Random observations around the network ...

[Golliwog]

http://www.nearmap.com/?q=@-27.364069,153.040774&ll=-27.364069,153.040774&z=19&t=k&nmd=20120902

Trackwork between Geebung and Zillmere on 2nd September 2012.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Saw the 370 behind me while going into the busway on the 77. One person got on at the Kedron stop and exp past the next stop. Exited the busway with that same 370 ahead waiting to join the far city end of the busway. Please remind me why they installed this piece of fantastic infrastructure again or who installed warp speed on that 370?

[Golliwog]

Saw the 370 behind me while going into the busway on the 77. One person got on at the Kedron stop and exp past the next stop. Exited the busway with that same 370 ahead waiting to join the far city end of the busway. Please remind me why they installed this piece of fantastic infrastructure again or who installed warp speed on that 370?

Be interested to see if that still happens once Airport link is no longer free for those with e-tags.

[petey3801]

Heading into town onboard EMU49 (3.57 ex Goodna)  on the main down, seems the significant speed restriction at Taringa gone?  Noted standard speed boards, 50Km, then 60Km then 80Km.

It's back again... The boards may have falled over when they were working there the other night and not put back up till later?

[p858snake]

Every vending machine I see at at a QR station lately is either empty or out of order...

Also it appears Telstra is (pretty sure, already has) gotten ridden of the payphone at FG station due to a "QR decision" (sorry for the crappy pic, appears my flash didn't go off.)

[Fares_Fair]

Every vending machine I see at at a QR station lately is either empty or out of order...

Also it appears Telstra is (pretty sure, already has) gotten ridden of the payphone at FG station due to a "QR decision" (sorry for the crappy pic, appears my flash didn't go off.)

Are QR responsible for vandalisation repairs or such like?
Why remove it?

[HappyTrainGuy]

In forgotten to mention news from early last week the new stainless steel bikeway underpass covers at Virginia are set to have barbed wire rings installed. Since the BBC installed a shared pathway through what was once a creek and water reeds a few people have been climbing up the rock foundation wall and then standing/sitting on top of the steel mesh. Apparently a guard or a driver was suprised to see a head pop up and look around right beside the edge of the tracks after passing thru the station.

For location reference - http://www.nearmap.com/?ll=-27.381449,153.061874&z=21&t=k&nmd=20120803

[HappyTrainGuy]

In forgotten to mention news from early last week the new stainless steel bikeway underpass covers at Virginia are set to have barbed wire rings installed. Since the BBC installed a shared pathway through what was once a creek and water reeds a few people have been climbing up the rock foundation wall and then standing/sitting on top of the steel mesh. Apparently a guard or a driver was suprised to see a head pop up and look around right beside the edge of the tracks after passing thru the station.

For location reference - http://www.nearmap.com/?ll=-27.381449,153.061874&z=21&t=k&nmd=20120803

Installed late last week.

[Stillwater]

Crews making preparations for work on level crossing at Pomona this weekend.  No word as to what the work entails, but it will involve night time activity, as banks of lights have been hauled onto site.

[p858snake]

Every vending machine I see at at a QR station lately is either empty or out of order...

Also it appears Telstra is (pretty sure, already has) gotten ridden of the payphone at FG station due to a "QR decision" (sorry for the crappy pic, appears my flash didn't go off.)

Are QR responsible for vandalisation repairs or such like?
Why remove it?

Probably didn't fit the "ethos" of the new station design.

[Stillwater]

If only for public safety reasons, public telephones should be part of every new station design.  Not everyone has a mobile phone.  We have CCTV at stations, but who is watching?  Someone was able to steal copper wiring from virtually all non-manned stations on the Sunshine Coast without being eyeballed by someone at the end of a CCTV camera.  On that performance, there's an equal chance that someone will be bashed or robbed without the offence being witnessed in real time.  At the end of an ordeal, let's hope they will be able to crawl to the public telephone to dial 000.  What are the chances of the phone being vandalised?

[Golliwog]

Got one of Mr Shuttleworth's newsletters the other day. IIRC it said after concern from locals the payphone would be put back in by the end of the year.

