Discussion: Trains

yes its annoying in orienteering when you have to wait to jump on a train...

Train travel was permissible in 2 recent rogaines in Sydney area. Someone "won" the Tortoise Award (at our O club presentations) for slowest leg by train in previous year's rogaine. They caught the train between 2 stops (permitted) except the train they caught was an express and didn't stop at the appropriate station. Finally escaped 2 stations down the line, backtracked catching the next possible. See - mixing technology for orienteers and rogainers messes with their minds.

Haha. I should've caught the train! Didn't think of that !

Also, TT, l've snoozed past my station on the odd occasion. It can be quite hard to get back.

Or you can catch the wrong train. Not a race, but a salutary tale. Running to catch Bendigo train at appointed time at North Melbourne. Had arrived too late to hear the announcement about the change of platforms and delay. Just got in the doors before they closed. About ten minutes later I started to realise something was wrong with the urban scenery. Discovered I was on the Ballarat train. So just get off at the next station.... express to Bacchus Marsh. Had a lot of time to rue my decision with the distance to Bendigo increasing with each passing minute. Get off at Bacchus Marsh to discover next train back to Melbourne cancelled due to track work. The following service was a bus.. in welll over an hour. [Its a good distance to walk from the station to Bacchus Marsh but I had time]. The bus back was slow (stopping all stations) and I realised that my chances of catching the Bendigo connection according to schedule were slim. I would have made the connection if it had been a mere matter of swapping platforms, but the bus terminus was further. Reached the platform at a sprint just as the Bendigo train was pulling out. An hour until the next. The trip home that day took close to six hours.

Invis - you just reminded me of a train near miss. rockman was in a Sydney hospital (3 months) and I'd go home (Newcastle) by train every 3-5 days. Same time, same platform. Had some not good news and was just a little bit distracted, saw train at platform and ran for it, hoping to get a seat. Train looked very different to the usual (thus far) and passengers dressed differently. Looked out window just as final boarding message started to see this was a delayed train, relocated to this platform and was going to Blue Mountains. Got off just as doors were closing. It too was an express.

Best story I know of re trains was one from Sydney to Newcastle. It was the career highlight of a certain senior public servant to whom I reported directly for quite a few years in Victoria. Lets just say that he was the quintessential charming bureaucratic psychopath. He never said anything unpleasant to anyone that I ever saw. Deeply charming. And yet he left a trail of organisational victims in his wake. Took a job in a NSW department just under most senior level. Had a directive to go to Newcastle to resolve an IR dispute that had broken out. Hailed a taxi for trip to Newcastle. Arrived to find he had left his wallet on Sydney desk. Left the local finance officer to solve the problem. Dealt with the dispute. Finance officer rang head office to complain. Phone call from head of department ordering him to not take a taxi back to Sydney due to extravagance and media risk. Hopped on train, and when ticket checked had no ticket and no wallet, so arrived back also with a fine. There was no way this was not going to leak and it did within hours. Strangely, I miss my time reporting to the man in question. There is something about being hated by everyone else in the department that builds a sense of team.

Fascinating tales. Wonder if I should follow with one of my own....

Do.

Invis - very intriguing. rockman for a time worked for DMR (Resources not Roads). I think he could very much relate to that tale.

He may well know who I am referring to. May also have a better understanding of the story. Lets just say that there were so many enemies left in Victoria that the story spread like a bushfire and may well have been embellished. Most amazing bureaucrat I ever worked for.

Now l want to know who......

You will have to collar me at the relays to know that.

Both running 2nd leg, maybe we won't get to see the collaring

Thats what the changeover area is for.