Archive for August 15th, 2009

Countrylink Canberra Railway Station Open Day

As I noted earlier this morning, Countrylink had an open day at the Canberra Railway Station this morning to celebrate their refurbished Travel Centre (which seems to be code for “booking office”) and, albeit not mentioned on their website, refurbished trains and new staff uniforms. As part of the open day, they had free return train trips to Queanbeyan, and 2CC were broadcasting live from the train station.

I went along shortly after 7am, stopping off to pick up a packet of Tim Tams for Mike Frame and the 2CC team. Below you will find photos of the train station, a trip to Queanbeyan and back, some video footage, and a photo of 2CC’s Mike Frame and Garden Gurus. As usual, all photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.

First up, the front of the railway station, where a sausage sizzle was being set up when I arrived.
The Canberra Railway Station
The Canberra Railway Station sausage sizzle

Inside, 2CC were busy running their gardening show, anchored by Mike Frame and horticulturalised (for lack of a better word) by the Garden Gurus Merylyn Condon and Judy Refshauge (sorry, I’m not sure which one is which in this photo…I have never been able to work it out).
2CC's Mike Frame, Merylyn Condon and Judy Refshauge broadcasting live from the Canberra Railway Station

Inside the railway station, staff seemed almost excited about their refurbished Travel Centre, which spent most of the morning (while I was there anyway) dealing with enquiries.
The refurbished Travel Centre of the Canberra Railway Station

They were also giving away balloons (and exploding many of them accidentally as they filled them with helium, producing a decent bit of atmospheric noise for the 2CC broadcast).
Balloons at the Canberra Railway Station

I quite liked the model train.
Model train at the Canberra Railway Station

The train station has a coffee machine which produces a heated beverage which I wouldn’t call coffee, but I had two cups anyway. The first one was a sensible temperature, but the second one was so hot that I needed to use a padded sleeve of my top to hold the cup, in order to avoid being burnt.
Coffee machine at the Canberra Railway Station
A mystery beverage from the coffee machine at the Canberra Railway Station

The first free return trip to Queanbeyan started at 8am, which is well and truly after the morning Canberra to Sydney train departed at 6:37am, and was followed by other free return services every 45 minutes, except for a window of time around the 11:21am arrival of the Sydney to Canberra service (those passengers would probably have received a surprise when they got off at the busy open day).
Open day train schedule at the Canberra Railway Station

To board the train, naturally you had to be given a ticket. They were using different colours of tickets for each trip, although I don’t think they were actually checking them. Amusingly, the tickets they were using were the Countrylink luggage tags.
Open day train ticket at the Canberra Railway Station
Open day train ticket at the Canberra Railway Station

Countrylink stations have interestingly elaborate identifying signs on the platforms.
Identifying sign at the Canberra Railway Station

The train to Queanbeyan and back had three cars.
Free trip train at the Canberra Railway Station open day

Once on the 8am train (the first of the day), I noted the view, and the rather oddly worded sign (from a passenger’s perspective).
Derail sign at the Canberra Railway Station
Derail sign at the Canberra Railway Station

As the train took off, I noticed the collection of carriages at the Canberra Railway Station.
Train carriages at the Canberra Railway Station

The 8am train travelling under the Monaro Highway.
The 8am free trip train travelling under the Monaro Highway as part of the Canberra Railway Station open day

And then under Ipswich Street in Fyshwick.
The 8am free trip train travelling under Ipswich Street as part of the Canberra Railway Station open day

A video from the train as it passed Fyshwick and travelled under the Newcastle Street overpass. Apologies for the dodgy frame rate of this video.

(The original video can be downloaded by clicking here)

Video of cows in fog which the train passed on the way to Queanbeyan.

(The original video can be downloaded by clicking here)

A picture of the Queanbeyan Train Station. There was no time to get off the train as it only stayed at the station for a few moments.
The Queanbeyan Train Station as seen from the 8am free trip train as part of the Canberra Railway Station open day

A video of the train departing Queanbeyan.

(The original video can be downloaded by clicking here)

On the way back, the most spottable sight was the Direct Factory Outlet sign.
The Canberra Direct Factory Outlet as seen from the 8am free trip train as part of the Canberra Railway Station open day

The train then arrived back at the Canberra Station, about 25 minutes after departing.
ct width=”425″ height=”344″>(The original video can be downloaded by clicking here)

I also filmed the departure of the 8:45 train.

(The original video can be downloaded by clicking here)

And before I left the platform, I noticed that the door to the luggage room was open, and lockers could be easily seen. Two of the lockers had old radio station stickers on them, one for 2CC.
Old 2CC sticker on a locker at the Canberra Railway Station

And one for 2CC’s then supplementary FM station, Kix 106 (now Mix 106.3).
Old Kix 106 sticker on a locker at the Canberra Railway Station

I then stuck around until 9am to see the end of 2CC’s garden show (which managed to get me roped in to doing the prize draw, to select that day’s lucky caller), and say toodles to Mike Frame who, incidentally, once he gets back from holiday in a couple weeks, will be 2CC’s permanent weekend morning host…and it’s fantastic to have him back permanently!

