Interesting - I wasn't aware there was another type of 'steam' train than coal. Makes sense though. Are there others too? 

1 hour ago, reanimated35 said:

Interesting - I wasn't aware there was another type of 'steam' train than coal. Makes sense though. Are there others too? 

Indeed. Some steam trains are wood burners and others burn oil for their fuel.

 

So most people will remember me as www worker, haven't been on these forums since Shockwave opened. So forgot the email I used for www worker. No longer operating slides now in upper management.

I have spoken to my boss and can confirm that at this stage the steam train (Baldwin)is expected to return full time on weekends and school holidays beginning the first week of the Easter holidays. The steam train will hopefully be used sporadically leading up to Easter.

Edited January 27, 201610 yr by www worker 2.0

Most park steam engines burn oil for the clean/ease factor. 

 

I I was delighted to see the train at Dollywood was a massive coal burning engine. It was very impressive. 

Sorry il correct myself.    As others have mentioned that some locos burn oil, The dreamworld locos were converted to oil burners and not gas as I previously said.   Im not sure why i said gas (after re reading my own comment I thought it was wrong,  Brain fart moment)

 

 

I was about to correct you Inverted, but all good. There are some gas (LPG) locos around so the idea has merit. 

I did some filming to capture the moment on Tuesday, so please excuse the crudeness. 

 

T-Bone,   That would be me in the red top at the one min mark with my son - Small world

Very small world, nice to encounter even if through YouTube another parkz member out in the wild.

@Inverted you also appear in an Ausparks clip, in the same spot.  You had T-bone on the left and Ausparks behind you.

Edited January 27, 201610 yr by skeetafly

the train will make a debut  each on the first Saturday each month and special occasions, good to see DW is kicking goals  

Edited January 28, 201610 yr by The_Ninja_59

16 hours ago, Inverted said:

Yes Agree.   I am a steam train fanatic.  These loco are living beauty and beast in one,  And amazing machines in their own way,  using fire and water to move thousands of tonnes.   

They do need special/qualified people to operate them as they are an engine under extreme pressure and can be dangerous if you have no idea what your doing.   And only one operator in dreamworld can do this.   

Just one small note for those interested, the dreamworld loco doesn't burning coal so no soot,   Which is good in a theme park as guests don't like soot in their clothes, hair and eyes.   They burn gas which makes them easier to fire and turning a knob for more heat to boil water/ more pressure is easier than shovelling coal.   Also better for the environment for the greenies.

Longer time listener, first time caller 

To operate a boiler (on a train or not), at least 600 hours training is now required before you are qualified. A typical steam train operates at between 150psi-220psi of pressure, or 5 - 7 times the air pressure of a normal passenger car tyre. Google "train boiler explosion" images to see why!

Boilers can be heated by anything that burns pretty much, Dreamworld used diesel in the Perry, which is being converted back to run on timber (cheaper and more neighbour friendly). Old rotted railway sleepers burn well too. The Perry isn't operational yet, it needs a fair bit of work to get it into service, and a full overhaul in about two years time.

Drivers are restricted to the same conditions as QR drivers, with maximum hours, set break times. maximum times between breaks etc. Even operating at 20km/hr on a closed track by itself, these are still enforced.

Finding enough boiler qualified drivers is where Dreamworld will be struggling. The pseudo steam train doesn't require a boiler ticket, hence can be operated by lesser trained staff.

Inverted, have you ever looked into (saved for) a driver for the day experience with QPSR (Swanbank) or ARHS QLD (Rosewood). Worth the money, I've been lucky enough to do the QPSR one, nearly two years later I still grin when thinking about it. Woodford Railway (ANGRMS) are hoping to have their loco "Melbourne" on track mid to late this year too if your looking for a 'fix' 

/partial thread hijack 

6 hours ago, red dragin said:

Longer time listener, first time caller 

To operate a boiler (on a train or not), at least 600 hours training is now required before you are qualified. A typical steam train operates at between 150psi-220psi of pressure, or 5 - 7 times the air pressure of a normal passenger car tyre. Google "train boiler explosion" images to see why!

Boilers can be heated by anything that burns pretty much, Dreamworld used diesel in the Perry, which is being converted back to run on timber (cheaper and more neighbour friendly). Old rotted railway sleepers burn well too. The Perry isn't operational yet, it needs a fair bit of work to get it into service, and a full overhaul in about two years time.

Drivers are restricted to the same conditions as QR drivers, with maximum hours, set break times. maximum times between breaks etc. Even operating at 20km/hr on a closed track by itself, these are still enforced.

