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Thread: A Great Train Journey i would still love to do

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    Default A Great Train Journey i would still love to do

    I was watching a program on out TV yesterday about one of the great Train journeys in the World,and it featured the Indian Pacific Train Journey from Perh travelling to Sydney Australia.
    This is one Journey that I have had planned for a long time now,and I will still hopefully get to doing it in the near Future.
    I would just do it one way,as it is a very long trip, so Flying from Sydney to Perth and then picking the Indian Pacific up there.

    It takes some Three full days and 4 Nights to complete and and most of the Way is just Total baron land,very much like the Great Karoo I used to see when working on the long distance Trains in South Africa,but this trip is far far longer nearly 4 times in fact.

    This journey has the longest piece of Straight Train Track in the World with from point to point on that section with not a curve measures some 478 km that nearly 300 Miles,
    Wow! just think of it,i am sure it must be something else to experience the trip,be it I would imagine a bit boring at times but it is just the thing of saying that one has been on the longest Straight in the World.

    It is pulled by only one Locomotive from Perth up to Adelaide where another is added t assist the rest of the Journey through some Mountain Passes towards Sydney the two loco's shown on the Video Documentry have both travelled some 4 Million KM each,at an Incredible cost!

    But I have always also loved Train travel,so think not that I would get bored.
    This Train has 25 Carriages with the last being a special Car Carrier,as quite a few People take their Cars along,so as they can use them when they get to whichever side!

    The train itself is one of comfort as I have seen inside it many times when working at Central Station as a Ticket Examiner, it is quite Luxurious and has nice Coupe Suites ,so it would be just lovely for a Single old Person like me . LOL

    So as said I am hoping that it wont be too long now before I make that long but exciting journey!

    You can read more on it here ,the actual program was very interesting as it had many informative Writings as it went along its way.

    Just one more thing and that is I am sure that those Train Drivers must get a very good wage for doing those long and tiresome Journeys.
    Cheers

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans-Australian_Railway

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzQR0O5UD8g
    Last edited by Doc Vernon; 7th January 2019 at 03:46 AM.
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  3. #2
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    Default Re: A Great Train Journey i would still love to do

    Did it about 2005 Vernon. Funny enough the Indian Pacific starts from East Perth and was there yesterday at my nephews for lunch. He lives across the road from the station. It was 3 nights sleeping when we did but was going out the opposie way to you. If you are going on the private berth beware of the top bunk , as they are athwaartships and had no bunk board in, so are liable to fall out . If do one of the advertised tours in Kalgoorlie go to the brothel rather than the gold mine , unless you are in to open cast viewing , at the brothel you might see Brian’s old girl friend, mind she is getting on in years now, my wife wouldn’t let me go , don’t know why. You’ll enjoy the meals and the company , and looking at the wild life crossing the Nullaboor. Maybe the brothel if they leave the inhabitants in while the tourists go round staring at all the theme rooms. Maybe Shaun would like as believe they have a bondage room also. Cheers JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 7th January 2019 at 05:22 AM.

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    Default Re: A Great Train Journey i would still love to do

    Very good friend of ours did the 'Ghan' last year.
    Took some nine days as there were stops at a number of places of interest such as the Rock and the Alice.
    But it is by no means cheap, single fare now about $9,000.
    Happy daze John in Oz.

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    Default Re: A Great Train Journey i would still love to do

    Should have gone via Kalgoorlie and taken the trip to the goldmine with his little pick and maybe made enough to pay for the trip. Maybe if made enough could have had a quickie in the house of ill repute. Beware of any cappies about though who would have insisted on measuring your arms as against the lengths of your pockets. The Ghan was thinking of doing but unless they give good pensioners rates , will go and have fish and chips instead. Cheers JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 7th January 2019 at 05:43 AM.

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    Default Re: A Great Train Journey i would still love to do

    My brother and his wife did the trip from Sydney to Perth and enjoyed it,
    Kalgoorlie is a fascinating place, I have been ther three times now, A trip to Hay Street is a must, the one on the corner at the bottom of the block do the Brothel Tours, . They have a swim pool, a pool room , [ billiards] a bar lounge as well as the entertainment rooms. At the top of Hay Street are the "Starting Stalls, " they are just for some one in a hurry.
    Some good pubs.
    The Exchange had topless Barmaids one Day and Bottomless Barmaids the next. and no one seemed to notice, the regulars just sat with a beer reading the racing pages in their newsp[apers.
    The Gold mione is very interesting, the Biggest hole in the world. Three Ks long one and a half Ks wide and over one K. deep.Each tipper lorry can carry 400 tons of ore. There is a viewing platform to watch.

    I like Kalgoorlie.

    Brian
    some views of Kalgoorlie.
    Attached Images Attached Images

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    Default Re: A Great Train Journey i would still love to do

    Was there in 1989 before came out here to live Brian. Right on the edge of the Pit was an old ramshackle house 3 storey built with old packing cases and bits of wood and built like an articial castle . The whole edifice surround by barbed wire. I got talking through the barbed wire to the occupant who was this old guy originally from London many moons before. He had a miners stake on those few square metres of land and refused to sell out to the gold company. I remembered seeing his story many years before this in the Old Australian Post magazine and how he used to walk with his wheelbarrow with his belongings in all the way to Perth to attend the court cases he fought. He invited us in to his castle after pulling the barbed wire apart. I won’t even try to describe the house made with whatever materials he could find but it was an education in itself. He was one of the real old characters of his era. He will be well dead by now. But Australia lost a lot when those old gold seekers disappeared. Cheers JS...
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 7th January 2019 at 10:19 AM.

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    Default Re: A Great Train Journey i would still love to do

    2015. Pete and I went on the Ghan ( called after Afghan Camel drivers) from Alice to Darwin. One overnight sleep and then a morning's trip to Katherine - about 3½ hours. Fantastic.
    Marvellous experienAUSTRALIA B NIKON 493.jpgAUSTRALIA B NIKON 499.jpg
    Regards
    Brenda

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    Default Re: A Great Train Journey i would still love to do

    Thanks for replies I will see how things go later this Year.
    I also just read on our News that they are going to cut both Services (Indian Pacific and Ghan) by up to 50% soon ,as the Passenger Bookings are down a lot.
    They also are talking about cutting out the normal Pensioner Discounts ! What a Blow !
    But that will be right just when I am thinking of doing a trip! Grrrr!
    But anyway see what the New Year brings,may be a happy Lotto Win! LOL
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    Default Re: A Great Train Journey i would still love to do

    I asked my nephew who lives opposite the depot from the Indian Pacific how much they charged just to p for go to kalgoorlie is and he said 80 dollars each way. As pensioners we get two long distant rail journeys each year within the state free. JS
    Last edited by j.sabourn; 7th January 2019 at 09:51 PM.

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    Default Re: A Great Train Journey i would still love to do

    Hi John.
    We used to get those free rail travel passes; anywhere in the State, but haven't had one for a while now, maybe they have stopped them.
    I enjoyed the trip on the Ghan on S.B.S but missed the one on the Indian, I liked the way they put no music in.
    Cheers Des

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