Great Western - 7. GW Chap 7

Leaving the Southern line just after Fernie street curves towards Newcastle Street, a new rail line can be laid, along their, crossing Newcastle Street, and running along the north side of Suburban Street, all the way to the East West Line, which is a distance of approximately 1 kilometre long.

We have consulted with the 20 households and 8 businesses that own land alongside this route, and if we can guarantee that there will be only daylight transit on this new section of the track, then they give their permission for it to be built.

There is already a road base laid alongside Suburban street, so all we need to do, is to build a road base on the first 150 metres of track, with some drainage work to be done at each end, lay down some blue metal, and concrete sleepers, and finally the track, and we are all set. It should be completed in a few weeks,” Mr Holland announced.

“Well that is good news, please thank the Shire Council and the people of Northam for their support,” Dad said, “You will see how much they support you, when we get to the train station,” the Shire President stated, and I stuck my head out the nearby door and waved to the driver to start moving.

A few minutes later we pulled into Northam train station, stopping at the platform, where there was a huge crowd of people gathered. They have asked me if they can join us on this journey to Geraldton and back,” Mr Holland announced as we came to a stop, and Dad looked at me, and I just shrugged my shoulders, “We have the room, so it is fine by me,” I said to Dad.

“How many?” Dad asked me, “10 in cars 1 & 2, and 30 in cars 3 & 4, and 12 in car 6” I replied, before Dad and the shire president headed to the door, and stepped out onto the platform of the station. “Ladies and gentlemen, the owners have agreed to allow some of you who wish to travel with us to do so, but numbers are very limited,” the Shire President said loudly so he could be heard.

“Ladies and gentlemen, any executives from community or service organisations, who wish to travel with us, can you please step forward,” Dad said once the crowd has quietened down a little.

There were 9 men and women who stepped forward, and stepping onto the platform, I asked that small group to follow me towards the front car, which is car 6 now, as Dad spoke loudly once more. “Right, we only have seats for 40 more people, that is all I am sorry. Please remember that the return journey is free, but the food and drinks have to be paid for, and you need to arrange overnight accommodation in Geraldton,” Dad said.

Once we had the extra people onboard, we set off once more, branching off onto the northern line, a few kilometres out of town, passing the race course and the local airport, and passing underneath the Great Eastern Highway. Running a little behind time, we continued north, slowing down once more as we passed through the town of Goomalling, where another large crowd had gathered as we passed them.

When we approached Wongan Hills, we were about fifteen minutes behind schedule, and once again there was a huge crowd there to wave to us as we passed through the town, and the same happened as we passed Dalwallinu and Morawa.

For the last hour of the journey, we were able to pick up speed again, and we made up for lost time, and minutes out from arriving at the temporary station platform, I picked up the phone and pressed PA,

“Ladies and Gentlemen, can I have your attention for a moment please… In a few minutes we will be arriving in Geraldton, where a temporary platform has been built, just off the John Willcock Link Road, opposite the Central Regional TAFE College. We have notified the two taxi companies of our time of arrival, so they can take you to your accommodation.

Please remember to collect all of your belongings before leaving the train, as the train will be moving to an overnight location out of town, and if you are travelling back with us tomorrow, please be at the station platform, no later than 11.30 tomorrow morning, thank you for your attention, and thank you for travelling on the Great Western,” I said before ending the announcement.

A few minutes later as we began to slow down, the Porter came into the Executive Lounge. “Mr Ashburton, quite a few people had neglected to organise accommodation here in Geraldton, what should we do about it? the porter asked, and I groaned at this matter that had been overlooked, with the short notice of the journey.

“Well I remembered to book us and the crew into accommodation, so it is up to each individual or family, to organise their accommodation, I will contact the Tourist Information Office, and see if they can be of assistance”” Dad responded.

After ending the phone call, Dad smiled, “They expected that this may happen, and have organised for a number of motels, that have plenty of vacancies, to send out a mini bus each, to collect passengers that need accommodation” my Dad said.

When we arrived at the station platform, which at just 120 metres long, making it 17 metres shorter than the train, with ¼ of the last and first cars, not having access to the platform, not including the rear door of each of these two cars.

There were plenty of min buses and taxi’s waiting for us when we arrived, as well as a heap of private cars, who we guessed to have come to check out the new train, plus there were three Westnet employees, who were keeping the small crowd away from the track.

Once all of the passengers and the had gone to their accommodation, one of the Westnet employees approached Dad and I, after stepping onto the platform, from car 5. “Mr Ashburton, we have a special package for you that arrived yesterday” one of the Westnet employees said to us, and Dad and I looked at each other in confusion, until Dad was handed an envelope.

Inside was a letter written in German, “Dear Mr Ashburton, we hope that you and your family are well, and have settled into your new life in Western Australia. We are hoping that you will consider doing some consulting work for us.

This can be done mostly via Video conferences and email, with the need to travel back here once or twice a year, for approximately one week each time. As a sweetener, in hope that you will accept this offer, we have sent you a small gift”. “The letter say’s here that a small gift was sent along with this letter, where is it please?” Dad asked.

