Some information has been received that people from an entity named Cairns-Kuranda Steam Rail QLD are approaching heritage operators seeking lease or purchase of rolling-stock for proposed use in Cairns. Please note that this entity is in no way associated with the Cairns Kuranda Steam Trains limited Partnership, who operate the Savannahlander, are informally known as Cairns Kuranda Steam or CKS, and also trade as CairnsRail.
At time of writing, Cairns-Kuranda Steam Rail QLD are not an accredited railway operator, nor do they have agreements and ICPs lodged with accredited railway managers.
The process to transfer old certificates of competency is quite simple, although it will cost you $70.00.
An application form is obtained from the post office. You need to carefully fill in the form, in black pen only and no mistakes. Post office staff will explain this. You need a recent passport quality photo, your old certificates or licences, and 100 points of identification – I used a passport (70 points) and a drivers licence (40 points). All this documentation is checked at the post office and they submit the form for you. You even get your old certificates back.
More information is at the Work Health Website.
Anybody concerned with Tourist and Heritage Rail will have been shocked to learn of the events that occurred at the MVHR on 2 April. This post is not about discussing that incident specificly, as this has been covered well enough elsewhere. This is more about any flow on actions that might arise from the incident, together with the possibility of a requirement to review the security measures your operation has in place, assuming you belong to an accredited railway.
The need to address this issue should appear in an approved SMS under a heading similar to Security Management Plans, and is a requirement of the Transport (Rail Safety) act 2010. The Queensland Rail Safety Regulator provides guidance on this matter, through factsheet G13 which is available from their website (click the link).
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Terry from ANGRMS reports:
ANGRMS is now working with the newly formed Woodford Mens Shed and has now formally signed a lease allowing them to use part of our land.
We are in a form of partnership with them, and and via them with the Woodford Lions Club.
To formally sign the lease, ANGRMS and the Woordford Mens Shed help an Open Day on Sunday 24th February 2013. Unfortunately it was not the best of days weather wise but we still had a good crowd show up.
The local council commissioned two videos of the event which have been published to You Tube.
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With the ‘dynamic’ nature of heritage railways, some of the information in the app might be a little out of date, especially if your railway is addressing regulator concerns. However the developer, Tim Richards, is very quick to respond to information provided to keep the app current.
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Organisations will be contacted by Peter Ford from ATRQ to commence the development of the register. Not only should you nominate your internal skills, but if you have a contractor or local workshop that has developed any valuable skills, they should be nominated for inclusion in the register as well.
Gympie’s Valley Rattler is calling to its supporters, friends and patrons to assist in keeping the iconic tourist attraction up and running heritage steam train tours through the beautiful Mary Valley.
The heritage steam train operator has kept its four days a week services operating through the last two years of adverse conditions – flood and an extended tourism downturn – thanks to the dedication and commitment of staff and volunteers. (There was also a brief suspension of services in July which turned the usually profitable July and August into loss months).
“The Valley Rattler needs revenue to continue our current range of operations” said Jim Walker, General Manager of the not-for-profit community organisation. “Normally the MVHR relies on a good winter-to-spring season to support activities through the leaner summer-to-autumn months. However, the July suspension of services has seriously degraded that revenue flow.”
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The next Annual General Meeting of the Association will be held at The Workshops Railway Museum North Ipswich on Saturday 13th October 2012 commencing at 9.30am.
Business to be conducted as per the Rules of the Association is to
(i) receive the statement of income and expenditure, assets, liabilities and mortgages, charges and securities affecting the property of the association for the last financial year;
(ii) elect members of the management committee;
(iii) Any other notified business.
Nomination for positions on the Management Committee must be received by the Secretary before 9.30am on Saturday 22nd September 2012. If sending by post, please send c/- Brisbane Tramway Museum, PO Box 94, Ferny Hills Qld 4055.
A management committee nomination form can be downloaded from here.
The ATRQ has been invited to attend a meeting with the National Rail Safety Regulator, Mr Rob Andrews, during early October. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss any issue or concerns from the Queensland Tourist and Heritage sector.
If any ATRQ groups have some points they wish to have raised with the Regulator, they are welcome to submit them to the ATRQ President by email . Submissions will be vetted to ensure that only relevant issues and concerns relating to rail safety and national regulation will be raised. A response (or request for clarification) will be made for all submissions.
And just to save some typing, submissions along the lines of “we don’t think rail safety regulation is needed for our group” will not be entertained. We are looking for topics, ideas or concerns that if addressed, will benefit the T&H sector across the entire state.
