Random observations around the network ...

[ozbob]

QRN Freight train UP Darra (Platform 1 road - the UP sub)

QRN Freight train UP Darra (Platform 1 road - the UP sub)

Photograph R Dow 6th September 2011

[ozbob]

Some random photographs from travels today

Darra



Graceville



Photographs R Dow 6th September 2011

[ozbob]

Pipe train passing through Ipswich 









Photographs mufreight 6th September 2011

[somebody]

Saw someone get on an O/B 88 @ Taringa, try to pay to which the driver informed them it was pre-paid so they just got on.  Driver didn't say a word.

[somebody]

Pre Paid bus discussion Topic split off to here: http://railbotforum.org/mbs/index.php?topic=6703.0

[ozbob]

Darra, UP Ipswich service on the UP sub (loop) which passes underneath the Richlands branch and joins the main line at Darra West









Photographs R Dow 11th September 2011

[STB]

Caught the 333 from QUT Kelvin Grove to Cultural Centre this afternoon at about 4:45pm and it came in with a standing load and left with a 'Sorry Bus Full'!  Quite a few students about on a Sunday afternoon I noticed.

Also caught the 5:23pm Cleveland train from South Brisbane and that was a 3 car with a standing load!

[mufreight]

Caught the 333 from QUT Kelvin Grove to Cultural Centre this afternoon at about 4:45pm and it came in with a standing load and left with a 'Sorry Bus Full'!  Quite a few students about on a Sunday afternoon I noticed.

Also caught the 5:23pm Cleveland train from South Brisbane and that was a 3 car with a standing load!

The joys of using public transport as administered by Translink.

[Cam]

Caught the 333 from QUT Kelvin Grove to Cultural Centre this afternoon at about 4:45pm and it came in with a standing load and left with a 'Sorry Bus Full'!  Quite a few students about on a Sunday afternoon I noticed.

Also caught the 5:23pm Cleveland train from South Brisbane and that was a 3 car with a standing load

It's no wonder so many choose to drive outside of peak times if they have the option.

[Golliwog]

It's no wonder so many choose to drive outside of peak times if they have the option.

I'd say more because the routes are so CBD centric, even more so on weekends. The only route that connects between the 385 at The Gap and the FG line as well as Brookside and its routes is roughly an hourly route on weekdays, worse on Saturdays and non-existant on Sundays.

[somebody]

Caught the 333 from QUT Kelvin Grove to Cultural Centre this afternoon at about 4:45pm and it came in with a standing load and left with a 'Sorry Bus Full'!  Quite a few students about on a Sunday afternoon I noticed.

Also caught the 5:23pm Cleveland train from South Brisbane and that was a 3 car with a standing load!

If the following bus collected all the passengers before the next 333, that's not so bad.  If it didn't, then that's not so good.  BUZ 330 executed correctly would make this a 7-8 minute frequency.

Don't know that I am that worried about the 3 car, although it would be nice to be a 6 car if there is demand, and there is little reason for it not to be done.  Cleveland trains come after a 15 minute gap from the previous Beenleigh train.  Perhaps a good portion of these would be heading to south bank, although I guess that's not particularly likely at that time of day.

[STB]

Caught the 333 from QUT Kelvin Grove to Cultural Centre this afternoon at about 4:45pm and it came in with a standing load and left with a 'Sorry Bus Full'!  Quite a few students about on a Sunday afternoon I noticed.

Also caught the 5:23pm Cleveland train from South Brisbane and that was a 3 car with a standing load!

If the following bus collected all the passengers before the next 333, that's not so bad.  If it didn't, then that's not so good.  BUZ 330 executed correctly would make this a 7-8 minute frequency.

Don't know that I am that worried about the 3 car, although it would be nice to be a 6 car if there is demand, and there is little reason for it not to be done.  Cleveland trains come after a 15 minute gap from the previous Beenleigh train.  Perhaps a good portion of these would be heading to south bank, although I guess that's not particularly likely at that time of day.

On the Cleveland line, there are three stations that are the busiest, Morningside, Birkdale and Cleveland.  On most days the majority of the load will get off at Morningside, which is why I suspect that any express come the next stage of the timetable rewrite will include Morningside.  On that day only a few got off at Southbank, there were still standees.

