ABC 7ZR: "A Tale from the Track" (1993)

July 1993 marked 15 years since the cessation of the Tasman Limited, and ABC Radio 7ZR's Chris Neilson hosted a special segment of archive news and interviews to mark the occasion. In "A Tale from the Track", Bill Brundle narrates a brief history of the service in a segment prepared by DVRPS historian Dennis Hewitt.
All photos are sourced from on-line and published material, and are attributed to Keith Aitkinson, William A Bayley, Philip G Bayley, John Beckhaus, Micheal Dix, Stuart Dix, Alex Grunbach, David Jones, Graeme Jones, Scott Harris, Weston Langford, David Lidster, Peter Ralph, Micheal Schrader, Don Stephens, Jim Stokes, John Wilson, David Verrier. Also Derwent Valley Railway Preservation Society, Tasmanian Government Railways, and TNT Channel 9.

[@karenedwards2289]

A terrible loss! My father did all that lovely upholstery & made many of those articulated leather carriage joiners. Many great memories of trips on this train.

[@jessesands9426]

Oh what we have lost! Heartbreaking!😂🍎🎟️📢🛄

[@Ar-Rahman61]

Great footage of the greatest express train of all - the Tasman Limited

[@pamheazlewood9259]

Hmmmm...'Express'....surely you jest. ;o)=)

[@mikevale3620]

@@pamheazlewood9259 An 'express' train is a train that doesn't stop at many stations and travels non-stop through others, so in the Tasman Ltd's case, because it had limited stops, it was an express train.

[@sutherlandA1]

At 70kph top speed, I think not

[@mikevale3620]

33% cost recovery as mentioned in the narration is around the norm for passenger trains.
V/Line's extensive Victorian rail and bus service has a cost recovery that's less than 33%, however because it carries so many passengers at cheaper fares than expected, it keeps many cars off the roads, which improves the quality of life for car drivers who have no choice than to drive, helps the environment and provides travel for people with disabilities, low incomes and people under driving age with a means to get about.
So, frequent public transport at low fares actually facilitates travel, but the state government operator has to understand its role in the community. Public transport was never meant to operate at a profit.
In 1978, it was all about cars and passenger trains were considered to be generally dying out. How wrong the economists of the time were.

[@samuelanketell8190]

Pity the NSW government wasn't that smart about regional rail passenger transport.

[@bigears4014]

I'd love a trip on it now, as a tourist venture it should work as the railway is there now , at least through the summer months

[@samuelanketell8190]

Queensland recently sold off its fleet of M class lander passenger carriages it's a shame nobody thought of purchasing a bunch to run a privately owned luxury passenger train for daily service along that route. There were dining carriages, sitting first & economy carriages, buffet carriages and sleeper/sitting cars available that needed very little sproosing up for use again as they were in regular daily services just before they were floged off

[@lesbrown8954]

The photo at 7:10 is from my collection and there is no credit for it. Why is that?
This is where it is from:
www.brownfam.com.au/rollah/rollah.htm

[@rsinclair6560]

Good production. Do you have anymore Tales of the Track, Bill Brundle narrative and Dennis Hewitt written . 1996 North East Branch?

[@marionharding9395]

"Written by Dennis Hewitt"! Is that Joan's Dennis?

[@bentimmy7252]

Ex NZR DE-class locomotive & livery

[@donhill3rd]

Love Bill Brundles airplane stuff.

[@LDEGM]

Nice video