erkpod
Established Member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2013
- Posts
- 2,056
Where's a good place for AFF types? Meeting on a plane itself might not be the best way. Bars & lounges seem to be the way to go and that's exactly what 30 odd AFFers did ... by train.
By train? What???
That's exactly what we did!
The plan was a leisurely train ride from Sydney to Canberra via Wollongong. Luckily for us, one of us owns a train carriage!
When the trip was announced ages ago, I said that I was in subject to my roster. I couldn't go on a train trip to Canberra if I was driving a train around Sydney, could I?
I was also pleased when it was announced that the train was going the indirect way via Wollongong. That's typical of AFF, isn't it? The direct way via Campbelltown & Picton is pretty easy to catch a train down with thrice-daily service on the Canberra Xplorer.
The alternative way via Thirroul, Wollongong & Robertson & then joining the main south at Moss Vale hasn't had a regularly timetabled service for about 20 years. While it's primarily a freight line, it has had passenger services in the form of diversions due to trackwork & other service disruptions, you really need to go on a tour train to ride on the Wollongong - Robertson - Moss Vale section.
If you follow the blue line from Central to Wollongong then follow the thin green line to Moss Vale then to Goulburn, you'll see the way that was planned.
With a mid morning Saturday departure from Sydney's Central station & a stop at Wolli Creek for people coming from the airport as an alternative, some people decided to come to Sydney the afternoon/evening before. Others flew from their respective airports on the Saturday, enjoying their breakfasts in the lounges - so they tell me!
As a Sydneysider myself, I could have left home on Saturday morning. I decided, however, to stay close to Central overnight Friday & have a sleep in on Saturday morning. I could also be a meeter & greeter on Saturday, welcoming our interstaters.
I spent Friday afternoon/evening getting some hours up on my new camera, checking out some bottleshops & hanging out.
Friday was a great day weather-wise but Saturday ... not so much. When I woke up, there was a lot of wind around & a little overcast.
With a short walk from the hotel (where I'll get VFF points) to Central, I'd only met two of the incoming pax before so there was a lot of new faces & names for me to learn. I thought I'd help the process with my bright orange shirt.
I found out from a staff member that the blue luggage cart goes faster than the red one.
The platform indicator was telling me that the train would arrive alongside platform 3. But at the timetabled time, the train arrived on platform 1. This caused some confusion with anorher tour group as their hertiage train was due out close to ours. Howevwr, the AFF crew are experienced travelers & took it in their stride, as you'd expect.
The other tour train was filled with what some people call gunzels, railfans or foamers, amongst others. While some of the AFF crew are into trains (some more than others), we were able to talk about a wide range of topics, interact with a large variety of people with a wide range of age & life experiences.
A new AFF experience was ready to depart...
By train? What???
That's exactly what we did!
The plan was a leisurely train ride from Sydney to Canberra via Wollongong. Luckily for us, one of us owns a train carriage!
When the trip was announced ages ago, I said that I was in subject to my roster. I couldn't go on a train trip to Canberra if I was driving a train around Sydney, could I?
I was also pleased when it was announced that the train was going the indirect way via Wollongong. That's typical of AFF, isn't it? The direct way via Campbelltown & Picton is pretty easy to catch a train down with thrice-daily service on the Canberra Xplorer.
The alternative way via Thirroul, Wollongong & Robertson & then joining the main south at Moss Vale hasn't had a regularly timetabled service for about 20 years. While it's primarily a freight line, it has had passenger services in the form of diversions due to trackwork & other service disruptions, you really need to go on a tour train to ride on the Wollongong - Robertson - Moss Vale section.
If you follow the blue line from Central to Wollongong then follow the thin green line to Moss Vale then to Goulburn, you'll see the way that was planned.
With a mid morning Saturday departure from Sydney's Central station & a stop at Wolli Creek for people coming from the airport as an alternative, some people decided to come to Sydney the afternoon/evening before. Others flew from their respective airports on the Saturday, enjoying their breakfasts in the lounges - so they tell me!
As a Sydneysider myself, I could have left home on Saturday morning. I decided, however, to stay close to Central overnight Friday & have a sleep in on Saturday morning. I could also be a meeter & greeter on Saturday, welcoming our interstaters.
I spent Friday afternoon/evening getting some hours up on my new camera, checking out some bottleshops & hanging out.
Friday was a great day weather-wise but Saturday ... not so much. When I woke up, there was a lot of wind around & a little overcast.
With a short walk from the hotel (where I'll get VFF points) to Central, I'd only met two of the incoming pax before so there was a lot of new faces & names for me to learn. I thought I'd help the process with my bright orange shirt.
I found out from a staff member that the blue luggage cart goes faster than the red one.
The platform indicator was telling me that the train would arrive alongside platform 3. But at the timetabled time, the train arrived on platform 1. This caused some confusion with anorher tour group as their hertiage train was due out close to ours. Howevwr, the AFF crew are experienced travelers & took it in their stride, as you'd expect.
The other tour train was filled with what some people call gunzels, railfans or foamers, amongst others. While some of the AFF crew are into trains (some more than others), we were able to talk about a wide range of topics, interact with a large variety of people with a wide range of age & life experiences.
A new AFF experience was ready to depart...
