Rare find reopens grand Queensland dream to build the greatest train in the world , which became a financial nightmare , ending up in South America .
Little Darwin recently discovered a special presentation gift to a person involved in construction of the luxurious $35 million Great South Pacific Express. It came in the form of a book Turning a dream into reality The Story of the Great South Pacific Express by Brisbane Courier Mail journalist John Wright , a long-time rail enthusiast, born in England , along with the invitation (below ) to attend a special function in March 1999 at Townsville , where the train was built , and board one of the four first commemorative trips .
Inserted was a letter from Premier Peter Beattie in which he said the train exemplified the " can do " attitude of Queenslanders. Townsville Railway Workshops had led the way with outstanding craftsmanship , supported by workers from QR engineering , design and technical areas , with Rockhampton, Ipswich and Redbank workshops involved.
"All Queenslanders will take pride in the fact that , in this state , we have the technical railway expertise , vision and confidence to produce what is sure to be regarded as the best train in the world ," the Premier declared .
In addition , there are handwritten inscriptions from a representative of the famous Orient Express and Queensland Rail chief executive Vince O'Rourke and general manager of workshops , Terry Fisher.
Denise Corcoran , a graduate of the South Australian Institute of Technology , who had involved in the refurbishment of the Queenslander, the Spirit of the Outback and had worked on the Adelaide to Alice Springs Ghan , was invited to tender for the interior designs ; she had travelled on the Orient Express from Venice to Paris .
In her research , she came across drawings and photographs of a coach built at the Ipswich Workshops in 1903 as an inspection or vice-regal car .
The book tells how Corcoran proposed a blend of late Victorian and Edwardian decorative techniques making use of fine local timber such as Queensland red cedar and distinct tropical design motifs. The Townsville Workshops were placed under great pressure but rose to the challenge, the justifiably proud workforce shown here .
A mock up heritage carriage was constructed for the 1995 inaugural AusRail convention in Brisbane at which the guest speaker was Venice Simplon Orient-Express (VSOE) chief executive , Nick Varian , who went to Townsville to see the statecar under construction .
VSOE decided to become involved in the project . It became clear that an initial proposal for a 14 carriage train confined to Queensland would not be a profitable venture . It was changed to a 20 car express with interchangeable bogies which would enable a regular service between Queensland and NSW , possibly beyond .
Six cars were sent to Melbourne for an AusRail conference in 1997 . Along the way the NSW Rail chief executive , David Hill , was quoted as saying it was the most beautiful train he had ever seen ,including the Orient-Express and South Africa's Blue Train .
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Sunbird marquetry, handpainted waratahs on the ceiling, art deco panels , rich fabrics, quality crystal , etched mirrors, brass fittings , leadlights- a stunning result .
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When the magnificent express went into service between Kuranda , near Cairns , and Sydney , it carried up to 100 passengers at a cost of $3500-$5500. Occasional excursions were made to Canberra, the Blue Mountains and the Hunter region . Unfortunately, the service ran up losses of $12 million after four years and was sold to Orient-Express Hotels , London , for an undisclosed sum in 2005, for use on their trains overseas.
Twenty carriages were stored at the North Ipswich Railway Workshops .At one stage Queensland Rail claimed the Orient Express holding company owned the express,while Orient Express Hotels said they still belonged to Queensland . The carriages were moved to Peru and are run in conjunction with Peruvian Rail as the Belmond Hiram Bingham ( the American explorer who discovered the Inca citadel ) luxury day train that takes tourists on the scenic run been Cusco and Machu Picchu , the so called lost city of the Incas .
One online travel guide describes the Belmond Hiram Bingham train as gorgeous with brass and polished wood ...no mention of it having been built in Queensland, Australia .
It is understood that the carriages underwent some alterations, one turned into an observation car , in Peru , work which could have and should have been carried out in Queensland ; there is also a report that one carriage was sent to Italy .
Photos of happy passengers enjoying the luxury train travel in Peru include one which seems to show the insignia of the prancing bird on the invitation to the launching function in Townsville in 1999 , sent to Donald Allan , a fitter in the carriage manufacturing section .