Finding enough boiler qualified drivers is where Dreamworld will be struggling. The pseudo steam train doesn't require a boiler ticket, hence can be operated by lesser trained staff.

Inverted, have you ever looked into (saved for) a driver for the day experience with QPSR (Swanbank) or ARHS QLD (Rosewood). Worth the money, I've been lucky enough to do the QPSR one, nearly two years later I still grin when thinking about it. Woodford Railway (ANGRMS) are hoping to have their loco "Melbourne" on track mid to late this year too if your looking for a 'fix' 

/partial thread hijack 

Its on my bucket list for sure!

 

6 hours ago, red dragin said:

Inverted, have you ever looked into (saved for) a driver for the day experience with QPSR (Swanbank) or ARHS QLD (Rosewood). Worth the money, I've been lucky enough to do the QPSR one, nearly two years later I still grin when thinking about it. Woodford Railway (ANGRMS) are hoping to have their loco "Melbourne" on track mid to late this year too if your looking for a 'fix' 

/partial thread hijack 

Oh wow that is really tempting. I think my wife would kill me but my dad would love it if I took him along too

Edited January 28, 201610 yr by reanimated35

I was given it as a birthday + Christmas + birthday present. At $500 per person it's not cheap,  but worth it. 

ARHS QLD do cab rides I believe for much less. 

I got to drive this four-wheel tank locomotive at puffing billy back in 2008, while studying for my certificate 3 in transport and logistics, was hands down one of  the coolest things i'll ever do in my life

This is the one I got to drive. 

QR PB15 448 from QPSR. A baby compared to the Steam Train Sunday locos, which are baby's again when compared to the NSW loco's. 

I added the "L" plate for the photo, to the amusement of the train crew. 

Edited January 29, 201610 yr by red dragin

For anyone interested, here is another video > 

 

Just looking at an old dreamworld promo footage reel on YouTube  from the 80s and they also used to have train robbers hold up the cannonball express and do a mini show like they did with the captain Sturt paddle wheeler  scince captain Sturt is gone perhaps they should do this again for the days when the steam train is operating I think it would be awesome

Quote

 

I am new to this forum.  I note the comments from many who have been here before, many of which are suppositions with no basis in fact, so I will try to assist with some facts.

Firstly, the Dreamworld track is just 1.5 km long, NOT 3 km as claimed by Dreamworld.  I know this as I was in a position to measure the length, which I did.  If Dreamworl's archival records state that 3 km of RAILwas purchased, that may be where their claim originates.  3 km of rail produces only 1.5 km of track though.  Check for yourself with a GPS unit.

The Baldwin locomotive's origins lie in World War 1, when the British War Department contracted the Baldwin Locomotive Works of Philadelphia USA to construct 495 locomotives of 2 feet gauge, to operate in the war zones transporting personnel, provisions, ammunition etc.  Narrow gauge railways were used extensively by both sides in the conflict as an efficient method of transport.  It has always been said that our Baldwin worked in France, but a reference in Wikipedia notes that it (Construction Number 45215) was in a batch of 60 sent to Egypt where it was involved on the Eastern Front, against the Turk offensive.

After the war the little engine was purchased by the Racecourse Sugar Mill at Mackay and spent a lifetime until the 1960s hauling cane to the mill. After being laid aside, luckily it was not cut-up for scrap metal, the fate of most steam locomotives, and eventually was "done-up" and became the star on Dreamworld's railway.  It was made to look like a "wild west" engine of the 1860s, and looks nothing like it did when new.  It was initially a tank engine, and the cute tender it now has, sets it off nicely.

It is a pity that Dreamworld never capitalized on the engine's claim to fame.

More later...

Edited January 31, 201610 yr by Richard
No need for an entire post in bold.

I'm no surveyor nor could I be bothered doing a gps measurement, but I definitely this the track would be longer than a 1.5km circuit.. They may be embellishing slightly and including the maintenance track and switch into the total figure, but 1.5km seems too short for mine..

A quick look on Google Maps using the "measure distance" tool makes it look pretty spot on 1500m to me, with an extra 200m for the maintenance track. Thanks for noticing @The Sunlander... that corrects a few decades of misinformation. 

Happily stand corrected then! 

Thanks for doing the leg work Richard! 

The left rail is 1.5km, and the right rail is 1.5km long.  Glad I could help.

 

@joz Your theory would work if the track had no corners. @The Sunlander which side of the track is longer?

Edited February 1, 201610 yr by skeetafly

Just as confirmation - Nearmap is pretty spot on too, even if my track tracing isn't perfect... it's close enough...