Re: Bromage really is GOD!!!

[G.Lambert@unsw.edu.au (Geoff Lambert)]

markbau1@aol.comQQQQyuk (MarkBau1) wrote:

>GOD doth spaketh thus:

><<<<<<I recall that one Easter in the early 1970s there was even a 5th
>division of 
>the Overland. >>>>>>

>Considering that you were not born until 1971, "recalling" how many divisions
>of The Overland ran in the early 70's is a not inconsiderable acheivement!

>Mark.

Hmm.  I lived by the line, and I was a keen observer of the trains in
the 1970s (= railfan) and I don't recall any such an occurrence.  

There were three paths in the WTT for the Overland and reliefs,
numbered in the 1960s as 10, 12 and 14 (or 12A sometimes) on the Up
and 69, 71 and (I think) 89 on the Down.  The Up was more prone to run
to three divisions than the Down.  To have all three run was a most
unusual event, although I did see it at least once in the mid 1960s
(I'll have to look up my notebooks).  Somebody who frequents this site
(can't remember who) ventured the opinion to me in an e-mail a few
weeks ago that the running of all three divisions on the one day
probably never occurred, but this is not right.  However running 4,
much less 5 divisions on the one day would definitely be an
off-the-planet occurrence, and I would be very interested in hearing
the when and why.  I have nearly all the special WTT books for early
1970s' Easters and none of the ones I have schedule even 3 Divisions.

There were up to 9 standard gauge trains to Sydney scheduled at some
Easter Thursdays, but never more than three Overlands.

In 1890 (this is not a personal recollection), the WTT contained paths
for four trains- two Divisions of the Adelaide Express and two for a
boat and mail special... the latter two were alternatives though. 

It was not unknown to have many more than 5 Adelaide trains on the
line, though they weren't divisions of the Overland.  On Christmas Eve
1973, for instance, there were scheduled to be (I think) about 15
(fifteen!) Melbourne-Adelaide trains, all running via Bacchus Marsh.
Two of these were Overlands, the rest were scout jamboree specials.  

Then, for some Easters in the 1960s and 1970s, there was train A11,
which was the Adelaide Daylight train on Good Friday (and return on
Monday).  This could make up to 4 paths to Adelaide within 24 hours.  

But 5 Overlands?

Geoff Lambert