Random observations around the network ...

[brissypete]

More buses increase congestion

[ozbob]

Thanks!

We could reform the bus network huh?   

[techblitz]

When on the Gold Coast last Sunday noticed those 777 double deckers running up and down from Broad Beach South to Gold Coast Airport. Noticing  few South bound services and one Northbound there were  only 2-5 people per bus. Those double deckers  not very successful to date. Anyone viewed the loadings on the 777 since implemented with Double Deckers?

they can get very well loaded(40+) just depends what time of day and what time the major flights come in....gold coast airport patronage is forecast to increase fairly steadily over the coming years so the double deckers will eventually come into thier own......

[verbatim9]

I am still not convinced Double Axile busses can replace the double deckers. Also there is no headroom in those Double Deckers and Boarding and disembarking with luggage is an ordeal. First hand witness. Early retirement of the double deckers or converted to topless tourist busses would be ideal.

[kaykayt]

Why do empty trains going to the depot display special as its destination, not depot like buses?

[verbatim9]

There is inconsistency all around the Qld Public Transport Network. Needs a clean up!

[QLDBUS]

Okaysies, 4:04pm Beenleigh train ex Central this arvo was brought to you by IMU107/110... Good thing there were loos 

[SurfRail]

Why do empty trains going to the depot display special as its destination, not depot like buses?

This matters why?

[ozbob]

Couriermail Quest --> Caboolture businesses charged for operating next to the inactive Wamuran railway line

[ozbob]

Milton inbound..  Stop the train ticket check...  How about going on the buses..  Lol no one without valid ticket on this train..

[ozbob]

Down steam pass (empty) Corinda





Photographs mufreight 4th December 2015

[red dragin]

ARHS Santa train heading home. Was a fun day out.

[red dragin]

How 'fat' is the timetable you ask?

4 minutes late out of Roma St. Short dwell at Central, a few sections of double and single yellows but back on time at Northgate.

Still into Petrie 4 minutes ahead of the timetable! 32-33 minutes for a 40 minute timetabled trip.

And all passengers survived short dwells at stations 

[ozbob]

[red dragin]

Things must be tough at the North Pole.

Saw Santa driving a dead running southbound ICE set at Petrie at 6pm for some extra last minute cash 

[Stillwater]

Checking out Nambour Station today to see whether the upgrade works have started.  They were due to start in 'late 2015' and 'finish in 2016'.

https://www.queenslandrail.com.au/Community/Projects/Pages/Nambour-Station-upgrade.aspx

[ozbob]

Photograph R Dow 15th January 2015

SMU273 trailing departs Loganlea this morning.

Came back to Roma St on IMU184, full load of cricket fans!

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Brisbane No Pants Train Ride 2016 drawers a crowd

[verbatim9]

Gold Coast needs new busses. Was on bus number 3674 Route 740 8.16pm 17 Jan 16,  Surfers to Nerang and Diesel fumes were leaking into the interior of the bus for the duration of the trip. Thought I was in a third world country.

[red dragin]

Cruising in this morning on the Petrie-Northgate express leg trailing in Set 64, a little a head of time so crawled through the neutral section at Virginia.

Power didn't restore in the rear set after the neutral section. Despite crews efforts, no luck in restarting.

At the Bowen Hills neutral section, the relay tried to kick in, but made some bad noises and then a small shower of sparks.

The front set dragged us from Virginia all the way into Roma St. Wasn't a quick or cool journey, but we made it 

[techblitz]

Gold Coast needs new busses. Was on bus number 3674 Route 740 8.16pm 17 Jan 16,  Surfers to Nerang and Diesel fumes were leaking into the interior of the bus for the duration of the trip. Thought I was in a third world country.

yep.....multiple times i have had to literally cover my face because the fumes get so bad on some of those buses....its refreshing when you do get the odd clean-air,quieter rail feeder....surfside are ever so slooowly recycling them.........re private operators i would say hornibrook is the leader when it comes to modern buses from the privates..... that being said....they have a much smaller fleet

[SurfRail]

Can't say I've ever experienced that particular problem - with the exception of one particular Saturday trip I once took on the old 761 with a new driver who made around 6 or 7 route errors and then his bus basically blew up at The Pines.

The fleet presentation and level of customer service is so much better than pre-TransLink days (or even 7-8 years ago) that it beggars belief, so given another few years it should be better with Euro V and VI minimum standards being implemented.

