Sunlander 17 June 2008 Departure from Roma St station

[ozbob]

A couple of photographs of this mornings Sunlander departing Roma St, at 9.04am (scheduled 8.55am).
Two of the new enclosed motorail wagons were at the rear of the train. These wagons are fully enclosed and keep the cars out of the weather.

Interesting to see 1745D as the second loco.  A veteran and a sign of the increased demands on rail as 1720 classes are returned to traffic.  The lead loco was 2190D (In QR National livery).

I think the Sunlander and all our passenger services have a great future.  Times are changing!!





Photographs R Dow 17 June 2008

[ozbob]

This media release will be of interest:

Click here --> 29 May 2007: Queensland Long Distance Passenger Trains

[Huggies]

Interesting to see 1745D as the second loco.  A veteran and a sign of the increased demands on rail as 1700 classes are returned to traffic.  The lead loco was 1290D (In QR National livery).

Not meaning to be a smart arse but it's the 1720 Class as the 1700 Class are mostly scrapped with 1707D being the only one left. The lead loco would be 2190D  .

[ozbob]

Thanks Huggies, typos ...

There were 56 1720s built between 1966 - 1970 as far as I know.

[brad C]

The sad thing is that up until 2005 this train would have been worked with a 3900 class electric loco to Rockhampton.
Wisper quiet, powerful and non polluting (at the point of effort)

Why has the media not cottoned on to the huge waste of public investment that sees the overhead between Gympie North and Callemondah used by just 2 electric hauled trains per day (the up and down tilt trains to Rocky/Bundy).
Not to mention noise and fumes from diesels as they head north through the Brisbane suburban sprawl.

Brad C

[ozbob]

Who knows Brad, why might yet see electric-loco hauled trains through the region!

This might be of interest too --> http://backontrack.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1031.0

[mufreight]

With the price of fuel and the Governments espoused concerns for the environment it would be logical for QR to place an order for 10 electric general service locos, these could be rostered to work intensively hauling both passanger and general freight throughout the electrified network. as a seperate class of locos designed for such services as were the 3900 class before being modified for coal haulage.
A further logical step would be to extend the wire up the coast to connect with the northern electrified system and possibly through to Townsville
Yes it would mean more electric locos and if logic prevailed possibly two more tilt sets for passangers, which would release the current diesel powered tilts to operate Townsville - Cairns and Townsville - Mt Isa services, as for the electric locos because of their avaliability they would not stand idle long enough for the wheels to get cold.

[ozbob]

With respect to 1745D for interest. I have received advice (thanks!) that this loco  has been in storage at Redbank Workshops for approximately five years and has only recently been returned to service.
1745 first entered service on 15 September 1967 and spent a lot of its former working life based at Toowoomba working grain trains particularly during the eighties.