Re: Last weekends wanderings

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

On Mon, 22 Mar 1999 16:52:04 +1100, Notagunzel
<notagunzel@bigfoot.com> wrote:

>This last weekend, the RTA ran a tour to the Limestone Coast Railway in
>Mt Gambier.  Most of the group travelled per a BK attached to Friday's
>1800 down Warrnambool, some antisocial freeloaders travelled in the ACZ,

We ended up having 55 people, so pass holders travelled first class in
the ACZ to allow a bit more breathing space in the BK.

>Sunday saw Car 355 journey to Millicent.  'Big bad' AN actually closed
>the line beyond Snuggery to Millicent several years ago, and the LCR has
>only recently reopened the line.  We only went as far as the Up end of
>the yard, the track beyond being inpassable.  Allegedly the RTA group
>were the first passengers to Millicent since reopening.

Apparently this was the case: some tree growth just before Millicent
had only freshly been cut back for our visit.

There was, apparently, an empty Red Hen 'test train' before our visit,
and also the LCR ran a fund raiser for a local Millicent group
(hospital?) a few weeks ago. This only did shuttle trips from the
outskirts of Millicent ($2 per head or similar) for a couple of kms in
the Up direction but did not operate as far as Millicent itself.

One question which was asked by many participants was -- When did the
Snuggery - Millicent section actually close? It was definitely closed
before the standard gauge conversions of Heywood/Wolseley. The driver
thought it might have been around 1990 when the superphosphate traffic
traffic ceased (it later ran to a depot at Penola and was road
freighted from there).


>The track to Coonawarra was in excelent condition, with extensive 60
>km/h running.

Much of this (and probably 80% or more of the Millicent line) is steel
sleepered from gauge conversion in the 1950s. Many commented that the
track condition on these sections was probably better than most
existing main lines in Victoria.

Of interest is the fact that the steel sleepers were pre-drilled for
future standard gauge conversion - a degree of foresight you probably
wouldn't see nowadays. It also makes one realise that it wouldn't
require that much for gauge conversion -- it just takes a bit of
political willpower...


>The worst track was beyond Snuggery, while the track to
>the border was 20 km/h only.

This was basically because the LCR hadn't properly 'sussed out' the
track condition as it had only been re-opened a couple of weeks. The
track didn't seem too bad, although it was obvious that a lot of long
grass previously covering the track had been cut down. This section
has a greater proportion of timber sleepers but is heavy rail - the
section Mt. Gambier to Snuggery at least is welded 47kg/m rail. I
think 'G' class locos have operated to the mill at Snuggery on at
least one occasion - some reader might like to confirm this.

>Although they have a big task ahead of them (inherited track condition
>helps) its better then seeing it all going to waste.
>
Agreed. Hopefully they can keep the line in place long enough so that
it will still be there in future years and maybe one day standardised
rather than being lifted for its scrap value.


On Tue, 23 Mar 1999 08:24:26 +1100, "Chris Stratton"
<stratton.chris.cp@bhp.com.au> wrote:

>Notagunzel wrote in message <36F5DA84.B20712DA@bigfoot.com>...
>>This last weekend, the RTA ran a tour to the Limestone Coast Railway
><snip>
>Who is the RTA, assuming it isn't the Roads and Traffic Authority?
>--

The Rail Tourist Association, a mostly Melbourne-based group formed in
1977. We run perhaps 6 or 7 trips per year generally within Victoria,
but occasionally interstate as was the case last weekend.


Regards,
Frank Jones
President RTA.