The Savannahlander

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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

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Here is a drivers eye view of the Kuranda Range. Actually it could also be a ‘passenger eye view’ too, after we implemented a change to front row seating on the train – explained in this post. These were both filmed on the Savannahlander by a past passenger. One of them was actually filmed from the rear unit, and is played in reverse to give the effect of travelling forward. Please note that we don’t actually travel up or down the range as fast as what it appears in the videos These sections generally take a bit over an hour in ‘real time’.

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This is the view from the front of the Savannahlander as it heads down the Kuranda range late on a Saturday afternoon. Music:Doof Doof Video by mkloz: http://www.youtube.com/user/mkloz

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A trip “up” the Kuranda Range taken from the rear of the Savannahlander as it heads down the down the range on a rainy Saturday evening. The footage was then reversed to make it look like the train is heading up the hill. Music: Paranoid Android by Radiohead. Video by mkloz: http://www.youtube.com/user/mkloz

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Tags: Cab View, Kuranda Range, seating

Savannahlander – The Home Movie

(A Trailer)

The Outback Rail Experience (Promotional DVD)

Tags: DVD, 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”

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It’s clicked over to a new month so its time for a new ‘something or other’ of the month.  I was going to do another station, but this months winners aren’t really stations at the moment. Anyone pick up on the plural form of winners? Yes, there are two. So without further ado, the award is equally shared by:

Bullock Creek and Lyndbook!

This time around we are going to do a comparison with some before and now pictures.  The old pictures are from the Forsayth Mixed, working in 1991, and are published with the kind permission of Dennis Williams. Dennis is our caretaker at Almaden Station, which I had better feature in a future post.

Continue reading “Siding of the Month….”