hire a railcar from another preservation group to run a cut price sightseer service?
Non of the bigger DP railcars would run down there, to long etc. If someone happen to get the old Flying Flea, restore that, maybe.
The WCWR may not make money in isolation, but how much money is generated on the back of it? Tasmania is economically depressed. Does it need more, or less, reasons for people to visit, stay longer and spend more money?
Sounds great in theory, but are the entities that make money on the back of it willing to subsidise the railway in return? Unfortunately I suspect not...
So...Wages aren't the problem, so volunteering won't fix it. Passenger volume is down. Outflow of money for maintenance/upgrading on the surface looks fairly constant regardless of passenger volume on the current timetable.
What volume of passenger traffic do they need to get to make it closer to self sufficient, and how? Would money spent now in marketing to get the volumes up make a saving down the track (no pun intended) in terms of revenue top ups needed?
Can more passenger volume facilitate enough revenue keeping on top of the maintenance? Is there even the capacity to make it self sufficient, I mean could it even support the numbers of tourists needed for that revenue level?
Will more trips/passengers mean higher maintenance or is it influenced more by weather and scheduled upkeep?
My big question is whether a wider investment in heritage rail across the state (e.g. upgrading and certifying in safeworking etc, OH&S stock/infrastructure upgrades) and reopening of the mainline to heritage groups might get a bigger cohort of rail tourists into the state, staying longer, spending more and more widely which may offset the Abt's future top ups? If a tourist were to come down and spend a week visiting Abt, Don, Redwater creek, DVR, TTMS, QVMAG, Lune River and so forth could it make it worth the subsidy for what is a very expensive potential flagship attraction.
How about DRR's little Riley?
DW in Devonport
[img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8531/8506500314_5852db77c3.jpg[/img]
[img]http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8239/8506503244_c0fb181a76.jpg[/img]
Like this?
Floody, were you aware that several key pieces of infrastructure have now reached the end of their useful lives - AIUI, the specifically includes at least one bridge. The cost of patching up these items was eating into the flimsy margin of net benefit Federal got (I'd imagine they factored in their profit from accommodation sales stimulated by the WCWR).
hire a railcar from another preservation group to run a cut price sightseer service?
Non of the bigger DP railcars would run down there, to long etc. If someone happen to get the old Flying Flea, restore that, maybe.
How about DRR's little Riley?
DW in Devonport
What about the railmotor on display in the West Coast Pioneers Mermorial?
Didn't that use to run on the Abt railway back in the day?
Cheers
What about the railmotor on display in the West Coast Pioneers Mermorial?
Didn't that use to run on the Abt railway back in the day?
Cheers
I don't know the answer to that, but here is a photo of said RailMotor:
The right of way between Strahan and Regatta Point is now a shared bike/walking track, recently being concreted.
But man we are getting pretty lazy if we can't be bothered travelling from Strahan to Regatta Point???????
As government money is going to be involved perhaps a condition for any new operator should be that some tickets must be affordable for members of the wider community rather than a select group of wealthier visitors.
The right of way between Strahan and Regatta Point is now a shared bike/walking track, recently being concreted.
But man we are getting pretty lazy if we can't be bothered travelling from Strahan to Regatta Point???????
Think of the profile of Tas and Oz internal, well-funded tourists. The fit ones are doing the Overland Walk, canoeing and kayaking and that sort of stuff. They're often backpackers. The ones who don't qualify under that category are spending the kids' inheritance and probably would be put off by such a walk, if they could make it anyway. And there aren't many cabs in Strahan.
DW
Ticket prices are high to ensure a return to the operator. Familes I know that live there don't go due to ticket cost. Whereas visitors budget for that as a once-off holiday expense.
There already is a subsidy, tipped in at the beginning as a grant for buildings and trackwork.
The latest announcement of $6m for urgent trackwork provided another operator is found is just another subsidy.
Surely trikes would be safeworking havoc, and doesn't it already take the bulk of the day for the main services to run the round trip?
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Wacky, left field, foamer idea...Is the driving compartment of DP13 a total loss as per the rest of it? If not maybe they could purchase that and build a DP outline short wheelbase car?
Sorry to tell you this, but DP13 is anything but a heritage loco..
Wacky, left field, foamer idea...Is the driving compartment of DP13 a total loss as per the rest of it? If not maybe they could purchase that and build a DP outline short wheelbase car?
From what i read and been told, DP13 is a heritage loco, meaning it can't be shortened at all. Also i have heard it has to be rebuilt to per original look, but certain mods are allowed like air con, bigger windows, internal blinds etc etc
If you understand the heritage laws here in Tassie, you would know. You don't. DP13 and DP14 are heritage railcars, only certain mods are allowed.