The Governor-General David Hurley and wife Linda, in one of their first official duties since entering the office 11-days ago, visited Cloncurry on Thursday and were to travel on the Inlander from Cloncurry to Julia Creek last night. They had spent the day in Cloncurry seeing the Stockman's Challenge equestrian events and helping out at the Lions Club sausage sizzle. The Inlander was due out of Cloncurry at 5.45pm, and due to arrive in Julia Creek at 8.55pm. It has been a very long time since a long distance QR service has seen a Vice Regal entourage.

Do we know if the train included any specialist carriages or was it a standard service they traveled on?

I would love to read their trip report.

I could get to like the bloke! (Someone get all the State cars out of storage, the man’s a train buff...)

QR operated a set of airconditioned VIP carriages during the 1980s and 1990s built from modified M series carriages. One car had rear facing solarium windows and the set was painted silver with green striping. This set didn't survive long enough to see the QR-Aurizon split in 2010.

Other than preserved non-airconditioned vintage wooden rollingstock QR has no other special airconditioned carriages available for workings such as this Inlander trip.

Surprised to hear the cars are no longer. I often saw them parked in the platform at Townsville. They were very smart looking and I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of them. They always had the blinds turned down.

Perhaps this David Hurley might be related to Adrian Hurley who works (or perhaps worked) for QR and owns his own rolling stock including DH45. I know Adrian has a brother David, but it isn't him...

Surprised to hear the cars are no longer. I often saw them parked in the platform at Townsville. They were very smart looking and I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of them. They always had the blinds turned down.

Oh wait , do you mean any of the old commissioners cars ?

Could be. They were M style cars and obviously kept in an immaculate condition. Do they still exist? It has been 30 years since I last saw them.

Surprised to hear the cars are no longer. I often saw them parked in the platform at Townsville. They were very smart looking and I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of them. They always had the blinds turned down.

Oh wait , do you mean any of the old commissioners cars ?

Could be. They were M style cars and obviously kept in an immaculate condition. Do they still exist? It has been 30 years since I last saw them.

I'm fairly sure they were stripped and scrapped in the 2000s. I'd always thought the solarium/observation car would have made a fantastic addition to one of the long distance trains, and today it would certainly suit the current Westlander or Inlander sets.

Not quite the G-G; saw the east bound today near Cloncurry, loco 2301D, wagon, power van, 3 carriages. Seemed several passengers on board. The wagon looked like a flat car with what appeared 2 large blocks (ballasting weights?)

The wagon looked like a flat car with what appeared 2 large blocks (ballasting weights?)

Track geometry recording vehicle or similar I suspect.

I presume they had a private car.  Wasn't organised, just how few people use the service.

I presume they had a private car.  Wasn't organised, just how few people use the service.

This has been the subject of discussion over several years...

Not many.

Mike, aboard MS Midnatsol, off Norway.

I presume they had a private car.  Wasn't organised, just how few people use the service.

All indications are they travelled in one of the two assigned sitting cars to the service - QR has no airconditioned special or private cars, and a special service from Brisbane is required to move additional carriages to Townsville for the Inlander set, which I am not aware happened on this occasion. The train carries anywhere between 20 to more than 100 people with extra carriages added for school trips to the coast.

The wagon looked like a flat car with what appeared 2 large blocks (ballasting weights?)

Track geometry recording vehicle or similar I suspect.

Yep, it's QR's new PCUV Track Geometry Recording wagon - it has only been in service for a few weeks (having replaced an earlier version) and does the Inlander trip each week gathering data for maintenance programs.

Thanks for that Sulla1, much appreciated, both the specific answer and the more general information you give so often

I presume they had a private car.  Wasn't organised, just how few people use the service.

This has been the subject of discussion over several years...

Not many.

Mike, aboard MS Midnatsol, off Norway.

Mike,
Still waiting for some Trip Reports.
How far north are you going? Kirkenes?
The Arctic is my favourite part of the world. If you get to Narvik be sure to visit the War Museum.
Wish that I was there.

I presume they had a private car.  Wasn't organised, just how few people use the service.

This has been the subject of discussion over several years...

Not many.

Mike, aboard MS Midnatsol, off Norway.

Mike,
Still waiting for some Trip Reports.
How far north are you going? Kirkenes?
The Arctic is my favourite part of the world. If you get to Narvik be sure to visit the War Museum.
Wish that I was there.

I was kind of waiting for an invitation rather than just write way a boring piece that could be seen as gloating by some...thanks for asking.

Currently on the 4th day travelling south on the Hurtigruten ferry, MS Midnatsol.

On this section of the journey in Norway, we arrived at Oslo by train and rail replacement bus from Copenhagen. Then travelled to Trondheim by train, thence to Mo-i-Rana thence to Bodo where we caught the three night ferry to Kirkenes.

After we arrive at Bergen tomorrow, we will travel to Oslo, thence to London via Frankfurt by train then home.

Some standouts:

German Railways, though this was my first time with them from Cologne to Copenhagen via Hamburg have apparently really dropped the ball. Train was cancelled and replaced with an old banger from the 1980's that only had air-con in First... fortunately we were travelling First. Lots of people standing is Second throughout the journey.

V/Line has never looked so good in comparison

Oslo, Norway and Norwegian Railways are probably my favourite and we spent time travelling the suburban services around Trondheim and Oslo.

