Anyone railed their MH from SA to WA?

SuburbanNomad · Veteran Member

Anyone railed their MH from SA to WA?

Sheba · Guru

Won't you be missing some interesting places by doing that? Kind of seems to me that would be defeating the purpose of Travelling by road.

I guess every-one has differing opinions on that.

Cheers,

Sheba.

willem269 · Senior Member

You must be in a big hurry. Would not want to miss the top of the York Peninsula, the Eyre Peninsula, watching the wales at the Head of the Bight, go past Albany, Esperance, Pemberton, too much too mention, too much to see. Unless you are after the wildflowers, there is no reason to skip this beautiful (big) part of the country in my humble opinion.
Envious? Who? Me?

Elle on Wheels · Guru

I have done the Nullabor 5 times now it really is a wonderful trip and I never get sick of it. The rail is very expensive and why bother - you can do the Nullabor in 3 tanks of fuel = $300- $600 roughly depending on your rig. The train would be heaps more.

blaze · Guru

Isnt there a height restriction by rail, love the nulla, one magic piece of country. I think I have 5 crossings under my belt.
cheers
blaze

Helena · Guru

You are all so right have travelled the Nullabour numerous times so much to see and so many places where you can stay overnight I wouldn't want to miss it. Helena.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

SuburbanNomad wrote:
We will be looking forward to travelling the GOR, from there I thought putting the MH on the train to Perth would be an option I'd like to look in to.

Has anyone done this ? If so, what was your experience?

SuburbanNomad

DON't go on the train too much stuff to see along the Nulla.

You will miss the Nullabor Nymph see below

SuburbanNomad · Veteran Member

I appreciate the response from the forum but my query was not addressed. Has anyone ever put their rig, in my case it's a 22 ft MH that has a 10 ft height, on the rail ?

Sheba,

Won't you be missing some interesting places by doing that?

Yes you are most likey correct but I would enjoy seeing those places on the way back.

Willem,

You must be in a big hurry

I have a certain amount of time and the rail option would allow us to get to WA.

Elle on Wheels,

The rail is very expensive and why bother - you can do the Nullabor in 3 tanks of fuel = $300- $600 roughly depending on your rig

It's not about the expense, the rail would reduce the amount of time it takes to get to WA.

Blaze,

Isnt there a height restriction by rail

That would be one of the questions I had hoped that anyone who actually had the experience could answer.

Helena,

You are all so right have travelled the Nullabour numerous times so much to see and so many places where you can stay overnight I wouldn't want to miss it.

I'm sure the trip is a must to do and and I wouldn't want to miss out either.

Wombat,

Oh !! I'll look out for that wild life on the way back.

Peter_n_Margaret · Guru

Width (wheel track) and height ar both a potential issue.
I tried to freight a Hummer once and couldn't because if the wheel track.
Contact the railways before you make too many plans.

Also ask when it has to be ready to go and when you will get it back.
With freight, trucks are faster than rail because of the time lost each end.

Cheers,
Peter

gubby · Guru

Haven't used the service myself but a couple of years ago I was talking to some guys that work on the Ghan and they were saying that a lot of vehicles suffer a fair bit of damage..

chris & terry · Senior Member

Does the Nullabor Nymph have a mother? I don't think I could catch her, & wouldn't remember what to do if I did. Need someone older & slower.
Terry

SuburbanNomad · Veteran Member

Here's a link I found at

http://www.holidaysallover.com/trains/great_train_journeys/indian_pacific/motorail.html

From the info on this page I think anything more than a car or truck..... is just too large.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

chris & terry wrote:
Does the Nullabor Nymph have a mother? I don't think I could catch her, & wouldn't remember what to do if I did. Need someone older & slower.
Terry

She must have had a mother at some time biggrin

someone older and slower, now let me think, ah yes that would be gubby would HE do?

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

clickable link

http://www.holidaysallover.com/trains/great_train_journeys/indian_pacific/motorail.html

how to do a clickable link

Vic · Guru

No, I have never taken my car by train so have no personal experience.

Found this link that gives dimensions and fares etc but I think it is the same as other have posted;

http://www.greatsouthernrail.com.au/site/indian_pacific/taking_your_car.jsp

Whichever way you go keep an eye out of Wombat, he is still out there somewhere looking for the Nymph!

Thanks for the tip on URL Wombat, I've been editing my post, then putting the cursor behind the link and moving it one space (it then turns blue/purple) and then submitting it again....works ok but a long way around to do it, lol !

-- Edited by Vic on Saturday 27th of August 2011 12:17:59 PM

justcruisin01 · Guru

We have done the Nulla & enjoyed it , However I know some owners of vintage cars that put them on rail one way some years back & suffered damage to the soft tops flapping due to the higher speed than they normally do.

Also sand blasting damage to paint from the dust stired up from under the train, & because the cars were not straped tight enough the wheel bearings grooved due to the constant rocking back & forth.

Remember these were old vintage cars. there were some unhappy campers amongst them.

Cruising Granny · Guru

I've done the train as a passenger only and it's a good way to go, but I've also driven it and prefer the road version.
There is just so much country out there. Friends of mine drove along the railway line with the Okka so it's all about choices. They've also done the Nullarbor by road.
The trains take containers but there are width and height restriction because of cuttings and tunnels.
Quite frankly I wouldn't do it. You'd be quicker driving and you'd control the condition of your vehicle.
While it is one of our options, I don't think it's the preferred option.

SuburbanNomad · Veteran Member

JustCruisin and Crusing Granny,

I think you have sufficiently scared the proverbial mud out of my tanks.

Considering all the time it would take me getting the rig back to new condition after sustaining the sand blasting and re grooving of wheel bearings,

(which would be a self defeating exercise)

it would seem pushing the MH along the Nulla would be the wiser choice.

Thank you all

-- Edited by SuburbanNomad on Saturday 27th of August 2011 09:37:41 PM

-- Edited by SuburbanNomad on Saturday 27th of August 2011 09:38:21 PM

colsa · Senior Member

My hubby swears he saw the nymph, but after i counted the empty cans i told him he was dreamin'.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

Colsa, Iv'e seen 3 nymph's and I have picture's to prove it.