Re: Loco-hauled passenger trains in Western Australia

["David & Jan Winter" <winterdspamtrap@nospam-icenet.com.au>]

Damian Clement wrote in message <7fsf9n$hvr$1@news8.svr.pol.co.uk>...
>Can anyone tell me if there are any loco-hauled passenger trains in
Westrail
>territory apart from the Indian Pacific? If so what traction is used?
>
>
The other responses in this thread really have failed to take on board the
new order in railways. There are fully professionally certified operators
running loco-hauled passenger trains in WA every week.

The main operator is Hotham Valley Railway (HVR), who have frequent (an
average of over 1 per week) excursion train operations on a wide variety of
routes. On Wednesdays in school hols, as well as each weekend, there are
runs from/through Pinjarra to Dwellingup. And there is the "Etmilyn Tramway"
on the lightest stretch of track of the former Pinjarra-Narrogin link.

HVR own or have access to a fleet of W class steam engines and G123. They
also host and have use of an XA, and a pot pourri of English Electric
traction, including C and ex-MRWA F and G classes. In years past, they used
the A class (Clyde-GM G12C) diesels a lot, but these have new homes in
Chile!

Their main coaching stock is a rake of vacuum-braked post-war carriages
sourced from SAS/SAR (South Africa).

Although there is a significant volunteer workforce, especially on-train,
the engineering side is increasingly a professional operation (as required
by the certification processes).

They should be regarded as every whit a serious operator of trains,
loco-hauled at that!

In addition, Pemberton Tramway is operating a V-class and ex-suburban
carriages on a run north from Pemberton towards the timber mill at Manjimup,
a stop now called Lyall IIRC.

The ARHS have an S-class in steam, but last I heard they lacked public
liability insurance so were unable to operate it unless a certified operated
leases their loco.

DW