Savannahlander 2017

The Savannahlander at Dimbulah and a few points east.

[@user-vg9lb5lu1l]

I loved this trip.

[@alcopower5710]

That hill at the beginning looked fairly steep unless the camera was playing tricks on me. Reminds me of RDCs we have in the states. Thanks for sharing 👍

[@fmnut]

Yes, a short but rather steep grade up a small hill. There wasn't a lot of engineered gradient on these lines, just following nap of the earth. The railcars were built by Commonwealth Engineering which had the Budd license in Australia, so they were constructed using similar styling and techniques.

[@AndreiTupolev]

They look fun! Like miniature RDC's.

[@johncaves]

The 2000 class were noted for smooth riding on unwelded 60lb rail which was very common when the class entered service in the 1960's. This track on the Atherton Tableland would receive the bare minimum maintenance for a once a week railcar service with about 6 or 7 tonne axle load. I will point out the correct place name spelling. It's Dimbulah. Thanks for posting a very good video.

[@fmnut]

johncaves Thanks for the correction. My only excuse is I'm a Yank.

[@fmnut]

johncaves p.s. I also corrected the description.

[@CapeAnnImages]

Those tracks have seen better days! I thought the rail regulation was to give two long then two short blasts of the horn before RR crossings?

[@fmnut]

1) the track is maintained sufficiently to handle these rail cars once a week for tourists. There is no other traffic. 2) the proper standard crossing warning in North America is long-long-short-long, however this is Australia and that rule doesn't apply there, it's just one long blast.

[@CapeAnnImages]

@@fmnut Your right, I wrote it wrong, long-long-short-long. My 1st apartment was next to a RR crossing! Now my house is across the harbor but I can still hear it 3 miles away!

[@Tinsby]

Years back west of Philadelphia there were cars very similar to these, can't recall the name tho' The telephoto lens does exaggerate the track surface, but still, the joints are low and the centers are high. Days of work for a tamper and a raising gang. Thanks nice posting!

[@fmnut]

Tinsby I think you're referring to the Brill "Bullets" on the Norristown hi speed line. As to the lack of maintenance, this service is the only thing using the line and that's once a week each way. They only do the bare minimum needed to prevent derailments.

[@edwardblieka8411]

@@fmnut I think he might mean the Libertyliners (ex North Shore Electroliners) which were also used on the Norristown line!

[@fmnut]

@@edwardblieka8411 you may be correct.

[@wdd6864]

The Liberty lines came from Chicago Milwaukee North Shore Line

[@mjarail]

A modernized version of this type of DMU would be sweet.

[@1956tmo]

Awesome .

[@dannygayler90]

I remember now ZZR had one of these until the whole operation was leveled by a firestorm some 3 yrs ago !

[@strobx1]

For a minute I thought it was North Shore Electroliners.

[@trainzguy2472]

I have to say a stainless steel Electroliner would truly look splendid!

[@sardu55]

A hybrid sort of zephyr front car. Reminds a bit of the zephyr set at the Museum of Science & Industry back in Chicago, Illinois. If it's still there. It went well with the captured U-505 Nazi Sub captured during WWII. And the coal mine.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

All that stuff is still there and isn't going away. The U Boat and Zephyr will never see daylight again. Submarine buried about one story under the lawn and train about three stories down with the new parking garage. The submarine deteriorated bad when it was outside.

[@PetzMsbt]

Many thanks for the nice video and it can be seen that track maintenance obviosly don´t belong to the most popular tasks of that railway company.... ;-)

[@dannygayler90]

One would think that with this Tourist attraction the State Government would be spending money to upgrade in improve the state of the track ?

[@fmnut]

Danny Gayler A proper overhaul of the track would cost hundreds of times more than the revenue the train produces in a year. Spot repairs are done to keep the line safe for the passage of these relatively light rail cars once a week. Remember that there is no freight traffic to provide revenue to pay for fixing the track.

[@dannygayler90]

Such a shame !

[@fmnut]

Danny Gayler at least people can still enjoy the ride. Many other similar lines are now streaks of dirt through the outback with nothing left but memories of what once was.

[@MilwaukeeF40C]

Ricketyness sounds like part of the fun!

[@RenaissancePeopleNYC]

where is this?

[@fmnut]

North Queensland Australia

[@stuarthenlis5740]

These are not the P&W Bullets. They were 3rd rail electrics. These cars are DMU cars.

[@jackp9122]

Can’t go terribly fast due to the bad track conditions, I guess.

[@fmnut]

Speed is not really a priority as it is a sightseeing train. Also, this is the only thing to operate on the line, so maintenance is minimal.

[@redbarnz]

Would make a great HO model... and if you could rig it up so people were waving....!

[@fmnut]

It's been done. www.shapeways.com/shops/scrimboytoo

[@thavvolf9157]

What museum is this associate with?

[@fmnut]

tha vvolf As far as I know, none. The service is run for Queensland Rail by a private contractor in Cairns. The Gulflander is operated on a similar basis

[@deanl4575]

fmnut The Gulflander is operated by the QLD Government not a private operator.

[@northlanderdude]

where is this ?

[@deanl4575]

northlanderdude Far North Queensland, Australia