Humorous/ Bureaucracy

and the really good news is ........................you can now buy shares in that organisation . Gives you a lot of investing confidence, doesn't it ??

They have very clear & concise rules about gas bottles etc, maybe he should have taken the time to read them.RULES

It's a shame this story unfolded the way it did, but the rules are there to protect everyone involved - the railways workers who do the loading, the public, and emergency services workers who would be required to respond to a fire/ crash. Firies have been killed by exploding gas bottles.

Good to see the shop in Townsville went out of its way to help out, and offer your mate a docket to pick up another when he gets home. Hopefully this made it a bit easier for him.

Like has been said, your mate should have read the rules. I'll be the first to admit i've been caught out before by not reading them.... but have hopefully learnt my lesson the hard way.


As for the car wagons. Most railways i'm aware of only offer open wagons to members of the public wishing to transport their vehicle, the open drive on/ drive off 2 level kind. This includes the Overland Adelaide-Melbourne and the Indian Pacific Syd-Perth. They don't even offer tarping, i wouldn't risk my car on it (rocks, etc.). I was suprised to hear there's a non- commercial freight service that offers this, but as i'm not from up your way i wouldn't know.

Shame the railway workers all had different stories, if there's a protocol, they should all stick to it, instead of everyone having a different twist on it and confusing your mate.

The only way i could think of getting a car safely on a train down here in SA, would be to freight it with a freight company and have it put inside a shipping container or enclosed wagon. I wouldn't risk it on an open car wagon

Great Southern Railways are pretty picky with things like roof racks, vehicle length. as far as i know they don't even offer insurance when they take your car.

Sorry if this sounds a little strange but why would you want to freight your car from Brisbane to Townsville and then pay a fare to go there yourself to pick it up, it just don't add up, if you are travelling when there is so much to see on that route.
And added cost of "wife" travelling to pick it up, and cost of new bottle one would think it is more cost effective to drive there
Just seems odd to me.
Paul

I certainly understand the need for safety. The problem is that here no one will take a bribe. I lived in Russia for a while and it was great there. You could bribe anyone to get things done. Certainly cuts down of the admin of paying fines and waiting for the letter in the mail. Just slip the police officer a quick $20 and you are on your way. Need something on the rail, just see the station maters and bingo it's done.

The trains still seem to leave late there as well however.

Could someone tell me the last time a gas bottle exploded on a car being transported by train.

Now sit out on the Bruce Highway and cound the number of caravans, campers and motorhomes with a couple of gas bottles on each one as well as jerry cans of petrol or diesel.

Just wondering