10 hours Overland (in Training)

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Flew past the Bend!

Motor race course




Speed of sound past Tailem Bend

There was some live Shunting

 

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Heading to the Bridge












Wagons on the Wharf


Looking Upto the Lookout I visit regularly


Tunnel to the Station

 

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Murray Bridge







I wonder “where is my second hand”









The old gig turntable !

 

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Callington
Creek





Old station






Power station in nowhere



Olive Grove once again

 

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Rambling in the Adelaide Hills

 

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Kangaroos

 

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Outer Hills
Nairne





Creek looked a little Mine


Red Trucks go Faster !

Red Lights

 

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Onto Mt Barker Junction and Balhannah




The Junction
Disconnected these days and in mt barker is Steamranger

 

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So half hour late

The Overdue ran out of daytime
At Aldgate







The aldgate Overpass after dark

 

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So Blackwood
Was defo black


Eden in the Hills filled with atheists according the Census 2021
Go figure

 

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To conclude the report




It’s a long day
The trip out of Melbourne was slow - to the point we stopped waiting on a freight train
The trip through the Adelaide Hills was a meander

I think the cherry on top was the announcements at both ends
The club car won’t be ready for breakfast until 9am (when the service left at 8am)
You can’t leave the rain upon arrival in Adelaide Until we de-couple the engine and that takes at least 5 minutes for the shunting operation

We are after all driving trains
We are NOT Carrying passengers

The highlights
The Bridge over the Murray
The various engines and carriages along the way (Ararat, Dimboola, Tailem Bend)
Some decent stations
There were power points in the club car to charge the phone (no Wifi on-board)
Seats were comfortable and while I scored the spacious choice, it came at half a window And There’s no seat selection
Ticket pricing for Seniors with concession cards is around $60
Otherwise $125 and buy your own food
I then spent $46 on breakfast, lunch and scones with jam and cream

The food was cooked on-board and served with genuine service and a smile
Lunch was a stand-out !
The omelette and bacon cooked well
The drinks pricing was so reasonable

The on-board staff were professional and did a great job in the circumstances

I’d give it a 5-7 / 10

Would I do it again ?
From Melbourne home yes
From Adelaide to Melbourne rather unlikely

In summer just to see the Adelaide Hills in their day time splendour
Or to take the VLine to Ararat and wander round there an hour before connecting up

And that’s a wrap !

 

[VPS]

Thanks that's interesting. I remember the old Bluebird train that used to go to Mt Gambier. Stops at Murray Bridge and Wolesley and into the station for a proper lunch

 

[CaptJCool]

Thanks that's interesting. I remember the old Bluebird train that used to go to Mt Gambier. Stops at Murray Bridge and Wolesley and into the station for a proper lunch

I did the night train to my gambier once

My grandma took us on the Bluebird to Murray bridge for a Mannum river cruise
And
Burra for a copper mine tour

More recently the Barossa Wine Train for a birthday !
Until recently it was a short Bluebird shuttle at the National Railway Museum Port Adelaide

Those were the days

PS We whooshed through Wolseley.
The station building is still there

The two Customs stops there and Serviceton were mind bogglingly officious frisking

 

[drron]

Gee you do have a fast train service in SA and Victoria.Back in the 60s the Qeenslander express used to do the 871Km between Mackay and Brisbane in around 26 hours. always put on a siding to let a freight train past. But today the Spirit of Queensland can do it in half the time at 13 hours. Yes just 43 Km more than the Overlander and takes 2.5 hours longer. And overnight.

My experience was in January 1965 along with 2 mates decided to drive from Sydney to Cairns. naturally being wet season we got stuck in Mackay by floods and slept in the surf shed on South Mackay beach. Then pranged the car. One of the others had an uncle in Brisbane who was a panel beater. So the car went on the back of a goods train and we walked to Mackay Station. A tropical downpour but there was the station master out in it sweeping the platform. Asked him when was the next train to Brisbane was going and he replied in his best North Queensland voice - "The Sunlander goes through at 9am every morning," to which we replied something like Shot. Then he says -"Don't worry yesterday's train is due in half an hour.

 

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Postscript

Todays Monday train was late again

So I took a few snaps






M