Warienga, nice to see a cooler head prevailing....

If people wish not to participate, then good for them; if they do wish to participate, then jump on and come along for the ride.

The talk was always that B&S balls would never continue because of the high liability insurance required. Guess what, shire councils had the required liability insurance to allow them to go ahead. There is no reason why this could not happen hear as well.

Dowerin field days attracted nearly 50000 people over three days in 2009, and 2010 is expected to be bigger. In fact, as hobby farms increase, It just gets more popular.

Kojonup? What is going on down there? I have heard whispers and so forth, but never anything more than that. I would be more than happy to assist, but I'm certainly not going to assist a group that don't let people know what they are doing and who they are.

I am quite happy to arrange a day to show my new son the steam locos of HVTR, but I have no interest in having anything more to do with them. Years and years ago I was screamed at by an HVTR member to stay the f*$k away from the locos - I reckon I was about 9 at the time. Memories like that take a long time to go away.

ARHS? Sorry RHWA (What the heck is that all about?). I want to see trains moving! I work for the railways, but I like to see something different all the time. While I do appreciate the heritage covered by Bassendean and Boyanup, if they are not going to be visible to the public (ie. running trips), I am not really interested. I want to work towards doing something!

And Pemberton? I know that Bulbous had some very interesting chats with him regarding both the V and the W from Collie. He's not really interested in trains, he is running a business and certainly does not want competition! 1213Driver seems to have had some of that attitude rub off on him? Nothing wrong with daydreaming - he who does nothing gets nothing done...

But I certainly agree regarding BBR - at my sons recent baptism, we had a BBQ the same day as their Thomas the Tank Engine day. There were thousands of people there, and yet the staff with who I interacted were nothing but polite, friendly and helpful.

I wonder why I saw quite a few young people at BBR, but see so few at HVTR and RHWA?

Dear All,

I read this thread yesterday evening and couldn't help but feel dissapointed at the general tone. negativity and lack of understanding at multiple levels that prevailed, from persons who beleive that have a genune interest in all things Rail. It wasn't until I read Waringa's calm intelectual and informative post that I felt re-assured there was at least one person thinking without emotional interferance.

I started a post but then thought, maybe later. Today I received a call seeking some basic input for the consultancy work being done so I thought I would make a few comments. Disapointingly to me personaly, was to read that I am perceived as having no interest in trains, only buisness.

Given all I have been involved in and done, let alone my input to HVR since its impending demise in late 2001, I had never considerd that I could be perceived in this way. It is true that I take a realist,  comercial and buisness like approach but I see this as both professional and necessary for the long haul & sustainability. If some of this has rubbed off onto others that have worked with me, I am not sure it is a bad thing. I truly hope I have not been wasting my life.

Anyway, back to the main issue, being this "new" rail venture. I think much of what has been stated is both correct and in-correct, that is to say, there is a thread of realism embedded in all this dialouge.

Firstly, where there is a will there is a way. Creating a general Will to achieve is always the first step and RHWA seem to have managed this.
Secondly, creating a vission with due regard to reality, well RHWA seem to be working on this one appropriately by engaging professional help.

There will always be many aspects of any project which could be show stoppers. The key thing is to identify them and find ways to manage or eliminate them. The problem is that motivated people with a will and a vission have a very strong tendency to only see the positive aspects or at best give passing acceptance to the negatives. I am often accused of being quite negative but my focus is on sucess, not failure and to do this it is the weaknesses and threats that have to be addressed, not so much the strengts and oportunities. Fail to plan and you plan to fail, it is as simple as that. These guys are on the right track in my view.

I know this post is getting long but there are a few more things I would like to share. The comment about BBR being the best T & H opperation in WA is absolutely correct in my view and I would say has been the case for at least 15 years. There have been other comments about other organisations, particularly those I am involved with, both good and bad but they touch on the reality of the way things are in the particular environment. By this I am really trying to describe "context".

