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cdinoz
Station Master
Joined: Dec 18, 2007
Last Visited: Sep 28, 2008
Location: Under the Thumb
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Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 7:26 pm
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I have a food and wine magazine that has an advert for a maiden voyage of "The Southern Spirit". Apparently it has it maiden "voyage" on the 26th Nov this year from Darwin to Sydney.
It does have a website posted on the ad - www.southernspirit.com.au - which appears not to work.
Has anyone heard of this trip/company - and / or who is actually running them?
I have googled but can find nothing. Not on the GSR website anywhere so unsure who the operator is.
Does anyone here on RP have any further info to offer up?
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M636C
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Aug 18, 2005
Last Visited: Oct 14, 2008
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Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 4:56 pm
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In January, I was given a business card by the passenger attendant on the "Overland".
On the back of the card there were four train names: Indian Pacific, The Ghan, Overland and Southern Spirit.
The Southern Spirit lettering was in the same "oval plate" style as the Overland.
So it isn't a secret. I believe it will have a higher "Platinum" class of travel.
M636C
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dalts 1985
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Jul 29, 2003
Last Visited: Oct 13, 2008
Location: Warrnambool by the sea on the Shipwreck Coast of Victoria
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Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 6:29 pm
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| M636C wrote: | | cdinoz wrote: | I have a food and wine magazine that has an advert for a maiden voyage of "The Southern Spirit". Apparently it has it maiden "voyage" on the 26th Nov this year from Darwin to Sydney.
It does have a website posted on the ad - www.southernspirit.com.au - which appears not to work.
Has anyone heard of this trip/company - and / or who is actually running them?
I have googled but can find nothing. Not on the GSR website anywhere so unsure who the operator is.
Does anyone here on RP have any further info to offer up? |
In January, I was given a business card by the passenger attendant on the "Overland".
On the back of the card there were four train names: The Indian Pacific, The Ghan, The Overland & The Southern Spirit.
The Southern Spirit lettering was in the same "oval plate" style as the Overland.
So it isn't a secret. I believe it will have a higher "Platinum" class of travel.
M636C |
I wonder if this train will spread it's wings in time to come 
Say, run the entire length of the Aust. East Coast. - Start & finish in MEL via a round trip...
Start's MEL. then onto:- SYD. - BNE - Mt Isa. - Darwin - Alice Springs - ADL & return to MEL.
A possible passenger train for the National. Aust'n Inland Railway & QLD Inland Railway also, over time perhaps ...
"A vote for Labor means no more of Howard's bullsh*t |
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aussiebbq
Chief Train Controller
Joined: Jan 01, 2004
Last Visited: Aug 14, 2008
Location: Ballarat, Australia
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Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 6:54 pm
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| cdinoz wrote: |
It does have a website posted on the ad - www.southernspirit.com.au - which appears not to work. |
That website is registered to a company called Southern Spirit Software PLY LTD. That company when out of business in 2004 which is why the site doesn't work.
If the site rights are been transferred it has not happened yet.
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cdinoz
Station Master
Joined: Dec 18, 2007
Last Visited: Sep 28, 2008
Location: Under the Thumb
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 2:36 pm
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| aussiebbq wrote: | | cdinoz wrote: |
It does have a website posted on the ad - www.southernspirit.com.au - which appears not to work. |
That website is registered to a company called Southern Spirit Software PLY LTD. That company when out of business in 2004 which is why the site doesn't work.
If the site rights are been transferred it has not happened yet. |
Very odd then....
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kipioneer
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Oct 18, 2004
Last Visited: Oct 14, 2008
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Posted: Wed May 21, 2008 10:29 pm
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For what it is worth the Great Southern Railway headquarters in King William Street South in Adelaide has a brand new sign in front with the three present train logos on it, and a 4th square to the right as yet unused (in a darker colour paint than the rest of the sign).
Obviously it is a case of "watch this space" - or it has been painted out.
Neil - the KIPioneer
Hawthorn SA
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cdinoz
Station Master
Joined: Dec 18, 2007
Last Visited: Sep 28, 2008
Location: Under the Thumb
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 1:25 am
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http://thesouthernspirit.com.au/
The website is now at least a little active.. and appears as "Under Construction" and the email address linked is from the GSR.
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trainznbuses
Junior Train Controller
Joined: Mar 23, 2005
Last Visited: Oct 10, 2008
Location: 1/4 distance on the south line from ADL to MEL
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:25 pm
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Website is now up!!
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42101
Banned
Joined: Oct 12, 2005
Last Visited: Sep 27, 2008
Location: Banned
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 10:35 pm
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Very much aimed at the yuppies and rich oldies this one is 1st trip Darwin to Sydney.
Banned
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kipioneer
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Oct 18, 2004
Last Visited: Oct 14, 2008
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:13 pm
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The website is up and running.
Neil - the KIPioneer
Hawthorn SA
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Shacks
Ghanzel
Joined: Mar 03, 2003
Last Visited: Oct 14, 2008
Location: Sir Big Lens of the Distant (Signal) North.
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Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 11:25 pm
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Looking into this and the trips they paln to run, I see it being a service where they attach the carriages to an existing service for the Darwin, Perth and Sydney services.
The inaugral trip departs on a Wednesday, gets dropped in Alice, gets pick up on the next one going south, looks like it is attached to the Overdue out of Adelaide on the next Thurday. Then it looks like it is hauled as it's own train to Canberra and then on to Sydney, also as it's own train.
Then it looks like it runs as it's own train again back to Melbourne, where it joins the Overdue to Adelide then joins the IP to Pearth.
I guess it would not cost much more to add it to the existing service, GSR alredy pay for the loco, the track access, just a bit more for the fuel and ontrain staff.
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2001
The Snow Lord
Joined: Jan 25, 2005
Last Visited: Oct 14, 2008
Location: The road jump at Charlotte Pass. Paxman Valenta on two planks.
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Posted: Sat Jun 14, 2008 4:13 pm
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| 42101 wrote: | | Very much aimed at the yuppies and rich oldies this one is 1st trip Darwin to Sydney. |
No probs there; we can always 'gatecrash'....
2001
Member Falls Creek 2018 Olympics Committee.
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42101
Banned
Joined: Oct 12, 2005
Last Visited: Sep 27, 2008
Location: Banned
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Kafoopsy
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Oct 28, 2004
Last Visited: Oct 13, 2008
Location: Perth, WA
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Posted: Sun Jun 15, 2008 12:56 am
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The website shows a train with NRs in Southern Spirit livery. I wonder if they are likely to paint any NRs in this livery? Doesn't seem likely if the train is just a few carriages coupled onto existing services.
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PClark
Chief Commissioner
Joined: Apr 01, 2003
Last Visited: Oct 12, 2008
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:56 pm
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All trips between Adelaide and Melbourne and v.v. are overnight so it's not attached to the Overland.
It will be interesting to see whether or not this will be successful. GSR have a fairly tough cancellation policy - under 75 days out from travel you get ZERO refund. GSR reserves the right to cancel any tour at any time.
I note that there is no provision for any "intermediate" sectors (e.g. Adelaide to Melbourne or Sydney at this stage although these could be added later if there was space approaching departure dates.
I note that it is only a 3 month "season" of 8 "cruises" making use of the Platinum Class Ghan cars when they are not in regular service on that train.
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