Fw: Sun.30.6.19 daily digest
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Roderick Smith
Jul 4, 2019, 6:20:28 AM7/4/19
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To: Tdu Transportdownunder <transport...@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, 4 July 2019, 08:12:59 pm AEST
Subject: Sun.30.6.19 daily digest
The diesel move reported on Thursday into Friday (heard, but not see), may have been coupled light locos (2xT) and not T-IEV-T.
Roderick.
At latest test, yahell was as bad as ever. Five photos herewith
190627Th Melbourne 'Herald Sun' - Dynon Rd overturn.
190630Su 'SMH' - noise.
190630Su Melbourne 'Herald Sun':
- letters (road, rail, air).
- Melbourne Wheel power surge. [It didn't spin wildly; it stopped].
190630Su 'Canberra Times'- Bendigo, royal tram.
Sun.30.6.19 Metro Twitter
Werribee/Williamstown lines: Buses replace trains Flinders St - Newport/Williamstown until 6.40 (works). Passengers for South Kensington, change at Northth Melbourne for shuttle service [what about inbound passengers?].
Sunbury line: Buses replace trains Flinders St - Sunshine until 7.20 (works).
Craigieburn line: Buses replace trains Flinders St - Essendon until 7.25 (works).
Buses replace trains Flinders St - Upfield until 9.00 works).
2.37 Lilydale line: Minor delays (police attending to a trespasser near Croydon).
- 2.41 clearing.
All lines will run direct to/from Flinders St until 9.30 (works). Passengers for loop stations change at Flinders St for city-circle buses or us trams within the free rram zone.
6.12 Minor delays (a vandalised train near Craigieburn).
- 6.24 Major delays. If you're on the stationary train between Craigieburn and Roxburgh Park, remain on the train and listen for announcements.
- 6.43 Consider alternative transport.
- 6.54 Buses to replace trains Craigieburn - Broadmeadows. Buses have been ordered but may take over 30 minutes to arrive.
- 7.14 Buses have been dispatched, but may still take up to 30 minutes to arrive.
- 7.26 Buses are replacing trains.
- 7.40 Trains have resumed, with delays.
- A common occurrence lately.
7.47 Sunbury line: Minor delays (an 'operational issue' at North Melbourne).
Sunbury/Craigieburn/Upfield/Werribee lines: All trains will run direct to/from Flinders St all day (maintenance works).
10.37 Belgrave line: Minor delays (a train fault at Boronia). Trains will be held.
11.08 Belgrave/Lilydale lines: Minor delays clearing after police attended to an unruly passenger at Surrey Hills.
11.53 Werribee/Williamstown lines: Minor delays (an equipment fault near Yarraville affecting Anderson Rd level crossing).
16.50 Hurstbridge line: Minor delays for services through Heidelberg (a trespasser in the area).
- 17.07 Now major, but clearing.
- 18.29 Minor, and clearing.
Buses replace trains Blackburn - Belgrave/Lilydale from 20.10 (maintenance works).
'Killing zone': train noise worsens at tightest bends on rail network June 30, 2019. 120 comments
It is a stretch of Sydney's rail network that drives many of those who live along it to despair.
The loud screeching and squealing from trains rounding the tightest curves on Sydney's rail network has worsened since more services were put on several months ago, residents say. Each day, the North Shore Line clocks up more than 450 services from 4.30am to 1am.
At Wollstonecraft station, noise from the trains often surpasses 100 decibels on the platforms – the sound of a jackhammer – resulting in many staff wearing ear plugs to block out the worst of the severe screeching. Noise from a rock concert typically ranges from 108 to 114 decibels.
Local residents Brian McGlynn, left, Ian Links and Stefano Palomba at Wollstonecraft station.Credit:Louise Kennerley
Residents say the noise is debilitating, preventing them from using balconies and other outdoor areas. Even if windows are closed, it is difficult for some to hear their TVs when trains pass.
Ian Links, from a residents' group, said the noise from trains running on the section of the line from Wollstonecraft station to Waverton was worst on hot, dry days in summer.
"It is something you can't describe unless you have experienced it. It affects your sleep patterns. It affects your health," he said. "My wife talks about it several times a day – it drives her crazy."
