Queensland's 3ft6 gauge 3-car EMUs

[Eisenbahn]

The city of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, is the centre of a 3ft6 gauge, 25kVAC passenger network with about 150 stations within a 100km radius of the city centre. The network has grown incrementally over the last 150 years and continues to be extended with population growth and urban sprawl over the South East Queensland corner.

 

Stations have platform lengths to handle the six cars formed by coupling two 3 car EMUs. The latest version of these 3 car sets , made locally in nearby Maryborough, seats 236 and stands 222 passengers. Thus these six car trains can carry 916 passengers. They have on board toilets and more recently free Wifi.

 

Services are mainly “all stops” as well as a few limited express services to connect the various cities within the 100km radius.  One example of a longer trip using limited express services would be from Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast to Brisbane and on to Nambour on the Sunshine Coast taking three and a half to four hours.

 

Trains are crewed by a driver and guard and at various times four categories of other staff board trains, usually  in pairs , ticket inspectors, cleaners, security guards, customer service staff. (There was a previous  proposal to move to ‘driver only’ trains but this was never acted on .)

 

There are 11 lines which converge onto the four tracks which connect the four  inner city stations of Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley, Central and Roma St. Trains go in and out of service at Bowen Hills and crew changes occur there.

 

Roma St is the principal station. Beyond the Roma St junction, four tracks go to the west and two tracks go across the Brisbane River on a two track bridge.  This will be a choke point for the system by 2016 because of the ongoing population growth.

 

The Brisbane network has its own unique flavour as does the Sydney network with its standard gauge, double decker eight car sets and Melbourne with its 5ft3 gauge “driver only” mixed fleet, including diesel. Perhaps one day 1800km of high speed standard gauge track will link these three  Australian cities with 350km/hr trains.

 

Cheers…..Eisenbahn

 

(Queensland members of the forum will immediately recognise the Station where I took the photos yesterday (Easter Sunday) but what about other forum members? One photo contains a clue. See Forum Gallery)

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[westfalen]

Without giving the location away there must have been road closure on the suburban lines, Airport and Ferny Grove trains normally use platform two. The Ferny Grove line beyond Mitchelton is also closed over the Easter long weekend while the new double track is cut in between Keperra and Ferny Grove, including a rare for Queensland scissors crossover.

 

I see you caught the units with Flight Centre advertising.

 

Here's a shot of one of the single ended 60 class EMUs.

[The_Ghan]

They look under-sized ... you guys should throw them back before you get caught ...

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

[bikkuri bahn]

Here's a shot of one of the single ended 60 class EMUs.

 

Cyclops :icon_cyclops_ani:

[westfalen]

They look under-sized ... you guys should throw them back before you get caught ...

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

At least the interior decor is not modelled on a public toilet.

[The_Ghan]

Touche'

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

 

They look under-sized ... you guys should throw them back before you get caught ...

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

At least the interior decor is not modelled on a public toilet.

[Eisenbahn]

Hi Westfalen,

 

1.Thanks for adding the shot of the Single ended 60 class. None of those came through in the hour or so I was on platform 4 on Easter  Sunday morning.

I went about 8am and the station was deserted apart from drivers doing crew changes.  All the outbound traffic was routed on platform 4 and a good spot to take photos.

 

2. I got the idea of writing a short descriptive  summary  of the Queensland 'City' network and posting some photos after Seabilliau posted those photos of his local Metro Network in  the New England area last week. This Forum has members from many parts of the world each with their own local networks that will have things of interest for everyone.

 

cheers....Eisenbahn

[marknewton]

At least the interior decor is not modelled on a public toilet.

 

LOL!

 

Cheers,

 

Mark.

[keitaro]

They look under-sized ... you guys should throw them back before you get caught ...

 

Cheers

 

The_Ghan

At least the interior decor is not modelled on a public toilet.

 

maybe thats why their so filthy the drunk get confused easily (according to our yellow doors)