There was some bunching occuring on the INB yesterday with a late running 333 (about 7 mins late), so a break of about 22 mins between the previous service and the one I got on.  At QUT KG heading inbound there were about 15 students waiting, enough to push a standing load to a fully loaded 333 by the time we left QUT KG.  The majority surprisingly got off not at Roma St or KGSBS but at Cultural Centre, which is different from during the week where the majority of the load will get on at KGSBS and Roma Street.  I guess it's because the recreational spots (Southbank, QPAC etc) are at Cultural Centre.

[somebody]

More likely they went to the Cultural Centre to get a connecting service.

I still think that a 111 to QUT KG (or beyond) would carry a lot of air or at least pax which could have been easily accommodated on the existing services on Sundays especially.  However, it may be that it is a price worth paying.  There are Saturday classes these days, as well as evening classes.

[STB]

More likely they went to the Cultural Centre to get a connecting service.

I still think that a 111 to QUT KG (or beyond) would carry a lot of air or at least pax which could have been easily accommodated on the existing services on Sundays especially.  However, it may be that it is a price worth paying.  There are Saturday classes these days, as well as evening classes.

Your assumption/statement isn't quite correct.

The last I looked, not at QUT KG.  And a wander around the campus yesterday, I found pretty much all the students at the computer labs (there were a few sunning themselves on the green).  And no, I watched those passengers who got off the 333 yesterday, most of them exited the platform and went elsewhere (away from the busway station).

[somebody]

The last I looked, not at QUT KG.  And a wander around the campus yesterday, I found pretty much all the students at the computer labs (there were a few sunning themselves on the green).  And no, I watched those passengers who got off the 333 yesterday, most of them exited the platform and went elsewhere (away from the busway station).

What not at QUT KG?  No Saturday or evening classes?

Was about to ask what was happening on a Sunday that many people were there, but you've already answered that.

[STB]

The last I looked, not at QUT KG.  And a wander around the campus yesterday, I found pretty much all the students at the computer labs (there were a few sunning themselves on the green).  And no, I watched those passengers who got off the 333 yesterday, most of them exited the platform and went elsewhere (away from the busway station).

What not at QUT KG?  No Saturday or evening classes?

Was about to ask what was happening on a Sunday that many people were there, but you've already answered that.

There are no Saturday classes at QUT KG.  There might be every now and then for the general public, but certainly not for the students unless it's something to do with their subject, such as last semester, I had on one Saturday a 'Meet The Producers' session in the morning, but that was a one off.

[petey3801]

2314 hauled the Cairns Tilt Train through Roma Street at 0430 this morning. DTD5402 was on the Cairns end.

[somebody]

There are no Saturday classes at QUT KG.  There might be every now and then for the general public, but certainly not for the students unless it's something to do with their subject, such as last semester, I had on one Saturday a 'Meet The Producers' session in the morning, but that was a one off.

Ok, I had assumed that.  QUT is luckier than some other universities in recent times then.

[ozbob]

7.13am, Oxley/Darra  steam hauled (BETY) UP PASS looking and sounding magnificent!

[HappyTrainGuy]

It's just another day at Runcorn station when people set fire to newspapers and plastic bottles early in the morning.

[ozbob]

BNE



Photograph R Dow 19th September 2011

[PollyWouldLikeASeat]

Does anyone know what the people in the high-vis vests are observing on the morning trains?  They don't seem to be the normal passenger counters because there is not one at each door, seems to be one per carriage though.  And one would hope that translink would not be doing a passenger load count over the school holidays.

[Fares_Fair]

Hi PWLAS,

Often there is only one counter per carriage, with the counters having to count the people entering and exiting both sets of doors at the same time.
Not an easy task on the Sunshine Coast line ... or any other I'm sure.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[O_128]

Does anyone know what the people in the high-vis vests are observing on the morning trains?  They don't seem to be the normal passenger counters because there is not one at each door, seems to be one per carriage though.  And one would hope that translink would not be doing a passenger load count over the school holidays.