“For that sir, you will have to join us to where your train will be kept overnight, at our depot out of town” one of the Westnet employees stated, which had both my Dad and I very curious to know what it is. “Well, I was intending to drive the train there, so lets’ go. Are all the switches in place?” my Dad responded, “Yes sir, and we will join you if we may? the senior Westnet employee said.

Fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the depot, and the senior Westnet employee stayed with Dad in the Cab, while I relaxed in the executive lounge. Once we had stopped, the internal phone buzzed, and I picked it up.

“Yes Papa” I said, “Leave the luggage for now, we have a little bit of shunting to do” my Dad said, which surprised me a lot, and I hung up the phone and headed to the nearby exit, and climbed down. A few minutes later I caught up to Dad and the Westnet employees, as we approached a large shed nearby, located on a separate rail line, and that is where we headed.

Once the door was opened, and the lights turned on, Dad and I were shocked to see another car, which looked to be of the same design as the Great Western, and it looked to be a little bit shorter than the other cars. “We measured it, 14 metres exactly, and brand new too, by the looks of it” the senior Westnet employee stated.

Dad climbed up the steps and I followed directly behind him, and when he opened the door, we entered a lounge room. We continued on, past two bathrooms, and the passageway changed direction running along the right-hand side of the car, and Dad stopped to look into the first room, which was a private cabin, with a double lounge chair, a side table, another table on the other side, and a large screen television on the wall above it.

There was one more cabin identical to the first before the passageway moves to the left-hand side of the car, with a shower room in the centre.

Two more identical cabins are along the left-hand corridor, and at the end is a meeting room, with a central octagonal table, that has one third on two sides that fold down, when not in use, to allow for easy passage through the room, just like the conference room.

“Wow Papa that is some small gift,” I said in German, and Dad smiled and nodded his head in agreement, before turning to face the two Westnet employees who had followed to check out the new rail car.

“Whereabouts, would you like to place this new car, Mr Ashburton?” Dad was asked, and before he could answer, I spoke up, “I think before Car 6, and this will become car six, and the last one will be car 7” I suggested.

“Yes, I think my son is correct, we will put it in that position please” Dad responded to confirm my suggestion. “Fourteen metres extra, that makes it 151 metres long now, and 8 more passengers, what are we going to call this class?” I stated in German to Dad, “I think Diamond Class is the only class left, that we can call it” Dad replied, also in German, just as his mobile rang.

“Yes, Reynold?” I heard my father say, mentioning the senior Porter’s name, I see, well thanks for letting me know, get some rest, and let the others know we start work at 10.45 tomorrow morning, goodnight” my Dad said before ending the call, and turning to me.

“It appears that our VIP’s and the media, have elected to fly back to Perth and Albany, so we will have a much lighter train, for the return journey” my Dad said to me in English, before we got to work to unhitch the last car, and push it back, using a motorised rail handcar, to do all the grunt work for us, then push the new section into place and joining it all together again.

While this was being done, I went into the train to lock all of the doors, and to collect our luggage, and when all was done, we were given a lift back into town to our hotel, with Dad checking us into the best hotel in the city, Ocean Centre Hotel.

Once we had showered and changed, we headed to the restaurant for a late dinner, getting there just half an hour before the kitchen was due to close for the night.

The next morning, after a full breakfast, we went for a walk along the foreshore, before returning to the hotel to gather our luggage and to check out of the hotel, and caught a taxi out to the depot, 14 kilometres out from the centre of the city, where the Westnet employees were waiting for our arrival, shortly after 9 am.

“Good morning Mr Ashburton, I hope you had a restful stay in our fair city” the senior employee aid to us, “Yes thank you, and can you thank your area manager for us, for allowing us to park our train in your depot overnight, it is very much appreciated” Dad said in return.

After twenty minutes of getting the train refuelled and warmed up, we made our way back into the city, now slightly longer than before, and ready for the return journey home. Dad drove the train from the back again, so that the first half of the journey it will be the right way around, and taking it very slowly as we approached the 8 road crossings that we had to make to get to the train platform.

“Remind me to request that the platform be made to 150 metres, so the whole train has platform access” Dad said to me, as we slowed right down, as we crossed the last road, and I hit the horn button, to give the signal of our arrival.

We saw all of the crew on the platform, waiting for us, along with three food delivery vans, ready to restock the two kitchens and two buffet serveries. Once we had come to a stop, Dad switched the controls over to the other driver cabin, and we both headed back down the train, to the new car six, were we stepped onto the platform.

“Where did this spring from sir?” Reynold asked, looking at the new addition to the train, and I just chuckled, “Magic, just came out of thin air,” I said.

“No, it was shipped here from Switzerland, and arrived here in Geraldton yesterday,” my Dad explained, and Reynold whistled as he looked at the outside of the car carefully. “Looks just like the other cars sir, but I think it is a little bit smaller in length” Reynold stated.