Wollstonecraft resident Jenny Talbot on the balcony of her apartment. Credit:Louise Kennerley
Mr Links describes a block of apartment units near Wollstonecraft station as "in the killing zone" because of their proximity to some of the highest noise levels from the trains.
The noise of conversation is between 55 and 60 decibels. "If a train is going past at 85 decibels, that is 200 times louder than your conversation. Every three decibels doubles the noise levels," he said.
Brian McGlynn, a civil engineer who lives near Wollstonecraft station, said noise levels from the trains had reached a serious level, posing a danger to people's health.
"Since the metro [line in Sydney's north-west] started, it's got worse because there are more trains and more trains damage the track more and they are carrying more people," he said.
Station staff at Wollstonecraft station wear earplugs to help block the high noise levels. Credit:Louise Kennerley
"The population density around here also means that a lot of people are affected."
Mr McGlynn said residents wanted noise levels to be regulated as part of Sydney Trains' operating licence. "There is no obligation on Sydney Trains to reduce the noise. They have noise levels in their licence but those noise levels are advisory," he said.
Sydney Trains said it had been working closely with local residents and the state's Environment Protection Authority since 2014 to reduce train noise levels in the area.
"We continue to trial a range of potential noise mitigation measures and have met all requirements under our EPA licence," it said.
The rail operator said it had been in talks with international suppliers and experts to reduce noise.
"To date, some reductions have been made in noise levels through trials that reduce rail friction. Over the next two months we will be installing trial rail dampers to assess their effect on reducing noise further," it said.
The line between Wollstonecraft and Waverton stations on the North Shore Line has some of the tighest bends on Sydney's rail network.Credit:Louise Kennreley
Jenny Talbot, whose home is about 30 metres from the rail line, said the noise made it difficult to have people over, especially in summer when the noise was worst.
"My sister doesn't like to come and stay here because of the noise. It affects your quality of sleep," she said. "If you stand at Wollstonecraft station – oh my god – it's hideous. The noise is dreadful."
Further along the line near Waverton station, resident Ken Shaw said the noise had worsened, and was impacting the value of properties and rentals, citing people who had recently moved out of the building he lives in because they could not stand it.
"It drives people mad – they can't go out onto their balconies," he said.
Noise from trains often exceeds 100 decibels on dry, hot days at Wollstonecraft station.Credit:Louise Kennerley
The Environment Protection Agency said it was aware of resident concerns about the excessive train noise and had required Sydney Trains to investigate and introduce mitigation measures.
"The EPA continues to focus on noise-related issues through pollution production programs and studies to better understand and reduce noise in the Waverton-Wollstonecraft area," it said.
June 30 2019 Bendigo: Queen city of the goldfields
I wasn't expecting to be having dinner with the Queen on a Friday night, and especially not in Bendigo. I'm comfortable with solo dining, and being at a table for one is no burden at The Dispensary. In the compact interior of this laneway restaurant, I'm working my way through tasty dishes and an interesting drinks menu when I look up.
Above my table, suspended by chains within a gilt frame, is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. The restaurant owners aren't ardent royalists, however - it's part of a city-wide push to promote the latest exclusive exhibition at the Bendigo Art Gallery, Tudors to Windsors: British Royal Portraits.
This so-called Royal Tram commemorates the Queens 1954 visit to Bendigo, when a special tram was decked out in red, white and blue lights. Picture: Bendigo Tourism
Chatting with the couple next to me, I find that they're also in town for the exhibition, which was sourced from Britain's National Portrait Gallery. They tell me how they were lost on a nearby street on the way to the restaurant, and a waiter came out to find them after they phoned for directions.
Bendigo, it seems, is that sort of place - big enough to have a spread of good eating and attractions, but still small enough to offer old-fashioned country hospitality.
There's enough interest in this regional city north of Melbourne to stretch my gallery visit out to a weekend break, so I'm catching some food and culture highlights before seeing the art.
Saturday: market and music on the move
First stop is the Bendigo Community Farmers' Market, held on the second Saturday each month next to Rosalind Park, the beautiful gardens that are the centrepiece of the Bendigo CBD.