And that was my morning at the Canberra Railway Station open day. There is a similar event at the Goulburn station tomorrow which will be attended by 2CC’s sister station in Goulburn, 2GN. I, however, will not be there.

Samuel

August 15th, 2009 at 12:44pm

Mark Colbran’s weasel words do him no favours

I see that Superintendent Mark Colbran has done it again, using words of deceit to scare the public.

One driver, a 17-year-old man from Gilmore, was detected driving 45km/h over the 80km/h posted speed limit on Adelaide Avenue in Curtin about 10.30am. A total of 13 traffic infringement notices were issued by police at this location.
[..]
“These results have not come from a specialised operation or identified initiative – they are the results of every-day policing, and drivers who flaunt the speed limits and put your families and love ones at risk need to lose this mentality that they won’t meet with any consequences,” Supt Colbran said.

Ah, sorry Mark, but you had one of your RAPID and vehicle inspection operations at that location, at that time. Technically, this might not be a “specialised operation”, but those of us out here in “sensible use of phrases land” regard having a bunch of police officers and vehicle inspectors congregating in one spot to check drivers’ speed, licences, cars and breath alcohol content, to be an “operation”.

If you hadn’t used the phrase “these results have not come from a specialised operation or identified initiative”, then I wouldn’t have a problem with your statement, as these operations have certainly become a very regular sight on Canberra’s roads in recent times and can be considered “everyday policing”, however you have a careful balancing act to perform. As the head of traffic operations (ooh, that word again) and the head spokesman for traffic operations, the increase in number of these operations with the recent addition of vehicle inspectors has and will annoy a lot of people…if you’re honest about your intentions, and honest about your methods, then the vast majority of us mere civilian drivers will respect the job that you and your staff are doing, however every time you bang away at your keyboard to write misleading drivel, you lose points.

You have a simple message to convey Mark: “do something wrong, and we will catch you”. It’s a good message, but you will have a much better chance of getting your message across if you convey your message accurately and with integrity. If not, you can bleat about how “disappointed” you are all you like…but the public doesn’t like dishonest or misleading officials, and will treat you, and through you your officers, with contempt.

Samuel

August 15th, 2009 at 07:55am

2CC broadcasting from the Kingston Railway Station this morning

And seeing as Mike Frame will be there, so will I.

It’s the Countrylink Open Day with, according to the Countrylink website:

* Live radio broadcast by 2CC
* Free entertainment
* BBQ
* Free train rides to Queanbeyan and return
* Meet some Raiders players from 9.30am-11.30am
* Chance to win a signed Canberra Raiders jersey
* Discount admission voucher for the Raiders vs Dragons game on Saturday night
* $30.00 return tickets to Sydney, $50.00 return tickets to Melbourne. Must be booked and paid for at the travel centre on the day*.
* Make a booking on the day and enter the draw to win a family trip for 4 to Sydney including return first class rail, 2 nights accommodation, entry to Sydney Aquarium and Sydney Wildlife World plus a cruise on Sydney Harbour.
* For more information contact CountryLink Canberra Travel Centre on (02) 6208 9700

2CC will be there from 7am to midday broadcasting their usual Saturday morning programming, although I think I’ll be out of there by 9:30am to avoid the Raiders players.

Meanwhile it looks like the Capital Radio Network are making the most of Countrylink’s open days. There’s an open day at the Goulburn railway station on Sunday which will be attended by 2GN.

Incidentally, if you, like me, are wondering why railway stations would be having open days…apparently it’s to celebrate some refurbishments of the travel centres at the railway stations, and the stations themselves.

It should be an interesting morning…it’s just a pity that there doesn’t appear to be any mention of a tour of the refurbishments.

Samuel

August 15th, 2009 at 01:13am

What’s in an atmosphere?

4BC Drive presenter Michael Smith examines what’s in our atmosphere, and how much we’re polluting it.

Here’s a way to understand Mr Rudd’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme.

Imagine 1 kilometre of atmosphere that we want to rid of human carbon pollution. We’ll have a walk along it.

The first 770 metres are Nitrogen.

The next 210 metres are Oxygen.

That’s 980 metres of the 1 kilometre. 20 metres to go.

The next 10 metres are water vapour. 10 metres left.

9 metres are argon. Just 1 more metre.

A few gases make up the first bit of that last metre.

The last 38 centimetres of the kilometre – that’s carbon dioxide.

A bit over one foot.

97% of that is produced by Mother Nature. It’s natural.

Out of our journey of one kilometre, there are just 12 millimetres left. About half an inch. Just over a centimetre.

That’s the amount of carbon dioxide that global human activity puts into the atmosphere.

And of those 12 millimetres Australia puts in .18 of a millimetre.

Less than the thickness of a hair. Out of a kilometre.

And that, Mr. Rudd, is why an Emissions Trading Scheme is pointless, and why, Mr. Demetriou, your night games under lights with teams being flown all over the country, are not heating the planet.

(transcript courtesy of Andrew Bolt)

Samuel

August 15th, 2009 at 12:26am


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