Consider my comments below, drawn from comments in other posts;

If HVR can't, no one can. Nonsense. HVR may not be able to in the context of its operations, particularly logistics, but change that and who knows, less other trains on a network, no other passenger trains, no DIRN lines. Will it be easy, certainly not. Can it be self sustainable, well probabaly not but who knows.

PTCo, BBR etc have all made a sucess of things so any new operation will be able to as well. Nonsense. There is no comparison, particularly in context, between these and what seems to be proposed. In particular, these organisations operate 'on their own patch' and do not have the significant issues associated with Network operational interfaces limitations, risks and liabilities.

I feel the RHWA initiative on this proposed project should be commended, particularly the Rail Heritage Centre concept, which could have operating items such as locos within its precinct and be world class. My personal view is that self sustainability of 'so described main line operations' will be a significant challenge, probabaly near imposible, but that does not mean they could not be sustained thru other income streams.

Best wishes to RHWA, I hope they can make something of their vissions.

Regards,

Ian Willis

Well done Ian. Spoken like a true Railwayman.

Well spoken Ian....can't add any more to what you have said other than good luck to RHWA.

For anyone interested and not aware: On Wednesday, two freight vehicles were sent up by road to Minnivale from the museum, and a ZA brakevan (with two passenger compartments) was sent up yesterday. These will be used in the static display within the silo.

Shire of Dowerin crew has been on site for the last week and have been grading and prepping the lines into the wheat bin and the bypass line around the south side of the bin - no-one on site today, but gear is still there and the survey pegs show the work still to do.

Ballast is down on all lines now around the bin, with quite a deep base for the lines, especially on the west end of the bin. No sleepers or track laid as of Friday last week, but the track is still piled up on the east end of the bin, and some rail on the north side of the main line. I have some pics, but nowhere to upload them. if someone wants to put them up, I can email them through?

Cheers,

Matt

Ballast is down on all lines now around the bin, with quite a deep base for the lines, especially on the west end of the bin. No sleepers or track laid as of Friday last week, but the track is still piled up on the east end of the bin, and some rail on the north side of the main line. I have some pics, but nowhere to upload them. if someone wants to put them up, I can email them through?

Cheers,

Matt

Today I saw that there is a completed set of points on that ballast base, so it has begun.

Bit of a flash back here.... 10 years in fact to 2004.... when the S was run out to Midland for the annual workshops open day.....

Can't wait to see it working again.....

Footage taken by me on an old tape video camera, so please excuse the quality...



http://youtu.be/l6VyAxE42Ks

We'll take all the steam action we can get... thanks for posting.

Dropped through the Minnivale wheatbin earlier this week, and noted that most of the trackwork is in place for the sidings and approaches, with the main line points being assembled at each end of the yard. The points being made seem to indicate that the existing grain loop and two refuge sidings off the grain loop will remain.

The three sidings into the old grain bin are laid on the concrete floor (not inlaid, but placed on top), and the loop around the outside of the bin has been laid. Ballast has been spread on the west end of the sidings, and the east end has the base layer of ballast down, but nothing on the sleepers yet. There has certainly been a large increase in the number of personnel on the ground in the last two weeks or so, and all of the advertising still says it will be launching in July 2014, so it will be close.

The pressure is on the local community to organise two celebrations - 50th Anniversary of the Dowerin Field Day and the launch of Wheatbelt Heritage Rail - too  much to expect from them. Work will still continue as planned but there won't be a big launch in July / August. And that means work at Minnivale and at Bassendean will continue. Great to see the works happening on S549.

Most of the tubes are out now, about 80%

last of the tubes will be out tomorrow, cladding around the boiler should off at the end of the days work as well.

well tubes are all out - cladding, well damn that smeg is itchy, will take a few more days for that to be finished.

Some images of the progress

http://imgur.com/a/Ycc6g#6JNz4aC

Here's a blog on the work being done to S549, for those interested: http://s549.blogspot.com.au/

Hey thanks for the link to the S549 Blog.  That's really great.
I'll be dropping by more often..

Thumbs up to the dreamers..
~smiles~