There is an article in todays Sunday Tasmanian where two cyclists express a desire to take over the Derwent Valley railway line for conversion into a bike track. I and my colleagues in the DVR have been aware of a few people who have this idea for several months. It is a total no-brainer which needs to be put to sleep, permanently, for the following reasons. 1. The value of excursion trains has been proven over many years, since the Tasmanian Locomotive Company started running to National Park in 1987. The Derwent Valley Railway continued running trains until track access was revoked, through no fault of our own, in 2005. 2. Most of these trains were well patronised, by the young, ordinary mumsndads, the middle aged, the elderly and even the handicapped. 3. The DVR had instances of people who travelled from interstate for the principal purpose of riding on that train. We also have had numerous other visitors from interstate and many overseas countries who found out about it whilst here, came and enjoyed a day trip aboard. 4. Since train running had to cease in 2005, DVR members have not been sitting around doing nothing. Thousands of man-hours and as many dollars have been devoted to massive overhauls of an articulated, 78-seater carriage and one of the diesel-electric locomotives. 5. Tens of thousands of dollars have been spent on acquisition of locomotives and rolling stock and road transport for the same, to the DVRs New Norfolk depot. 6. Tens of thousands of dollars have been spent on civil infrastructure, from the purchase of containers, to the restoration of the Westerway railway station, to the construction of a 66 metre long carriage shed. 7. Thousands of manhours have been devoted towards compliance with increasingly rigid safety and accreditation requirements, which are audited, even though nothing is moving on the rails. 8. The cost of conversion of the Derwent Valley line to a bike track will be substantial, from the removal of all rails and sleepers, to the grading of the formation, to fencing, to the widening of the many bridges, to gravelling. By comparison, only certain sections of the existing railway require re-sleepering and we in the Derwent Valley Railway have that in hand already. 9. A food experience as touted by the cyclists can best be provided in our buffet car, whilst on the move. Those who have previously travelled with us will know that. 10. Climatic conditions in the Derwent Valley can be very cold in winter; very hot in summer. Only hardy cyclists will be able to cope with that AND complete the trip up many gradients along the line. 11. By comparison, everyone, from the very young to the elderly, will be able to enjoy comfortable travelling in our renovated, ex-Tasman Limited carriage, which will - upon completion - feature reverse-cycle air-conditioning. 12. Did any of the cyclists who propose to convert the line into a bike track assist in any way with work on the Westerway railway station? NO! 13. Have any of the cyclists who propose to convert the line into a bike track assisted in any way with the maintenance of the track formation in the past? NO! And they think they have the right to barge in and take over! Come along and see for yourself the massive amount of work which has been done by the Derwent Valley Railway over the past 8 years, at the Open Day, New Norfolk Railway Station, November 17.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 01:38:45 +0000
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