashing with
 ^^^^^^^^^^
While this may or may not be the case in this instance, Steamrail's
attitude to other groups is typified by a comment once made by a
Steamrail official to one of our (RTA) committee members. The person
concerned basically said that 'Small groups like yours won't be around
in a couple of years'. That was over 10 years ago...


>an ARE tour.  The following Saturday was vacant.

Now, in view of the limited market for rail tours you would think it
would be just plain economic common sense to schedule the tour on a
date when nothing else was running. Everybody wins!


>There is considerable evasion in the excuses for this action: people hoping
>to have a tour and attend the airshow had both Friday night and Sunday
>available for the airshow.
>
>Steamrail is notorious for taking over dates allocated to other groups, by
>ignoring the coordination committee system.

You're not wrong there. The Rail Tourist Association always sends a
rep to the Co-ord meetings, and Steamrail is conspicuous by their
absence.

>
>Ultimately, it is the railfan fraternity which suffers: the very people who
>set up the organisation, and the people who it was intended to serve.
>
Exactly ... with such a limited market all that happens is that the
rail enthusiast is forced to choose between one tour or the other,
with the result that the viability of each tour may suffer.


Stuart Thyer wrote...
>Steamrail uses a unique and mysterious way of letting people know the
>dates of our tours, it's called a yearly programme.

That's all very well, but how many of these tours actually end up
running on the advertised date (if at all)? It's only February and
already one tour (Sea Lake)  has had a date change. The 1999 Airshow
date has been known for ages.

We have often gone to V/Line and various other rail operators to
organise tours and are constantly amazed how often various groups have
already had brochures for their tours mailed out, and yet V/Line (or
whoever) have told us that they haven't even been approached yet! How
these groups can even establish a fare for the tour, let alone specify
what motive power etc. might be used is beyond me... I therefore
wonder about the usefulness of a yearly programme.

Our policy is to not advertise a tour until we've confirmed the
availability of its major components and received costings, as we
don't want to disappoint our members by offering something we later
can't deliver. This works well for us - already we have two successful
tours under our belt for 1999, and a brochure out for our third in a
few weeks time.



Frank Jones
President
Rail Tourist Association