Article: Rail on the move at Winton

[ozbob]

From ABC Rural News click here!

Rail on the move at Winton


http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201211/r1041055_11998369.JPG

Rail on the move at Winton
By Amy Phillips
Wednesday, 28 November  2012

Winton rail users, in central west Queensland, say services are currently running smoothly.

The small outback town is at the end of the central Queensland rail line, but over the past few years the district has also felt very much at the end of the line when its come to upkeep and services.

It took the state government six months to fix flood damage to the Darr river bridge, between Winton and Longreach, forcing cattle and minerals to be trucked out of the town.

There's also been an underlying feeling among residents the previous state government was interested in closing the line, especially after passenger services were discontinued over 10 years ago.

But lately sentiments have improved, and rail has been all systems go.

Gary Murphy holds the contract for loading cattle onto the two or three trains that come to Winton every week.

He says there's been a lot of demand for services lately with the meatworks paying good money for cattle.

Mr Murphy says he believes services are running the most frequently and smoothly lately than they have in years.

Gypsum and sometimes Phosphate are also railed out of Winton.

Marty Mitchell runs the loading operation and says he too has been happy with the frequency of services lately.

The gypsum is mined around 100 kilometres west of the town and trucked into the rail head where its crushed and loaded onto wagons.

Mr Mitchell says its then railed to destinations along the east coast of Australia for agricultural purposes.

He has been running his business for decades and says he too believes relations with Queensland Rail have improved lately with close communication again resuming for customers like himself.

As well gangs are replacing the sleepers between Longreach and Winton with an estimated 70 000 sleepers being laid.

[ozbob]

 

[SurfRail]

Be nice if the SOTO went there.

[colinw]

I did both the Winton line and Cunnamulla/Quilpie back in the early '90s when the Midlander & Westlander still served beyond Longreach & Charleville respectively.  This was just before the Midlander morphed into the SOTO, and it had in fact had some refurbishment with a garish grey & pink "galah" colour scheme in the dining/griddle car.

While most Midlander passengers detrained at Longreach, a reasonable number - more than a bus load - did continue to Winton.

Charleville was similar, with a decent more-than-busload continuing to Cunnamulla.  The Quilpie division, on the other hand, was dead as a doornail.  When I did it I was one of about 4 passengers.

The highlight of all those early '90s inland jaunts was the standard of the food on the Westlander.  Best steak sandwich I have ever had, and the on-train staff were just so friendly & helpful. There was a definite pride in the service being provided, even though it was - even then - an anachronism.

I know buses are more cost effective, but for leisurely, civilised travel, loco hauled long distance passenger will always be king.

That these trains still run today is utterly amazing, and we should be glad we have them.

[colinw]

I might have seen it on a good day then.  Quilpie definitely was in the "staff outnumbering passengers" category, but at least when I saw them Cunnamulla & Winton were not.