Great Southern Rail are holding an Open Day for the Ghan this Saturday, 1st June.

11 AM - 4 PM,  on platform 1 at the Adelaide Parklands Terminal.

Maybe they could have an open day for The Overland as well to help promote it.

Maybe if they held it somewhere other than Adelaide (like Melbourne or Sydney) would be potentially more productive.

Maybe they could have an open day for The Overland as well to help promote it.

More like a Memorial Day!

They could do shuttle trips to Belair, if you go by what has been written elsewhere that should be long enough to convince people not to use it.

Smacks hand and mutters to self: "I must keep to topic".

Maybe they could have an open day for The Overland as well to help promote it.

You should have posted this on the morning of Easter Monday.

GSR could of course just say "the Overland is just like this" and potentially sell a few tickets to Melbourne, at the risk of exposing themselves to the ACCC for operating a bait-and-switch scam.

More like a Memorial Day!

They could do shuttle trips to Belair, if you go by what has been written elsewhere that should be long enough to convince people not to use it.

Smacks hand and mutters to self: "I must keep to topic".

Now now - Back to the topic!

Maybe if they held it somewhere other than Adelaide (like Melbourne or Sydney) would be potentially more productive.

Mmmm, because the Ghan goes there...

Mmmm, because the Ghan goes there...

Well said Aaron!

Well, the Ghan used to go to Melbourne - I did it once back in 2001.

Well said Aaron!

Well, the Ghan used to go to Melbourne - I did it once back in 2001.

And like the Overland, it was oh so successful they canned it...

Maybe it's not GSR's fault they can't make a train to Melbourne successful, maybe it's just the Victorians!

We may not all agree with GSR's operating of the Ghan and IP but they are making those trains work.

I like Aaron's thought, such a thought always appeals to true crow eaters!

Let's be glad the Ghan starting from Adelaide does work even if the OL does not connect to it. It means travellers have to spend time in Adelaide and will do other touristy things.

The Ghan is not a lot of use for "convenience" travel except for a few, same for the IP. I haven't hear anyone here daring to advocate daily Ghan's or IPs.

I think the Melbourne starting Ghan failed for some of the same reasons the OL is struggling, try

• Route too long compared with road
• Trip too long compared with other transport modes
• Pathing to get minimal delays

( The OL was renamed the Overdue not on account of delays due to its equipment or the service but on account of pathing problems and other trains running late.)

That said, there may be value in an "Open Day" in Melbourne and Sydney and Brisbane. The people to get involved are the tour operators and retailers not necessarily the great unwashed. Might the cheaper to fly the tour operators and retailers to Adelaide.

Ian

...did many people attend?
....what carriages were on display?
...were the meals in the dining car popular?
...any loco on the consist on Platform One?

I hope someone who went can report a little about their findings....I'm sure lots would like to know.

...did many people attend?
....what carriages were on display?
...were the meals in the dining car popular?
...any loco on the consist on Platform One?

I hope someone who went can report a little about their findings....I'm sure lots would like to know.

Yeah.. I went... NR74(?) and NR109 were on the front.. looking decidedly grubby... Could have perhaps spruced them up a little.. even just a basic wash!? They had about 7 coaches... you walked in the car behind the loco and came out the end... no meals were being served.. it was purely just to showcase the accommodation and see what you get for your $4k or thereabouts. You walked through and staff gave a run down on all the features. Big line up when I went... that was around 12pm but the rain would have kept many away.
I ain't a rivet counter so can't tell you what cars they all were...

Dirty locos at a showcase aimed at attracting top-dollar passengers?

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

Yeah.. I went... NR74(?) and NR109 were on the front.. looking decidedly grubby... Could have perhaps spruced them up a little.. even just a basic wash!? They had about 7 coaches... you walked in the car behind the loco and came out the end... no meals were being served.. it was purely just to showcase the accommodation and see what you get for your $4k or thereabouts. You walked through and staff gave a run down on all the features. Big line up when I went... that was around 12pm but the rain would have kept many away.
I ain't a rivet counter so can't tell you what cars they all were...

NR75 NR109 took the Ghan out today so I'd say it was NR75 defman.
Display consist was in Platform 2 today, it appears to be "Chairman's Carriage" 2 x Sleepers, Lounge car, Dining car, Red class Sit up and a Power van.

I went to the Open Day yesterday, very interesting looking though the train.

The Consist was NR75-NR109, Red sit-up, Red Cafe (Matilda Cafe), Gold Class Twin Sleeper, Gold Lounge Car, Queen Adelaide restaurant, Platinum Sleeper, Chairman's carriage, Baggage/Power Van.

Dirty locos at a showcase aimed at attracting top-dollar passengers?

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

Doesn't matter much - show was only for the locals in Adelaide - not a lot to be gained..................

Dirty locos at a showcase aimed at attracting top-dollar passengers?

Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.

I am not convinced that your average Ghan pax gives much of two smeg about the locos. The locos are beyond the control of GSR anyway, the contract is 'hook and pull' not 'keep them clean and pretty'. Friends of mine rode the Ghan return, on their way back talking to them to arrange their collection, I asked them about the locos and their response 'I think one was grey and the other might have been blue or green' on their arrival in Adelaide we met them, the locos? Sandfly and AN3, both Ghan liveried red...

