In these times of economic rationalisation, it’s nice to see for a change, a piece of railway infrastructure, long abandoned, being restored and placed back into use. This rare event happened earlier in the year, when the old turning angle at Einasleigh was re-instated and opened to traffic. We’re not sure when this piece of track was last used, but during the weekend, it it finally got some use when a single car charter service from Mt Surprise Terminated at Einasleigh, and had to be turned for the return trip. In the past, a single car trip from Mt Surprise to Einasleigh would have required a further three hour run (each way) to Forsayth to turn.
Continue reading “A View from a Different Angle”
Tags: charter, Einasleigh, Turning Angle, wye
In the interest of standardising the Savannahlander experience we have been working very hard to introduce some new robotic train drivers. No, not really! The staff changes out west have been of the railway safeworking variety. In March this year, the first of a number of “staff stations” to be re-introduced on the Etheridge and Chillagoe lines was opened for business.
Continue reading “Staff changes!”
As mentioned in the previous post, we only had track as far as Almaden this week, and Mike and Matt crewed the first train for the truncated journey. The trip was shortened to a two day journey, with an overnight stop at Almaden for the train, and Chillagoe for the crew. The first part of the trip was purely a staff run, where our ‘occasional’ drivers came along to re-familiarise themselves with operations and procedures. At Mareeba, we got rid of the surplus staff, and picked up our first passengers for the year, a local couple taking advantage of the short trip for a quick overnighter to Almaden. There was also a group of senior citizens out for a day excursion and luncheon at Almaden. For this, they took advantage of our DDA Facilities in car 2053. Matt was interviewed by a local reporter, as this was being done as a low cost community service for the old people. We’ve not seen the article yet, but it must have been published, because we received a query from an Atherton based aged care centre for a similar trip for their residents, on the morning of publication.
Continue reading “2010 First Trip – We’re Back Early!”
Tags: Almaden, chillagoe, Lappa, Savannahlander
Last week, there was a professional photographer hanging around Forsayth, Einasleigh and Mt Surprise with an enormously expensive camera snapping off a few shots. Peter Bellingham, perhaps better known for his aerial work, is also pretty handy at snapping trains.
Continue reading “Professionals do it Better”
Tags: Einasleigh, Forsayth, Mt Surprise, Professional photos
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In the newly installed blog photo gallery, we will feature Almaden, the Savannahlander’s destination on the first day of its four day outback trip. There are photos dating back to 1992 when the line to Chillagoe was still open.
During Almaden’s heyday in the early 1900s a large number of railway employees and their families boosted the population of the town that today is almost deserted. Three hotels, three stores, several shops and a post office were built in this period. The railway town’s importance continued until the closure of the Chillagoe Smelters in the mid-1940s. The historic Railway Hotel still trades today, and in the 1992 photo in the gallery, you can see the now demolished abandoned general store and drapery next door to the Hotel.
Continue reading “The Changing face of… ALMADEN”
Tags: Almaden, Savannahlander
At the beginning of the month, there were a couple of charters that were only two days apart, which were to run between Forsayth and Mt Surprise. This means that the crew get away from home for a few days, travelling between the two centres. The charter unit is taken out to Mt Surprise on the scheduled train and dropped off there. The crew drive out to Mt Surprise from Cairns on the day before the first charter, and work the empty train over to Forsayth, and stay over night, returning the next day with the charter group. Normally with back to back trips like this we remain over night in Mt Surprise, and do the same thing all over again on the following two days.
For something completely different, it was decided that between the two charters, we would stable the railmotor overnight at Einasleigh, and for the crew to spend the night there. To do this, on completion of the first charter trip, the unit was turned and headed back down the line to Einasleigh, instead of remaining overnight.
Continue reading “Things You Don’t See too Often”
Tags: Charters, Einasleigh, Forsayth
What a difference eighteen years makes! Mt Surprise, as it was back in 1991/2 compared to some views over the last couple of years. But before we get to the photos, perhaps a little of it’s history would be appropirate?
After the arrival of the Railway from Almaden, Mount Surprise developed as an important cattle trucking and telegraph centre for the western section of the Tablelands. The town’s importance was reduced as railway traffic from the mining and cattle industries declined in the 1930s. Reconditioning of the railway in 1951 and construction of the Gulf Development Road in the 1960s revitalised Mount Surprise as a livestock trucking centre and, more recently, a tourist stop. The Mount Surprise Hotel was one of two erected opposite the railway station about 1910 when Mount Surprise was established as a cattle trucking siding on the new Etheridge Railway.
Continue reading “As it Was – Mt Surprise”
In these times of economic rationalisation, it’s nice to see for a change, a piece of railway infrastructure, long abandoned, being restored and placed back into use. This rare event happened earlier in the year, when the old turning angle at Einasleigh was re-instated and opened to traffic. We’re not sure when this piece of track was last used, but during the weekend, it it finally got some use when a single car charter service from Mt Surprise Terminated at Einasleigh, and had to be turned for the return trip. In the past, a single car trip from Mt Surprise to Einasleigh would have required a further three hour run (each way) to Forsayth to turn.