Well they don't fit on during normal peak times =p

On another note, A stupid amount of people brought paper tickets on my 199 this afternoon, something really needs to be done as it took me 20 min to get home from adelaide street.

[HappyTrainGuy]

Introduce pre paid only in the city zone!

[somebody]

Introduce pre paid only in the city zone!

Doesn't that already exist in the PM peak?

[HappyTrainGuy]

Only on selected services.

[Arnz]

Some random Landsborough sightings this afternoon on youtube.  The Sunlander one was unexpected (it was running late), hence it was a bit rushed, hence a bit of shaking.  The train immediately following behind the Sunlander is IMU103+IMU108 arriving 8 minutes later.

It shows the NCL single track in action, as there is a 8 min gap between a late running #P936 (Sunlander) and the scheduled #T5X6 that departs at 1541 (Nambour to Ipswich)

[Fares_Fair]

I'm on the new IMU 186 (front 3 carriages) from city to Nambour this afternoon.
Do I get a reward for being the first to report it Arnz ? 

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Stillwater]

Keep your feet off the seats. 

[ozbob]

I'm on the new IMU 186 (front 3 carriages) from city to Nambour this afternoon.
Do I get a reward for being the first to report it Arnz ? 

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Otto]

So where can I purchase a Daily or a Weekly ticket ?

Last week, Passenger boards with a Daily ticket...
Upon inquiring, seems you can still buy a Daily ticket from the Airport Stations...

Today, a passenger gets on with a Weekly ticket. Could not ask where he got it from, as he was gasbagging on his mobile.. ( What makes him so special to be able to buy a weekly ? )

Why can't the rest of us buy these tickets ? 

[colinw]

Printed it himself? 

[Golliwog]

Bizarre.

[Fares_Fair]

It's obvious, he has to be a time traveller ...

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Arnz]

I'm on the new IMU 186 (front 3 carriages) from city to Nambour this afternoon.
Do I get a reward for being the first to report it Arnz ?  

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

You've get bragging rights for being one of the first Sunny Coast based railbot commuters to ride it at least  

On a related note, the guard on the 4pm train out this afternoon "apologised" for the speed restricted crawl between the Glasshouse Mountain and Beerburrum.  It was for "rehabilitation" of the track and surrounding areas after the recent trackworks .  The downside is we'll have to deal the speed restrictions between Glasshouse and Beerburrum for another couple of weeks (no ETA given for the lifting of speed restrictions).

[Fares_Fair]

I'm on the new IMU 186 (front 3 carriages) from city to Nambour this afternoon.
Do I get a reward for being the first to report it Arnz ? 

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

You've get bragging rights for being one of the first Sunny Coast based commuters to ride it at least 

On a related note, the guard on the 4pm train out this afternoon "apologised" for the speed restricted crawl between the Glasshouse Mountain and Beerburrum.  It was for "rehabilitation" of the track and surrounding areas after the recent trackworks .  The downside is we'll have to deal the speed restrictions between Glasshouse and Beerburrum for another couple of weeks (no ETA given for the lifting of speed restrictions).

First official report on the reason for the daily crawl that I have received, I wondered if that was the case. 
Thanks Arnz.

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[Golliwog]

It's obvious, he has to be a time traveller ...

Regards,
Fares_Fair.

[SurfRail]

So where can I purchase a Daily or a Weekly ticket ?

Last week, Passenger boards with a Daily ticket...
Upon inquiring, seems you can still buy a Daily ticket from the Airport Stations...

Today, a passenger gets on with a Weekly ticket. Could not ask where he got it from, as he was gasbagging on his mobile.. ( What makes him so special to be able to buy a weekly ? )

Why can't the rest of us buy these tickets ? 

You can still buy paper tickets from Surfside for cross-border travel, and dailies, off-peak dailies and weeklies are still available down there.  I have never looked into how far these go, but I do know you can't buy them on any Queensland services (ie need to be fitted with the NSW ticket machines).  Weekly from Kingscliff to Brisbane anybody? 

[Stillwater]

Interesting ... I wonder what 'zone' Kingscliff is in, or deemed to be in.