[ozbob]

Got one of Mr Shuttleworth's newsletters the other day. IIRC it said after concern from locals the payphone would be put back in by the end of the year.

[HappyTrainGuy]

I got a phone call on my way to work the other day so I pulled over and answered it. As I was talking I noticed two traffic controllers sitting down at the Albion inbound via Lutwyche portal entrance. I know people kicked up a stink about QR paying for traffic controllers between Dakabin and Narangba but how come no one has brought up the traffic controllers that are located at 3 of the Northern Busway portal entrances/exits (Stafford portal, Lutwyche portal and Albion inbound portal) that have been there since it opened. I caught the bus today and they are there in force. They must be working on mates rates as every time I've used the busway they all are always sitting down.

[ozbob]

Good positioning of track closure notice at Goodna rail.



Photograph  R Dow 11th October 2012

[ozbob]

Concrete sleeper stacks between Wacol and Darra, no doubt for the closure this coming weekend, Sherwood to Rosewood --> http://jp.translink.com.au/travel-information/service-updates/details/1345511783

The track between Wacol and Darra can get a bit bumpy on occasion ..

[SurfRail]

Concrete sleeper stacks between Wacol and Darra, no doubt for the closure this coming weekend, Sherwood to Rosewood --> http://jp.translink.com.au/travel-information/service-updates/details/1345511783

The track between Wacol and Darra can get a bit bumpy on occasion ..

There's a nice big stack between Runcorn and Altandi too.

[Golliwog]

Good positioning of track closure notice at Goodna rail.



Photograph  R Dow 11th October 2012

A sign that big and positioned like that advertising the Ferny Grove frequency is all I want!

[HappyTrainGuy]

Good positioning of track closure notice at Goodna rail.



Photograph  R Dow 11th October 2012

A sign that big and positioned like that advertising the Ferny Grove frequency is all I want!

$10 says some yuppie will somehow still manage to walk into it 

[Stillwater]

Partial fence, planter boxes and bench seats installed between No.1 and No.2 platforms at Nambour station.  People must slow to walk around them.  Apparently, this is in response to an incident whereby a woman got out of a train at the No.1 platform and began walking towards a bus parked at the interchange.  I am told she took the direct route, not realising that the No.2 platform track was in her path.  She fell to the track.  QR took swift action to prevent a recurrence.

[Fares_Fair]

Go card log in down ... again. 

[ozbob]

4174 at Redbank, had been moving a few wagons around ..



Photograph R Dow 18th October 2012

[ozbob]

Presently at Roma St, all up trains through 4 and 5, down 6 and 7 ..  I like  it! 

Ummm ... might be the way forward for future path packing ...

Heading off on the 12.34pm Beenleigh service, going to Salisbury for a bo-peep.

[somebody]

Presently at Roma St, all up trains through 4 and 5, down 6 and 7 ..  I like  it! 

So the 4tph FYG doesn't prevent that.  Interesting.  I count 13tph through here:

4tph FYG (inc BNH)
2tph CVN-SHC
2tph GC-BDT
1tph DBN
4tph IPS/RCH/CAB

[ozbob]

Presently at Roma St, all up trains through 4 and 5, down 6 and 7 ..  I like  it! 

So the 4tph FYG doesn't prevent that.  Interesting.  I count 13tph through here:

4tph FYG (inc BNH)
2tph CVN-SHC
2tph GC-BDT
1tph DBN
4tph IPS/RCH/CAB

Indeed indeed Simon.

Checked out Salisbury, what really impressed was that the loo was open!   

Seriously though, car parking guestimate 70 official spaces (30 in a 'commuter car park' around 40 in paddock next to it), western side verge, probably room for 80 or so.

No DDA but we knew that.  Went there to check out the area basically.  There is plenty of room for an interchange in the future  ..

[ozbob]

Onboard EMU59 3.06pm ex Roma St Ippy, schoolie plus special, very impressed with the behaviour of the students.  Very well behaved generally.

[SurfRail]

^ My preference remains for Rocklea and Salisbury to both be closed and amalgamated into a single station roughly somewhere adjacent to Nyanda High.  Better opportunities for bus interchange here with the Ipswich Rd services.

