Re: THE GHAN

["Ron BEST" <ronbest@bigpond.com>]

Derick Wuen <cullend@webone.com.au> wrote in message
374955cd.0@iridium.webone.com.au">news:374955cd.0@iridium.webone.com.au...
>
> By the '70's the track speed restrictions were such that a name change
from
> the Fast Mixed to practically anything that did not promise to deliver
speed
> was inevitable. Progress across the NG could be described as stately at
> best, a crawl at worst.
>
This would be about the time the following (possibly apocryphal)
conversation took place on the "Ghan":

Lady passenger to conductor: "When will we arrive at Alice Springs?"
Conductor: "In a while, madam, in a while. Why do you ask?"
Lady: "Well, you see, I'm expecting a baby very soon."
Conductor:"Madam, you shouldn't have got on the train in that condition."
Lady: "Sir, when I got on this train, I wasn't in this condition!"