[verbatim9]

Gold Coast needs new busses. Was on bus number 3674 Route 740 8.16pm 17 Jan 16,  Surfers to Nerang and Diesel fumes were leaking into the interior of the bus for the duration of the trip. Thought I was in a third world country.

yep.....multiple times i have had to literally cover my face because the fumes get so bad on some of those buses....its refreshing when you do get the odd clean-air,quieter rail feeder....surfside are ever so slooowly recycling them.........re private operators i would say hornibrook is the leader when it comes to modern buses from the privates..... that being said....they have a much smaller fleet

Hope they get some new ones before the games. The Brisbane BCC busses are heaven compared to the private operators.

[SurfRail]

^ Again I can't agree.  The Volgren bodywork on Council's fleet is generally of pretty poor quality.  I've never been on a Surfside bus where I was concerned a roof panel was going to fall in on me, but that can be a daily event in inner Brisbane - especially on the oldest vehicles in the fleet (the gas Scanias).

[verbatim9]

Many of the Surfside busses apart from leaking diesel fumes into the interior do not have centre doors, Are very noisey inside. Plus the seats are packed in so tight that anyone above 6 foot has problem sitting forward in them. The double deckers are so poorly designed with lack head room once again noisey interior. When they we put in service, expensive modfications at the airport had to be made too accommodate them. I wouldn't call the busses world class on the Gold Coast. The frequency of the 700 is the only service that I could call adequate (frequency wise only).

[James]

^ Again I can't agree.  The Volgren bodywork on Council's fleet is generally of pretty poor quality.  I've never been on a Surfside bus where I was concerned a roof panel was going to fall in on me, but that can be a daily event in inner Brisbane - especially on the oldest vehicles in the fleet (the gas Scanias).

To the contrary, I like the old gas Scanias, particularly the noise they make when they accelerate.

Personally I've never found any service uncomfortable for reasons of maintenance/design. I do prefer BCC buses over non-BCC buses, but that is probably a matter of familiarity.

[ozbob]

Queensland Rail --> Around the City network in a day with Thomas

Never before have we heard of anyone attempting to travel the whole City network in a day.

Today one of our regular Facebook friends Thomas is taking on the personal challenge.

Thomas has kicked off his trip from Gympie North early this morning and aims to finish at his home station Carseldine tonight. Follow our page to see his photos. If you see Thomas say hi and maybe pop in a selfie. #GoThomas

[ozbob]

^ I did a more leisurely tour in 2008

> The 2008 Easter Tour of the QR Interurban Network - Go!

>> http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=645.0

[STB]

Eh, I did that when I was a teenager, back in 1998/99.  First trip was around the surburban network on each and every line, and the next day was on each and every interurban line.  Back in the days of the South East Explorer ticket.

[SurfRail]

I was planning on doing this a few years ago (Tennyson may still have been open when I looked at it, so 2010/2011-ish).

The easiest way timetable wise (and also logistically for me, by happy coincidence) seemed to be to overnight in Gympie, start on the morning Gympie North service and end up at Varsity Lakes.

I vaguely recollect that I would have reached Varsity at 9pm-ish.

Given the need to actually go up to Gympie overnight I have been putting it off.  However, now that Tennyson is closed it might be possible to tick all the boxes by doing a weekend version.  (A weekday version starting at Gympie would be best for a faster version if you wanted to keep and maintain a record.)

[Stillwater]

^^ Victory Hotel/Motel closest to Gympie North Station, pub meals.

[ozbob]

Loco hauled tilt ...

>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/47626638@N02/24704819475/

[nathandavid88]

Very interesting to notice on Saturday that all lines were using Platforms 8 & 9 at Roma Street (and I assume 5 & 6 at Central and 3 & 4 at Fortitude Valley). This must have been an interesting weekend for train control, there certainly didn't seem to be much time between services arriving and leaving.

[SurfRail]

It's quite normal, even during the day on weekdays.

[ozbob]

And yet another DEL hauled tilt ...   

>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/47626638@N02/24769819555/

>> https://www.flickr.com/photos/47626638@N02/24769824565/

[petey3801]

It's not having a good run lately!

[ozbob]

SOTO at Roma Street station 3rd Feb 2016



Photograph R Dow 3rd February 2016

[petey3801]

That one would have been the Tilt replacement train, not the M class staff car, which is only used on the Tilt replacements now.

[ozbob]

That one would have been the Tilt replacement train, not the M class staff car, which is only used on the Tilt replacements now.

Thanks. I thought it was very big ... 7 cars + Sapphire  .. maybe I was confused .. never mind! 

[BrizCommuter]

A bit of Sunday morning satire for you all
http://brizcommuter.blogspot.com.au/2016/02/qr-to-add-oxygen-masks-on-3-car-trains.html