Re: R711 trip to St. Arnaud on 4th July

["Roderick Smith" <rodsmith@werple.net.au>]

R711 performed well, but the tour ran late for a variety of reasons:
* late start after one carriage had to be replaced.
* overtime watering (various places).
* significant delays waiting for manual train orders at several stations,
as section-authority working was not working.
* turning at St Arnaud before watering, so the imbalanced turntable jammed
(a predictable problem - it has happened there before, and at Mildura).

Time was saved by deleting the one photostop when the sun was shining, and
eliminating the stop at Creswick to allow those who had boarded there to
alight (they went home by taxi from Ballarat).  Water was not taken at
Ballarat on the up journey, in a fruitless attempt to get to North Geelong
before the down Overland; the special was held at Gheringhap.  For the
first time in many years, the train got back so late that it missed the
last suburban trains.  Despite the governments promise of a common weekend
timetable, this has not been done.  Last trains on Sunday leave at 23.30
(0.00 Mon.-Sat.).

aus.rail poster Craig Haber was the conductor on the tour.  He invited all
posters to make themselves known, and I was able to to this (briefly -
Craig was rushed busy for most of the day).

I looked for the Sosmobile during the ascent of Ingliston bank, but did not
see it.

-- 
Regards
Roderick Smith
Rail News Victoria Editor