Event - GoldlinQ Visit (now 24 January 2014)

[SurfRail]

EDIT: Topic name changed to account for changes since this was originally floated.

Hi folks,

We have approached GoldlinQ about organising another site visit in a few months time.  They have come back to us and said they are happy to accommodate us for a follow-up visit to the project, which will potentially involve:

- Trip to the depot (which will be largely complete by that time)
- An introduction to the 2 trams which will be on-site by then (although this won't involve live traction or any joyriding ... )
- Follow-up visit to the GCUH station, which we looked at on our July 2012 visit

The most favorable dates for GoldlinQ appear to be Tuesday 24 or Friday 27 September 2013.  Particulars to be finalised closer to the date.

Anybody who is interested, please either post here or PM me.  Feel free to pass along to anybody outside the immediate RailBOT throng who might be interested.  I am sure some TDU members and others will be keen.

[ozbob]

Thanks for organising this return visit SurfRail.  Either day is fine for me thanks.

[petey3801]

Work permitting, i'd certainly be interested.

[newbris]

Yes please...either day as on holidays.

[Otto]

Would love to go, but only able to do the Friday..

[red dragin]

Would depend on work & she who must be obeyed 

Pencil me in for either day.

[Set in train]

I like the idea of this, put my name down.

Happy to give you all a personal tour of how their reinstatement works around an area I know show a lack of attention to detail also!

[SurfRail]

Seems that Friday will probably be a goer - I will get back to them and see what we can do.

[ozbob]

Seems that Friday will probably be a goer - I will get back to them and see what we can do.

Thanks, Fridays suits me as well.

[Otto]

Seems that Friday will probably be a goer - I will get back to them and see what we can do.

[SurfRail]

Projected itinerary is as follows (PT services included):

- Arrive at Helensvale Station by around 10am (service from Roma Street at 8:57am will do the trick for anybody coming from Brisbane).  If anybody is driving I would suggest parking here as parking availability around the GCUH will probably be limited, as usual.

- Route 3 bus from Helensvale to Griffith Uni 10:15am to around 10:37am

- Start around 10:45am at GCUH station site offices

- Tour of GCUH station site

- Walk to the depot via the light rail corridor (including the bridge over Smith Street), arrive around or just after midday

- Tour of depot, which will be operational by then and should potentially have 5 trams on site by then

- Lunch provided on-site

Will enquire about travel onwards from the depot as it doesn't have the best public transport access in the absence of the trams actually running.  If we can manage it I will see if they can transfer us to say Southport, running the length of Queen St, and then we can head south by Surfside services from that point and have a hop-on, hop-off sort of affair.  Failing this there is a bus stop near the Queen Street station site where people can catch a Route 3 back to Helensvale or on to Southport, although it does not run along Queen Street itself.

Any other thoughts or comments?

[SurfRail]

Would love to come, but not a chance at moment. Good work Surfrail, and how to get back, Maxi Taxi or two will move people that short distance at reasonable cost with 7 or so bodies in the cab. Perhaps the same driver could shuttle.

They may have a Coaster or a Rosa on hand for jobsite transfers which they are happy to reserve for a trip, but given how accommodating they are I am reticent to prevail on them to go and charter one for us.  (They did last time but that involved a visit to their head office in Southport and a trip out to the worksites afterwards.)

Unlike Brisbane and most eastern state capitals (seemingly), there will be very little trouble getting a cab driven by somebody who knows what they are doing.  For a monopoly, Gold Coast Cabs has quite reasonable service if you overlook the exorbitant tariffs which apply all through SEQ - certainly compared to my experiences with Black and White or Yellow I have little to complain about.

[SurfRail]

OK all - this event will definitely be happening on 27 September 2013.  Current commencement time would be 10:45am at the GCUH site office.  We will likely meet at Helensvale station in time for a connecting Route 3 bus to take us down to Parklands/GCUH.

Attire will need to include PPE - this means:

·         Bring or wear long pants, long sleeved shirt and steel cap boots (and high visibility jacket or vest if you have one)

·         Hard Hats, safety glasses, gloves and hi viz vests will likely be available as they were last time (will confirm).

I will clarify transport arrangements when we know numbers - the only question is how we are getting back from the depot area to wherever people are heading next. 

All "bookings" must be by PM to me with your mobile number so we can get in touch on the day if need be.  Please get in touch with me before Friday, 30 August 2013

[SurfRail]

On the PPE - for anybody who came last time, I expect it would be sufficient for you to wear whatever you ended up wearing before.  The only issue is that it is a working site we will be traipsing through so need not to give their insurers a conniption fit.

[SurfRail]

5 confirmed attendees so far (including me).  Anybody else who wants in, please let me know by 31 August so we can confirm numbers.

[SurfRail]

15 so far, including a number of the folks from the Brisbane Tramway Museum and Trams Down Under to whom we have extended the invitation.

Last chance will be to PM me by tomorrow and then I will lock in final numbers with GoldlinQ.

[ozbob]

Thanks for organising this visit SurfRail.  Looking forward to it ... 

[newbris]

15 so far, including a number of the folks from the Brisbane Tramway Museum and Trams Down Under to whom we have extended the invitation.

Last chance will be to PM me by tomorrow and then I will lock in final numbers with GoldlinQ.

PM sent

[Otto]

I will board at Beenleigh at 9:40am..Thanks SR.
Which carriage ?

[ozbob]

I will board at Beenleigh at 9:40am..Thanks SR.
Which carriage ?