Kirkenes was very warm...27c and it dropped to 12c in an hour or so...then warmed up again. The midnight sun is amazing up north.

Mike.

PS More later if there's some interest..

I presume they had a private car.  Wasn't organised, just how few people use the service.

This has been the subject of discussion over several years...

Not many.

Mike, aboard MS Midnatsol, off Norway.

Mike,
Still waiting for some Trip Reports.
How far north are you going? Kirkenes?
The Arctic is my favourite part of the world. If you get to Narvik be sure to visit the War Museum.
Wish that I was there.

I was kind of waiting for an invitation rather than just write way a boring piece that could be seen as gloating by some...thanks for asking.

Currently on the 4th day travelling south on the Hurtigruten ferry, MS Midnatsol.

On this section of the journey in Norway, we arrived at Oslo by train and rail replacement bus from Copenhagen. Then travelled to Trondheim by train, thence to Mo-i-Rana thence to Bodo where we caught the three night ferry to Kirkenes.

After we arrive at Bergen tomorrow, we will travel to Oslo, thence to London via Frankfurt by train then home.

Some standouts:

German Railways, though this was my first time with them from Cologne to Copenhagen via Hamburg have apparently really dropped the ball. Train was cancelled and replaced with an old banger from the 1980's that only had air-con in First... fortunately we were travelling First. Lots of people standing is Second throughout the journey.

V/Line has never looked so good in comparison

Oslo, Norway and Norwegian Railways are probably my favourite and we spent time travelling the suburban services around Trondheim and Oslo.

Kirkenes was very warm...27c and it dropped to 12c in an hour or so...then warmed up again. The midnight sun is amazing up north.

Mike.

PS More later if there's some interest..

I was kind of waiting for an invitation rather than just write

Mike, Good to read, but perhaps in the lounge? A little off topic in this thread!

I presume they had a private car.  Wasn't organised, just how few people use the service.

This has been the subject of discussion over several years...

Not many.

Mike, aboard MS Midnatsol, off Norway.

Mike,
Still waiting for some Trip Reports.
How far north are you going? Kirkenes?
The Arctic is my favourite part of the world. If you get to Narvik be sure to visit the War Museum.
Wish that I was there.

I was kind of waiting for an invitation rather than just write way a boring piece that could be seen as gloating by some...thanks for asking.

Currently on the 4th day travelling south on the Hurtigruten ferry, MS Midnatsol.

On this section of the journey in Norway, we arrived at Oslo by train and rail replacement bus from Copenhagen. Then travelled to Trondheim by train, thence to Mo-i-Rana thence to Bodo where we caught the three night ferry to Kirkenes.

After we arrive at Bergen tomorrow, we will travel to Oslo, thence to London via Frankfurt by train then home.

Some standouts:

German Railways, though this was my first time with them from Cologne to Copenhagen via Hamburg have apparently really dropped the ball. Train was cancelled and replaced with an old banger from the 1980's that only had air-con in First... fortunately we were travelling First. Lots of people standing is Second throughout the journey.

V/Line has never looked so good in comparison

Oslo, Norway and Norwegian Railways are probably my favourite and we spent time travelling the suburban services around Trondheim and Oslo.

Kirkenes was very warm...27c and it dropped to 12c in an hour or so...then warmed up again. The midnight sun is amazing up north.

Mike.

PS More later if there's some interest..

Thanks Mike.
I, for one, am interested. Europe, Scandinavia (and the Arctic especially) are special favourites. Bit disappointing about DB from Cologne to Copenhagen, however. It was well into the 20s C when we were up North.
Little of our Scandinavian travel has been by rail (mostly by bus) but plenty by rail in Europe which we found comfortable enough and very punctual by our standards. I agree that first class is highly desirable to 'avoid the crowds'.
The YMs and I have been to the North Cape twice - once fogged out 100%, the second 100% perfect. To us the Arctic is a marvellous part of the world - equal to the Nullarbor.

I was kind of waiting for an invitation rather than just write way a boring piece that could be seen as gloating by some...thanks for asking.

Consider yourself invited; more please Mike

I was kind of waiting for an invitation rather than just write way a boring piece that could be seen as gloating by some...thanks for asking.

Consider yourself invited; more please Mike

Suggest new thread with its own title so as to reserve this original thread for the Townsville Mt Isa route, please.

Mike, I am interested in the your northern European trip reports as well, and a separate thread will help find them.

Cheers Peter Cokley

I was kind of waiting for an invitation rather than just write way a boring piece that could be seen as gloating by some...thanks for asking.

Consider yourself invited; more please Mike

Suggest new thread with its own title so as to reserve this original thread for the Townsville Mt Isa route, please.

Mike, I am interested in the your northern European trip reports as well, and a separate thread will help find them.

Cheers Peter Cokley

Consider it done...

https://www.railpage.com.au/f-p2151458.htm#2151458

Mike.

I was kind of waiting for an invitation rather than just write way a boring piece that could be seen as gloating by some...thanks for asking.

Consider yourself invited; more please Mike

Suggest new thread with its own title so as to reserve this original thread for the Townsville Mt Isa route, please.

Mike, I am interested in the your northern European trip reports as well, and a separate thread will help find them.

Cheers Peter Cokley

Consider it done...
https://www.railpage.com.au/f-p2151458.htm#2151458
Mike.

Thanks and enjoyed the various detailed daily reports yesterday.