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Ticket To Ride A Rail Journey around Australia by Dennis & Raynet
Ticket To Ride A Rail Journey around Australia By Anthony Dennis & Michael Rayner
Soft Cover
Copyright 1989
143 Pages
TABLE of Contents:
FOREWORD 5
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 6
MAP 8
1 THE PACIFIC COAST MOTORAIL11
2 THE DIRRANBANDI MAIL 20
3 THE WESTLANDER AND THE MIDLANDER 35
4 THE QUEENSLANDER 46
5 THE GUI.FLANDER57
6 THE IRON ORE TRAIN 70
7 THE INDIAN PACIFIC 85
8 THE TEA AND SUGAR 98
9 THE GHAN 113
10 THE BLUE LAKE, THE INTER-CITY DAYLINK, THE SUNRAYSIA,
THE SILVER CITY COMET AND THE XPT 124
APPENDIX
RAIL INFORMATION141
APPENDIX
PHOTOGRAPHIC INFORMATION 143
INDEX144
I remember the first time I confronted a steam locomotive. I threw an aniseed ball at a 53 class goods loco from the overhead bridge at Lawson (just near the Literary Institute) in the Blue Mountains, due west of Sydney. I ran all the way home for fear of retribution. No one can possibly understand the nerve it took to do that. I was about five.
I hesitate now, in my 44th year, to wax anything about the railways, let alone a steam vehicle. You see, the business of train-locomotive-enjoy riding has attracted an unfair share of the mental fringe dwellers, those loonies who inflict anyone in sight with the most useless information. That and their quarter track, three and three quarter inches-per-second mono recordings, their 127 Kodak cameras, and an indefatigable urge to be in every seat on the train really do tend to put me off.
I did, however, work for the railways (some might see that as unique in itself). I've never told anyone this, but I joined up because of steam. The pan of my brain that perceives the demise of the joyful saw steam disappearing amongst the smog. I remember those halcyon days of real-life fantasy, driving a large V-class in the wheat belt of Western Australia. What made the dream quite real was that particular day when it was 156F in the cab of the locomotive. One pays for one's fantasies.
Train travel, of course, however powered, is for the child in oneself. Gazing out the window while listening to the irregular noises of conflicting metals can trigger the mind. Or am I talking about the heart? For me, at least, it's the solitude. Just the locomotive and me. Why is a train so wonderful? Why is this large, noisy, illogical thing on parallel rail so consistently alluring? Why, apart from the full-pipe church organ, is the steam locomotive man's greatest achievement? And, more important, why did we so willingly leave it behind? What is it that happens to the lone traveller on a train and nowhere else?
It was with these mixed emotions, and a desire for adventure, that young Mr Dennis and his friend Mr Rayner ventured forth to try to capture something of the perennial joys of rail. On reflection, it's a jolly pity they didn't ask me to come along. I've got this marvelous new camera, an equally wonderful, cute little tape recorder, and all those really tremendous tapes at home ... Oh well, at least I've got the book ... and a heart.
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