A Transcontinental Send-Off to the Decade

[klm597]

Great report !
it’s good to see what it’s like from a passenger experience and not the drivers! We certainly didn’t get that food up the front ..... just a toasted sandwich and instant coffee!
@JohnM ring up and book your cabin for the middle of the carriage away from the bogies. It will be smoother and quieter.

Thanks Henley, I'd be willing to make that sacrifice if I get to drive such a huge machine, at least for a few weeks maybe . Do you only command the Journey Beyond passenger trains or do you also drive normal rail freight as well?

I did observe that the middle of the carriage was quieter than at the ends above the bogies and was thankful I ended up with a cabin in the middle. To settle a question we kept asking ourselves on the journey, is there any difference in ride quality being in the front few carriages of the train compared the back few?

I looked around on their website to see if the cabin could be selected but no. There was not even a train/carriage/cabin map that I could see, which did surprise me.

We scoured the site as well John and found no way to select cabins. Thankfully we were all happy with the cabin allocations we got at check-in. From memory there were about 15-16 solo cabins per carriage and they were all looked identical but did alternate between forward and backward facing (not that it matters with the change of direction in Adelaide).

In addition to the middle of the carriage being further from the bogies, it's also further from the toilets and showers (also at the ends) so middle is definitely preferred.

 

[klm597]

5 years ago I travelled from Eyre peninsula SA to Perth WA and of course you take a look at the Kalgoorlie Super pit, photo the light

Thanks Bundy for the kind words. Nice to see what the pit looks like during the day as well, looks even more impressive but a lot less spooky. I guess I'll just have to go back sometime to see it during the day!

 

[henleybeach]

Thanks Henley, I'd be willing to make that sacrifice if I get to drive such a huge machine, at least for a few weeks maybe . Do you only command the Journey Beyond passenger trains or do you also drive normal rail freight as well?

I did observe that the middle of the carriage was quieter than at the ends above the bogies and was thankful I ended up with a cabin in the middle. To settle a question we kept asking ourselves on the journey, is there any difference in ride quality being in the front few carriages of the train compared the back few?



We scoured the site as well John and found no way to select cabins. Thankfully we were all happy with the cabin allocations we got at check-in. From memory there were about 15-16 solo cabins per carriage and they were all looked identical but did alternate between forward and backward facing (not that it matters with the change of direction in Adelaide).

In addition to the middle of the carriage being further from the bogies, it's also further from the toilets and showers (also at the ends) so middle is definitely preferred.

The drivers do both, freight and the passengers trains operated by journey beyond. They don’t own locomotives or drivers so they contract a “hook and pull” contract with pacific national for all their trains. (Since AN folded)
We do get to see some incredible sunsets, sights and stupidity. I’ll post a photo below of an example, I was driving the Ghan when this photo was taken.
To answer the question without going into too much detail, it shouldn’t matter if you are behind the loco or the last carriage in regards to the smoothness if the train is driven correctly however a lot of drivers use dynamic Brake when driving a passenger when you should be using air brake only. If they use dynamic brake the further back along the train you are ,you will feel It more every time they brake.
One day I will enjoy being a passenger and having a G&T or a glass of red, relaxing, it’s a great way to travel.

 

[klm597]

The drivers do both, freight and the passengers trains operated by journey beyond. They don’t own locomotives or drivers so they contract a “hook and pull” contract with pacific national for all their trains.

Thanks Henley, I thought as much. I was surprised with the fair number of freight trains that we were passing between Kalgoorlie and Adelaide. Good to see lots of rail freight though, better than it being on the roads!

I couldn't imagine some of the stupidity drivers would see on a daily basis with people around rail lines.

And thanks re: smoothness at the front or back. I'll finally be able to put that question at rest.