The Capricornian - Overnight from Brisbane 

Thank you Mike for your comments. Your comment about the cars is an interesting observation. It was a QR practice not normally widely seen on other systems. It was sort of a hangover from the wooden stock era where there was often a meld of cars. There were two different types of passenger cars on this working, M Series and L Series. There were also two paint schemes or liveries, one, the original theme although not exactly the livery of 1953 and the Queenslander train livery of royal blue and silver/stainless steel. Then of course the QLXP wagons which were Red Diamond wagons suitable for passenger train working. The Queenslander cars were sometimes on the train but not always. They were normally sleeper cars. I guess the fundamental point you make about the cars is that modern trains would never appear in this form and the era of the Capricornian style trains is now lost lost. I hope you enjoy some of my other productions and please like channel and subscribe to the channel.

@@mikecondon9576 Thanks Mike for the additional info. Liked and subscribed. I guess time and finances at the time stopped you filming other services you may have wished to capture such as Yaraka and Winton-Hughenden etc. You have a real niche in this video in particular. I was very lucky about 8 years ago to take leave from work in Melbourne where I live and I went to Rockhamption and travelled all the way to Winton on the steam train then travelling around the state celebrating, I think it was the 150 years of QR. Possibly the last steam train to travel to Winton in recent memory.

@@mikevale3620 Thank you Mike. I have other trains on file but not Yaraka. I missed many trains as my career demands took off in the late 80s and 90s. A version of the Westlander exists on my DVD Tracks in the Sun. It is still available but producing DVDs in this era seems a bit pointless and costly with little chance of recovery. You would be correct about steam to Winton. Thank you for subscribing.

Sorry, I also forgot to mention that the Capricornian material was originally used for a production released on VHS in 1990. There was over an hour dealing with the north bound operation of the Capricornian. I would like to bring the production back but I need the best platform to be available for release.

Yes, an unusual incident to say the least but rare to be captured in this way,

Hello, Window Seat I have just caught up with this comment. The end of the year has been far from ideal for me. With respect to using the content. I am happy to talk to you. However, any content on board the train would not be available due to the arrangements relating to the original recording. Thanks for your comment.

@@mikecondon9576 Hi Mike. Not a problem … thanks for getting back to me. I worked out an alternative using some photos from others, so all good. Hope next year is a better one for you. All the best!

Excuse me if I am wrong but are you using an historic reference as an ID? I gather both of your questions are largely on the same topic abut mesh screens on windows. It is my understanding that most QR locos were equipped with these screens as a means of glass protection. The 1200 Class was an exception. As the cab windows of all of the diesels were often open it provided protection to two layers of glass. The glass in earlier times was not laminated to the same degree of modern glass and therefore subject to breaking more easily. Keep in mind that none of the locomotives were air conditioned until the 1980's and this was the major reason for the open windows. Again in earlier times, train crews were issued with water bags that they carried from loco to loco. This was a steam era practice. However, some crew members continued to carry the water bags into the diesel era. They would often hang the water bags on the mesh screen. Obviously, the mesh screens were not designed for that purpose. As more modern locomotives were released and many rebuilt in various forms, new and better glass was used on cabs and need for the mesh protection was eliminated. This was the case with the 2300 Class and the 1720 Class rebuilds along with other types over time. All of the post 1990 locomotives have not had this need for the mesh screens. I hope this assists you in understanding the background.

@@mikecondon9576 I am indeed. I may change it one day soon, but it serves for now. :) Thank you for the answer, in-depth and well put! :) And thank you for the videos! You do a lot of work so we can enjoy it! :)

@@ThroneOfBhaal You are very welcome and I appreciate your thank you. I like answering questions where I can and provide the viewers with more background that may not be in a production. As you seem to realise, a lot of work goes into creating content and I often feel it not always understood. I enjoy making these productions and I hope it gives viewers a chance to see and hear something that may not ne accessible to them. Perhaps you might enjoy my latest production, 423 Once A 1502 - Now Just A Distant Memory. It is unusual in that includes quite historic content along side more recent material. Also of interest is the imagery of locomotives on narrow gauge subsequently operating on standard gauge. Thank you again for your appreciation of the channel.

Yes, the blue scheme seems hard to beat but a new vision??? dictated the change. Of course everyone has a favourite colour scheme for a system. If you are young you only know the later paint schemes. I hope you found the production interesting.

Lawson Greensill they were carriages off the "queenslander " service, ironic a service called "the Queenslander " is in BLUE livery..

Wayne Goss government, David Hammil , minister for transport, changed it.

Hi Taran, There was a period when both services ran. This was mainly after the cessation of the diesel drawn services. I would have to do some research to check on the exact time period but from memory it was a number of months or even a year. Mike

The Capricornian continued to run overnight services (supplementing the daytime Spirit of Capricorn ICE services) until 1993 when the Spirit of the Outback was introduced.

Hello again Clem Raptor, My records show that 2117 was 17 years old at this point and had over 2.4 million kilometres recorded about 5 years later. So at the time probably over 2 million. I cannot tell if it had been repainted in that period of service. It may have but it does not take long for locos to start to look worn.

Hello Kangaroo Stew, Thanks for your comment. Where was your father a driver?

@@mikecondon9576 we lived in Rocky. He spent 9months in Bluff to become a driver. Retired in 1991after 41 years but passed away in 2009. His name is Fred

@@kangaroostew0077 Hello again Kangaroo Stew. Like you, my father was with QR his whole life, 46 years. He was a Mayne, Cleaner, Fireman and Driver. He went to Hughenden to be classed and as a Project Driver he went to Cloncurry shortly after arriving in Hughenden. After 5 plus years he came back to Mayne. Later in his career, he was a Locomotive Inspector and Train Operations Inspector before being appointed as the first and only Director of Steam Operations. He travelled with me to capture the Capricornian material among many other projects. He passed away in 2018.

@@mikecondon9576 thanks for that information. Your Dad sure did some country work. They did what they had to. Thanks for the chat Mike