Upgrade for the Rockhampton and Bundaberg Tilt Trains

[ozbob]

SCL  has reopened ... 

[ozbob]

Between Mary West and Tiaro ...

Photograph R Dow 3rd May 2015

[ozbob]

Presently south of Nambour ..

Gympie North 15 minutes early ... time for photograph or three ..



Photograph R Dow 3rd May 2015

As can be expected lots of trains being passed freight and passenger.  Seems every loop has something in it ..

[ozbob]

Landsborough ... plenty of passengers both on the northbound tilt on Friday, and on today's train south.  QPS have conducted ticket checks today on the train as well.

[STB]

Landsborough ... plenty of passengers both on the northbound tilt on Friday, and on today's train south.  QPS have conducted ticket checks today on the train as well.

I didn't realise that QPS will do ticket checks on long distance trains?

[ozbob]

I had a brief chat with the QPS.  Rail squad, actually travelled up to Rocky on Friday's tilt, spent a day in Rocky and back on today's train.  Main focus was checking any concession entitlements.

Now at Caboolture.  Didn't appear to be any speed restriction over the section that was washed out between Elimbah and Cab.

[ozbob]

Arrived at Roma St 5.35pm, 10 minutes early.  Excellent weekend.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Landsborough ... plenty of passengers both on the northbound tilt on Friday, and on today's train south.  QPS have conducted ticket checks today on the train as well.

I didn't realise that QPS will do ticket checks on long distance trains?

The railway squad which is a division of the QPS do.

[ozbob]

Bundaberg railway station has a bay platform as well as the platform facing the main line.

Few random photographs around Bundaberg

































Photographs R Dow 2/3 May 2015

[ozbob]

Twitter

Robert Dow @Robert_Dow  ·  4 hours ago

. @QueenslandRail Travelled to Bundy Friday RTT & back yesterday on DEL train. Enjoyed it a lot, impressed with cheerful staff. Well done!

==================

Twitter

Queensland Rail ‏@QueenslandRail 4 hours ago

@Robert_Dow Hi Robert, thanks very much for sharing this feedback. We'll pass it on to ensure it gets back to the crew of both services.

[verbatim9]

Notice in the Qldlabor discussion article that they were not keen on electric tilt train services in the future
http://m.couriermail.com.au/news/daylight-saving-set-for-resurrection-as-labor-blueprint-suggests-it-might-speed-up-queensland-economy/story-fnihsrk2-1227570860184

[petey3801]

Likely because the Electric Tilt is the only thing that uses the overhead between Gympie North and Gladstone, apart from the (very) occasional electric train test run north of Mary West.

[colinw]

I see little future for the electrification between Gympie & Gladstone unless oil prices go up significantly, or the overhead is extended to at least Townsville (as was announced in 1989 but cancelled by the incoming Goss administration).

[Arnz]

The ETTs probably would be good replacements for the ICEs on the Gympielander (along with refurbishing the business class cabin to a economy cabin) in the possible event of the wires north of Gympie North being de-wired.  Converting the ETTs to DTTs may possibly be more expensive then refurbishing it for Gympie North runs.

But then again, like the ICE, it triggers yet another event of that train doing a job not intended for (unless if the Gympie North pattern changes to a limited stops to pro-long the life of the ETT (eg all stations to Nambour, then Landsborough, Caboolture, Northgate, Bowen Hills  then all to Roma Street).

[Stillwater]

Petey, Colin, Arnz - interesting observations.  So, same consist as Spirit of Queensland for long-haul passenger services on a de-wired line north of Gympie North?

[ozbob]

Fraser Coast Chronicle --> EDI RALLY: "Save our jobs, save Maryborough"