Post by pakenhamtrain on Sept 28, 2006 0:41:32 GMT
From the Herald sun website.
www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20436078-2862,00.html
(copy and paste into browser.)
The Gellong Flyer did run today. But instead of running D3 639 Steamrail put on R761. R761 has run down to Gellong on a training run.
D3 Class= www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&class=D3&orgstate=V&type=Steam
R Class= www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&class=D3&orgstate=V&type=Steam
Steam fans get Fast Rail shunt
Nikki Protyniak
September 19, 2006 12:00am
A SCHOOL holiday steam train ride for hundreds of children is in doubt because of clashes with Victoria's new fast train network.
More than 200 tickets have been sold for the steam trip from Melbourne to Geelong on Thursday next week.
But volunteer train drivers fear the special holiday flyer might not run because of confusion over the fast rail network.
Tracks redesigned for the fast trains have not been fully tested for steam engines, forcing the cancellation of another steam train trip at the weekend.
Steamrail Victoria spokesman Ken Dunning said the volunteer group was shattered to have the future of its joyrides put in doubt.
"We're totally devastated," Mr Dunning said. "We're doing it for the kids.
"The idea is just to give mums a break in the middle of the holidays and let them enjoy a good, stress-free day out with the kids. We've got everything crossed that it goes ahead as planned."
He blamed rail operator Pacific National for the bungle, which saw steam trains left off the list of engines to be assessed to use new tracks along parts of the Geelong and Ballarat corridors.
"There is a pecking order, and we're at the bottom of the heap," he said. "Someone, somewhere hasn't done their job."
The holiday fiasco comes after more than 800 people who bought tickets to travel on a historic train from Melbourne to Maryborough and on to St Arnaud on Sunday saw their trip cancelled at the last minute. Tour operator Chris Knight said he was told only three days before that the train could not run because it would hold up fast trains on the Ballarat line.
"I just find it unbelievable. With 800 tickets sold, I thought they would have at least tried to come up with a solution," he said.
A spokeswoman for Pacific National said steam trains could return to the Ballarat rail corridor as soon as a risk assessment was done. There were no problems with steam engines running from Melbourne to Geelong next week.
Nikki Protyniak
September 19, 2006 12:00am
A SCHOOL holiday steam train ride for hundreds of children is in doubt because of clashes with Victoria's new fast train network.
More than 200 tickets have been sold for the steam trip from Melbourne to Geelong on Thursday next week.
But volunteer train drivers fear the special holiday flyer might not run because of confusion over the fast rail network.
Tracks redesigned for the fast trains have not been fully tested for steam engines, forcing the cancellation of another steam train trip at the weekend.
Steamrail Victoria spokesman Ken Dunning said the volunteer group was shattered to have the future of its joyrides put in doubt.
"We're totally devastated," Mr Dunning said. "We're doing it for the kids.
"The idea is just to give mums a break in the middle of the holidays and let them enjoy a good, stress-free day out with the kids. We've got everything crossed that it goes ahead as planned."
He blamed rail operator Pacific National for the bungle, which saw steam trains left off the list of engines to be assessed to use new tracks along parts of the Geelong and Ballarat corridors.
"There is a pecking order, and we're at the bottom of the heap," he said. "Someone, somewhere hasn't done their job."
The holiday fiasco comes after more than 800 people who bought tickets to travel on a historic train from Melbourne to Maryborough and on to St Arnaud on Sunday saw their trip cancelled at the last minute. Tour operator Chris Knight said he was told only three days before that the train could not run because it would hold up fast trains on the Ballarat line.
"I just find it unbelievable. With 800 tickets sold, I thought they would have at least tried to come up with a solution," he said.
A spokeswoman for Pacific National said steam trains could return to the Ballarat rail corridor as soon as a risk assessment was done. There were no problems with steam engines running from Melbourne to Geelong next week.
www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20436078-2862,00.html
(copy and paste into browser.)
The Gellong Flyer did run today. But instead of running D3 639 Steamrail put on R761. R761 has run down to Gellong on a training run.
D3 Class= www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&class=D3&orgstate=V&type=Steam
R Class= www.vicsig.net/index.php?page=locomotives&class=D3&orgstate=V&type=Steam