Car 1 ..

[SurfRail]

I have now sent an SMS to everybody who wanted to attend.  If you have not received a message, please PM me.

The arrangements for Friday have changed a bit and are set out below:

- Arrive at Nerang (rather than Helensvale as originally intended) by 10am-ish.  The same train mentioned earlier in the thread will still be fine for a 10:04 arrival.
- Hop on a minibus kindly provided by GoldlinQ which will take us up to the GCUH site and the depot.
- GoldlinQ will take us on a driveby of the corridor after we have finished our site tours.
- We will be shuttled back to Nerang.

It may be possible to hop off on the route if anybody wants to linger around anywhere in particular (Southport, Surfers) and make their own way back.

Everybody will need to bring/wear the following PPE:
·         Long sleeves
·         Long pants
·         Steel Cap Boots (normal boots not allowed)

The following will be required but I am checking to see whether these will be available - if you have your own feel free to bring:
·         Hard Hat
·         High Vis vest
·         Safety Glasses (not normal prescriptions – safety specs need to go over the top)

Gloves will be supplied if needed.  It is also recommended that you bring a hat for any non-hard hat areas as there will be a reasonable amount of wandering around outside.

Any questions, please ask away, otherwise look forward to seeing you all at Nerang station on Friday morning.

[ozbob]

Steel cap boots?  Not sure if all would have that, wasn't needed last trip.  This really required??

[huddo45]

Steel cap boots?  Not sure if all would have that, wasn't needed last trip.  This really required??

Ditto for safety glasses, weren't required last time??

The BTMS CEO was on site on Monday and walked over the viaduct, he thinks it would be best to bring a water bottle also.

[SurfRail]

^ This is what I have been told - last time there were fewer of us so they may have been able to accommodate us from their media/visitor stock.  John - what was your CEO told to wear and was he supplied anything?

I have asked if there will be enough gear on hand to break us up into a few groups.

In practice, it will likely just be bring what you can.  Even if we are limited in what we can do, we are still getting a good close up look.

[ozbob]

Ok thanks.  I just tried on my old workboots.  Don't fit anymore ...  time to get some new ones ..

[ozbob]

I plan to be onboard Gold Coast service from Roma Street at 8:57am  car 1.

Will be having breakfast upstairs at Roma St prior to departure ...

Arrive Nerang 10.04am.

[SurfRail]

Hello all,

I am very sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news, but...

The tour will not be taking place this Friday.

There are a few factors at play:

- KDR is moving into the depot this week and virtually all on-site staff have asked for the visit to be delayed until the week commencing 21 October 2013 owing to on-site and staff requirements associated with the move-in.

- 5 trams should have arrived by then and KDR will have "settled in".  The 2 current trams are in use nearly 100% of the time at present, so we should have greater access to one of them in a month or so.

- Very limited PPE availability - so we WILL each need to bring a hard hat, safety glasses, hi-viz vest and steel-cap boots.

I appreciate this is short notice and that the PPE in particular will create difficulties for some of us.   Just having a squizz, total cost of these items is probably around the $100 mark depending on how cheap you can get the boots.  I picked up a decent set for $65 from Big W, I suspect you can find them for cheaper though.  You could get the balance items from RSEA for around $45, again likely you can get them cheaper elsewhere or online, at a disposals store etc.

I still have the day off on Friday and am happy to walk/bus along the corridor if anybody wants to head down for an excursion anyway.

If anybody is still interested in a tour to occur in the week commencing 21 October 2013, post here and we will see about rescheduling.

Again, many apologies for this. 

[red dragin]

Thanks SurfRail,

I won't be able to make the revised date, will be in KL

[ozbob]

No worries.  Things happen.  Be happy to go on the Friday 25th Oct if can be arranged.

[Otto]

Thanks SR.
I can do the new date. Any Friday is OK on my current roster. Will just need to find a Hard Hat.

another dog post using Tapatalk paw.

[huddo45]

Stuff happens. I'm available on any day that week. This will give those keen enough time to organise some safety gear. ALDI have steel cap shoes on sale sometimes, I bought mine from there, they were about $40 I think. Pretty sure I've seen hi-vis shirts in the cheap shops too. Will make sure all BTMS members and Richard Y. got the message re postponement.

[red dragin]

Hi vis vest $2 at Kmart. That's where I got mine.

[Set in train]

October tour sounds great, 4 more weeks along, so 4 more weeks of progress to enjoy when on the tour.

[SurfRail]

Probably fortunate this happened in some respects, my office is insanely busy and we have been a man down all week (and I was out all last week).  I will be giving up my day off this week in lieu of organising the later visit.

Will keep you all posted.

[petey3801]

27 October is good for me, i'm on leave that week so will be able to make it down.

[ozbob]

27 October is good for me, i'm on leave that week so will be able to make it down.

Will probably be Friday 25th Petey,  still good?

[Derwan]

Be happy to go on the Friday 25th Oct if can be arranged.

The V8's are on then.  Not sure if that'll affect things?

[ozbob]

Might Derwan ... wait for advice from SurfRail ...

[SurfRail]

Might affect the accessibility of the corridor for a drive by but I wouldn't think much else.  May see if the following week is doable instead.

[petey3801]

27 October is good for me, i'm on leave that week so will be able to make it down.

Will probably be Friday 25th Petey,  still good?

Ah, of course! Brainfart (brain must already be in holiday mood... only a few weeks left!). Yes, 25th is all good, have noted it down in my diary