Spirit of the Outback
Encyclopedia
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The Spirit of the Outback is a long-distance passenger rail service in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, operated by Traveltrain
TravelTrain
Traveltrain provides long range passenger rail services in Queensland, run by Queensland Rail. Its flagships are the electric and diesel Tilt Trains, servicing Brisbane – Rockhampton and Brisbane – Cairns respectively...
a division of Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail
Queensland Rail, also known as QR, is a government-owned railway operator in the state of Queensland. Under the control of the Queensland Government, Queensland Rail operates the inner-city and long-distance passenger services, as well as some freight operations and gives railway access to other...
.
Route
Debuting in November 1993, this 1,300 km rail journey operates between Brisbane and Longreach. The Spirit of the Outback travels along the east coast of QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, from Brisbane to Rockhampton
Rockhampton, Queensland
Rockhampton is a city and local government area in Queensland, Australia. The city lies on the Fitzroy River, approximately from the river mouth, and some north of the state capital, Brisbane....
, where it heads west through Blackwater
Blackwater, Queensland
Blackwater is the major town of a significant coal mining area in Central Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Blackwater had a population of 5,031....
, Emerald
Emerald, Queensland
Emerald is a town located in the Central Highlands district of Central Queensland, Australia. At the 2006 census, Emerald had a population of 10,999. The town is the business centre for the Central Highlands Regional Council....
and Barcaldine
Barcaldine, Queensland
Barcaldine is a small town in Western Queensland, Australia, approximately by road west of the city of Rockhampton. The town is situated on Lagoon Creek, which flows into the Alice River approximately five kilometres south of the Barcaldine. This is the administrative centre of the Barcaldine...
, to Longreach.
The Spirit of the Outback passes coastal landscapes then travelling into the Outback, with mountain ranges, sunburnt plains and historic towns to attractions such as the Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame
Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame
The Australian Stockman's Hall of Fame is a museum located in Longreach, Queensland, Australia, which pays tribute to pioneers of the Australian outback...
and Qantas Founders Outback Museum
Qantas Founders Outback Museum
The Qantas Founders Outback Museum is a transport museum at Longreach, Queensland, Australia. The museum is home to a decommissioned Qantas Boeing 747-200, which can be observed by the general public. It also holds the airline's first jet, a Boeing 707-138....
. The train operates twice weekly from Brisbane to Longreach.
Classes of travel
The Spirit of the Outback has three classes of travel:- Economy seats
- Economy sleeping berthsSleeping carThe sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
with a capacity of up to 3 people - First class sleeping berths:
- 'RoometteRoometteA roomette is a type of sleeping car compartment in a railroad passenger train. The term was first used in North America, and was carried over into Australia and New Zealand...
s' (single-person compartments), with a seat and fold-down bed - 'TwinetteTwinetteA twinette is a sleeping-berth compartment for two persons in a train. The term "twinette" is in common use only in Australia and New Zealand ; thus the double-berth compartments described here are those found in trains in Australia or New Zealand.The width of each twinette compartment is...
s' (two-person compartments), with a seat on the bottom that converts into a single bed, with a second fold-down bed above