I think Rocklea should be closed at the same time but I wouldn't lose sleep if it was kept open too.

[ozbob]

Cattle train at Clapham - empty.

Queensland is the only state that has livestock trains today, and very important they are too.

It is time the dear locomotives were painted?









Photographs R Dow 24th October 2012

[Stillwater]

You know you are in Queensland when Cattle No.5 au de cologne wafts around and the occasional potent mix of urine and dung plops onto the platform as one of these trains passes by.   

[Stillwater]

ABC radio is reporting another bridge strike today at Morayfield.  Anyone have further information?  Report said that trains were being held at Caboolture while engineers inspected the bridge superstructure.

Just saw this on Brisbane Times website:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/truck-crashes-into-rail-bridge-causing-commuter-delays-20121025-287mr.html

[ozbob]

ABC radio is reporting another bridge strike today at Morayfield.  Anyone have further information?  Report said that trains were being held at Caboolture while engineers inspected the bridge superstructure.

Just saw this on Brisbane Times website:

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/truck-crashes-into-rail-bridge-causing-commuter-delays-20121025-287mr.html

Strike earlier today, all over now.  Services resumed.

--> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=1862.msg111307#msg111307

[Set in train]

Probably didn't fit the "ethos" of the new station design.

Of course it didn't, a payphone informs and connects people; QR are not champions of that!

Interesting it takes a local member to step in and correct the lack of commonsense that should exist within an organisation.

[Set in train]

...but how come no one has brought up the traffic controllers that are located at 3 of the Northern Busway portal entrances/exits (Stafford portal, Lutwyche portal and Albion inbound portal) that have been there since it opened. I caught the bus today and they are there in force. They must be working on mates rates as every time I've used the busway they all are always sitting down.

If they're in the spots I can recall, they're there due to a safety stink kicked up by the union.

The reasoning for a human to be at the Stafford end is ridiculous, there should be a human at all at grade entrances to the SE Busway if that's the case.

I'm not sure where you mean Albion portal, but know the two at-grade ped crossings were again a union safety stink and were closed for the opening of the busway with humans there to play lollipop lady to let the disabled or infirm across.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Sorry, the Albion portal was the Truro street platforms (Couldn't remember its name at the time I made the post). There's always 2-3 or more of them lurking around there. They are just bleeding cash for something that got too much attention for the same thing out of the city.

[p858snake]

TOs seem to be out in force lately... Trying to recover some money?

[ozbob]

TOs seem to be out in force lately... Trying to recover some money?

The massive fare box leakage might be finally focussing a few minds .. lol

[ozbob]

Noted 4172 cab trailing being towed UP Goodna around 5.45am, in a rake of 3 DELs.  Assume heading to Redbank.

[PollyWouldLikeASeat]

Unfortunate tourist on the 5.04 Nambour train last night, when we rolled out of Caboolture he asked the people around him how much longer till Nambour, he was told it was still an hour away.  He then asked if there was an express train to Nambour, as this train had already stopped at lots of stations,  he got lots of sigh, groans and unhappy laughter when he was told by a chorus of people around him that he was on the 'express' train.  He shook his head in disbelief, I don't think he will be recommending train travel to any friends who may be contemplating visiting the sunny coast.

[techblitz]

Unfortunate tourist on the 5.04 Nambour train last night, when we rolled out of Caboolture he asked the people around him how much longer till Nambour, he was told it was still an hour away.  He then asked if there was an express train to Nambour, as this train had already stopped at lots of stations,  he got lots of sigh, groans and unhappy laughter when he was told by a chorus of people around him that he was on the 'express' train.  He shook his head in disbelief, I don't think he will be recommending train travel to any friends who may be contemplating visiting the sunny coast.

a question....how many pax actually deboard the peak pm nambour trains before northgate? Lots? or do the majority go straight to caboolture/onwards?  We all know too well how overcrowded these train get.....

[Stillwater]

Lucky the tourist wasn't going to Gympie!    I will anticipate the retort -- 'no tourists go to Gympie'.