A minimum of 75 per cent of its traders sell local produce, and a fine example of that commitment is Sue Gerdsen's Vintage Kitchen Preserves stall.
''I'm trying to make as much as possible with what the world provides us,'' says Gerdsen. ''Foraging, buying local, taking anything that's given - I cook whatever is there, so there's zero waste.''
Her stall is stacked with preserves, including lemon butter made with fruit cadged from neighbours, a tangy turmeric and ginger spread, and her ''Outback Chutney'' made from an oversized zucchini grown ''out the back'' of her house.
The monthly Bendigo Community Farmers Market sells local produce.
A short walk away within the CBD are other food highlights including Indulge, which serves excellent sweets made from Belgian chocolate. Nearby, The Good Loaf bakes award-winning bread within a striking heritage-listed circular building that was once a tyre repair business.
Another stayer in the food scene is Bendigo Wholefoods, a no-fuss combination of plant nursery, grocery shop and cafe in adjoining premises. It's here I have lunch, falafel served on top of creamy beetroot hummus and coconut labna, with a couscous tabbouleh salad.
After lunch I board the Blues Tram. Bendigo's trams normally trundle between two tourist attractions, the Central Deborah Gold Mine and the Joss House, a historic Chinese temple. Once a month the Bendigo Blues and Roots Festival takes over a tram for an afternoon, serving drinks as musicians play and the vehicle does a slow crawl along the line and back.
Dinner at Masons of Bendigo is another foodie highlight. The restaurant turns out innovative dishes with an emphasis on local ingredients. I opt for the potato gnocchi with camel milk custard.
Sunday: coffee and the royals
As an entree to the big exhibition, Bendigo has another vintage tram painted in the colours and stripes of the British flag, erected within a corner of Rosalind Park. It's not subtle, but this so-called Royal Tram commemorates the Queen's 1954 visit to Bendigo, when a special tram was decked out in red, white and blue lights.
This tram has been refitted as a cafe with benches and tables, and a barista from local cafe Get Naked Espresso Bar is active over an espresso machine. Near a statue of Queen Victoria and overlooking the Alexandra Fountain (named for the wife of King Edward VII), the Royal Tram is a charming pit stop for people on the way to ogle the kings and queens of past centuries.
There's a lot more to the exhibition than flattering royal mugshots over the centuries. It's a large exhibition, with copious notes and timelines to help interpret the art,
and it offers something of a masterclass in the history of portraiture, as the highly codified formal portraits of the Tudor era give way to more informal styles of later years, and to the more complex media of the present day.
Each room is devoted to a house or generation of the British royal family, starting with the Tudors. Here are portraits of Henry VIII as a vigorous young man and as a dissipated old king, and of notable courtiers such as Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis Drake.
Queen Elizabeth I dominates the room, via the Ditchley Portrait painted in 1592 by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger.
The formality of the Tudors gives way to the louche Stuarts, with Charles II almost leering at the viewer from his slouching position on the throne. A sultry nearby portrait of the king's mistress, Nell Gwyn, amplifies the relaxed tone of his reign, and another of Queen Anne is a reminder of the recent movie depiction of her misfortunes in The Favourite.
In the section devoted to the Victorians photographic portraits first appear, along with a new emphasis on the monarch's family. The section devoted to the Windsors, spanning the early 20th century to the present day, covers such diverse episodes as the abdication of Edward VIII and the glamour of Princess Diana.
TRIP NOTES
FLY OR RIDE: Qantas flies from Sydney to Bendigo. See qantas.com.au. Alternatively, Bendigo is two hours from Melbourne by train. See vline.com.au
STAY: Quest Schaller Hotel Bendigo offers compact, stylish rooms near the city centre. From $135 a night. See questapartments.com.au. Balgownie Estate has a good restaurant, luxury rooms and ''glamping'' tent accommodation in an attractive winery setting, from $150 a night. See balgownieestatebendigo.com
SEE: The Tudors to Windsors exhibition runs to July 14, 2019, entry $25. Book via bendigoartgallery.com.au. The Blues Tram costs $35, book via bendigotourism.com/bendigo-blues-tram
MORE: bendigotourism.com and visitvictoria.com
Tim Richards was a guest of Bendigo Tourism
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