Re: Steamfreight 99 - Hightlights and not-so-highlights

[Eben Levy <thekid@connect.net.au>]

Krel wrote:

> On 18 Jul 1999 11:18:07 GMT, Michael Kurkowski <mk@netstra.com.au>
> wrote:
>
> >Hi All,
> >
> >After spending what was a seemingly short but certainly tiring weekend at
> >Steamfreight 99, I have a few comments.
> > To all the people who whinged like school children about cancelled
> >services, wake up to yourselves. At least the preservation society exists!
>
> I'd like to apologise for the timetable alterations. The shunting took
> far longer than aticipated. We will get it right next year.

Well, I am not one to complain, I found there was more then enough to photograph,
just not enough time to do it.

>
>
> >Despite last year being colder than this year, I preferred last years weather.
> >The ice added a spectacular effect back then. This year it was wet and windy. A
> >snow making machine was a nice instant brainwave that i instantly dismissed :-)
> >
> A K on a goods on the snow sounds great!! Seriously, though what would
> you think of a move to, say, May in a quest for more reliable weather.

WOuldn't be to hard to hire a snow machine would it? just set the date for what is
forecast as the coldest weekend next winter :-}

>
>
> >Reggie with his human impersonating microphone. All I heard him do all weekend
> >was whinge about what should and should not have happened this year. i.e. kids
> >should be banned because they were a nuisance and wouldnt contribute anything,
> >VGR should just pluck money out of the air and convert RM58 back to it's
> >original state (i.e. before refurbishment), last night's listening stop train
> >was not good enough, complaining about their incompetance because of having to
> >cancel trains, etc. Well reggie boy, let's see you try and do better.
> >
> Kids could not be banned. I, for one, would not be able to attend if I
> couldn't take my girls along. We could not convert RM58 cos our DERM
> is RM61 :-). Everyone would love to see it converted back but lots of
> other things come first. Extending to Castlemaine and doing up the D3
> come to mind.

Well, I know that the kids that where causing some of the problems where what
appeared to be involved, they had overalls on....

Hrm, well why can't we have RM58 also?

D3 *PANT*PANT*PANT* :-}

>
>
> >High levels of inconsiderate cars travelling trackside. Okay, I don't mind so
> >much allowing cars but for gods sake, if you are going to drive trackside BE
> >RESPONSIBLE!
>
> The road blocks on Saturday seemed to work out okay. Our road block
> attendents copped heaps of abuse whlst trying to stop cars driving on
> our access tracks. All this takes valuable human reasources away from
> other duties.

Maybe get a something like tghe SES involved in it to maintain the road blocks. I
did like the idea of the tree trunk across one of the roads :-}

FOr some reason they can not grasp the concept of the access tracks are for the
railway. the railway is yours, you can block them at anytime to traffic and failing
that, you can get the police involved if they are using them.

>
>
> > Better still, do what most people,
> >including me did. WALK, CATCH A TRAIN. Why are there the four stops that most
> >pass. trains stopped at? For people who wanted to be track side.
> >
> What would you think of the idea of cutting out the stops at "Top of
> Grade" and "Sinclairs Lane" and serving these by a much more frequent
> minibus service? This would speed up running times and allow more
> trains ( and a more realistic timetable).

That would involve atleast one more bus to get tyhe operating properly, then you
would need to timetable them closer to each other so that someone cooming from
Maldon can get to say sinclairs lane before the train from Muckleford.

>
> >
> >Aside from all that, thank you for bringing us all, gunzels and non-gunzels
> >alike, a great and successful weekend. I hope to be there next year as well,
> >and along with that, hope to see some more faces familiar to this group!
> >
> Thanks for the constructive feedback. It is only by giving the railfan
> what they want that we can get them to come back next year for
> Steamfreight 2000. We need more ticket-buying attendees to ensure the
> events survival.

Can't wait.