...did many people attend?
....what carriages were on display?
...were the meals in the dining car popular?
...any loco on the consist on Platform One?

I hope someone who went can report a little about their findings....I'm sure lots would like to know.

My wife and I took our two daughters.  There were a lot of people, cars parked everywhere, and a line-up to get onboard.  Kids had a great time, and did ask "daddy why is that train so dirty" so it was noticed.  We were looking forward to having the meal onboard but sadly no such thing - there was a sausage sizzle though so we feasted on that.

Personally I've never been onboard so was rather surprised it looked so 70s inside, no money for a refit or they intentionally preserving that look?

Was a good afternoon out - I would love the opportunity to take a train across Australia one day (done it overseas) but reality is the travel time eats into your holiday so you either make use of it by driving so you can stop and enjoy towns, or fly to get straight there.  Would need to be a cost or time incentive to attract me.

According to the advertising done for this event the Dining car was going to be serving meals as a stationary restaurant for the day. Bit of a let down if it wasn't either, false advertising any one.8)

I am not convinced that your average Ghan pax gives much of two smeg about the locos. The locos are beyond the control of GSR anyway, the contract is 'hook and pull' not 'keep them clean and pretty'. Friends of mine rode the Ghan return, on their way back talking to them to arrange their collection, I asked them about the locos and their response 'I think one was grey and the other might have been blue or green' on their arrival in Adelaide we met them, the locos? Sandfly and AN3, both Ghan liveried red...

Public image is public image.

Symptomatic of an industry that has no pride in itself.

Public image is public image.

Symptomatic of an industry that has no pride in itself.

GWA seems to have a pride in its locomotive fleet - they always seem clean.

Public image is public image.

Symptomatic of an industry that has no pride in itself.

Wide sweeping statements by those not in the industry, which are in fact incorrect, about those in the industry.
Ahhh, must be a Railpage.

For what it is worth, time, money and crewing constraints all play a factor. Considering that no other company has been successful in gaining the IP et al contracts PN must be doing something right.

I will be sure to note to the customers, while wearing my ironed shirt and polished boots (because I am driving the IP to enhance the company image), that the reason why the trip was on time, smoothly driven and information relayed to the TM was because I, along with the majority of my co-workers, have no pride in their job.
I will also be sure to point out, while showing customers over the locomotives, explaining how it all works or taking a photo of them in front of the train for their holiday snaps, that I am doing it because I have no pride in my job.

What little credibility I thought you had is gone with comments such as these.

Excuse me now, going to go read over my notices on my day off, because I have no pride in my job and I don't want to be up to date with the latest in safe-working.

I am not convinced that your average Ghan pax gives much of two smeg about the locos. The locos are beyond the control of GSR anyway, the contract is 'hook and pull' not 'keep them clean and pretty'. Friends of mine rode the Ghan return, on their way back talking to them to arrange their collection, I asked them about the locos and their response 'I think one was grey and the other might have been blue or green' on their arrival in Adelaide we met them, the locos? Sandfly and AN3, both Ghan liveried red...

G'Day All,

Well said Aaron.

My wife and I took her parents to Keswick to journey to Darwin and return on the Ghan. They were in a group of 8 friends doing the trip together.

We all were standing alongside a power generator car when one of my father-in-law friends commented that this must be a lot of coaches to go to Darwin, because he said that there were 4 locomotives need to haul them. I saw the 2 NRs at the front so I asked him what 4 locomotives. His reply was "2 at the front, this one alongside us and the one at the rear". Needless to say he was calling the 2 power generator cars, locomotives. I guess to the average joe blow they sound the same.

I am sure if they were steam locomotives, he would have known the difference.

Regards,

GWA seems to have a pride in its locomotive fleet - they always seem clean.

G'Day All,

True, during April we caravanned the southern Flinders and stayed a few nights in Port Augusta. The caravan park was just over the head of the gulf from the marshaling yards so I went across and had a sticky. The yard is shunted by GWA locomotives. There were 8 that I could see, with 4 in use shunting. They were all spotless and in pristine appearance.

Of all the locomotives that traversed the main lines at the front of the yard, the cleanest were without a doubt GWAs.

Regards,

Wide sweeping statements by those not in the industry, which are in fact incorrect, about those in the industry.
Ahhh, must be a Railpage.

For what it is worth, time, money and crewing constraints all play a factor. Considering that no other company has been successful in gaining the IP et al contracts PN must be doing something right.

I will be sure to note to the customers, while wearing my ironed shirt and polished boots (because I am driving the IP to enhance the company image), that the reason why the trip was on time, smoothly driven and information relayed to the TM was because I, along with the majority of my co-workers, have no pride in their job.
I will also be sure to point out, while showing customers over the locomotives, explaining how it all works or taking a photo of them in front of the train for their holiday snaps, that I am doing it because I have no pride in my job.

What little credibility I thought you had is gone with comments such as these.

Excuse me now, going to go read over my notices on my day off, because I have no pride in my job and I don't want to be up to date with the latest in safe-working.

I'm sure you and the many drivers I know personally take great pride in their job.

The fault lies with management and the industry in general rather than one specific group of employees.

The fact that you are prepared to go that extra mile, but your employer couldn't get its act together to do something positive for the industry by giving its locos a wash and brush up, speaks volumes.

As I may have mentioned elsewhere, would you turn up to your school formal in tracky dacks and a hoodie?