Race the Darling Downs Dasher steam train

[elantra]

Does anyone have a map of the full cycle route from Stanthorpe to Warwick? I'd be interested to plot the profile.

Ron, Lachy, between Dalveen and Stanthorpe the trainline is more or less beside the highway.
But you do not ride on the current highway, you ride on the old highway, which is never far away from either the train or the new road.
Between Warwick and Dalveen, the old Stanthorpe Rd, the Railway and the new highway are miles apart, the old road is to the east and has a much sharper climb (unsealed).

Unfortunately i will be away for the next race and will miss your epic feat.
here is a whereis map which seems to be a bit more instructive than the Google map.
http://www.whereis.com/qld/#session=MjM=.... well just zoom in and you will see what i am describing.

[RonK]

Does anyone have a map of the full cycle route from Stanthorpe to Warwick? I'd be interested to plot the profile.

Ron, Lachy, between Dalveen and Stanthorpe the trainline is more or less beside the highway.
But you do not ride on the current highway, you ride on the old highway, which is never far away from either the train or the new road.
Between Warwick and Dalveen, the old Stanthorpe Rd, the Railway and the new highway are miles apart, the old road is to the east and has a much sharper climb (unsealed).

Yeah, I can see that the road parallels the highway from Stanthorpe to Dalveen. But it looks to me the Connolly Dam Road follows the line more closely after Dalveen. If you choose the bike option in Google Maps this is the route plotted. But is this road rideable?

[ldrcycles]

Looking at the satellite picture I would say a large chunk of that is only gazetted as a road, and doesn't actually exist. At one point, west of what is marked as the Cherry Gully train station (though it doesn't look like there is much there), the route crosses over a fair sized creek (which goes north and feeds into Connolly Dam) and it doesn't appear to have a bridge.

The railway line goes over Old Stanthorpe Rd around Cherry Gully, so it's not too far off, and it's certainly a much closer match in spirit than the new highway.

But you do not ride on the current highway, you ride on the old highway,

Ah I thought that would be the case but on google maps it hadn't looked like there was a continuous route, a few of the roads parallel to the highway were marked as being a dead end, like service roads.

[RonK]

Looking at the satellite picture I would say a large chunk of that is only gazetted as a road, and doesn't actually exist. At one point, west of what is marked as the Cherry Gully train station (though it doesn't look like there is much there), the route crosses over a fair sized creek (which goes north and feeds into Connolly Dam) and it doesn't appear to have a bridge.

The railway line goes over Old Stanthorpe Rd around Cherry Gully, so it's not too far off, and it's certainly a much closer match in spirit than the new highway.

Yes, I used helicopter view to fly over the route, and also looked close up on Google Earth. There is no through road via Connollys Dam.
So the route looks like this:


It's 58.6 km from station to station according to Google Maps.

[elantra]

But you do not ride on the current highway, you ride on the old highway,

Ah I thought that would be the case but on google maps it hadn't looked like there was a continuous route, a few of the roads parallel to the highway were marked as being a dead end, like service roads.

At no stage do you ride on the "new" highway between Dalveen and Stanthorpe.
the old road is what some people refer to as the "fruit run"
It is all sealed will a median line, reasonable quality surface and very little traffic.
It crosses UNDER the main highway twice i think, and also over the railway line twice i think.

it goes through townships called "thulimbah" and then "the Summit", Because of highway and rail crossings you have to be a bit clued up on the route otherwise a wrong turn is a possibility !

You bypass Applethorpe to the east on a road beside the railway lline and then crossover the rail line near the International club from which point it is DOWNHILL into Stanthorpe CBD.
Care on the roundabouts and maake sure you know where to turn left to get to the railway station

P.S. (1) the google map detail is insufficient to rely on near "the summit"
(2) there is a cattle grid a few km south of Dalveen. Not a bad one, but best taken at speed.

[ldrcycles]

At no stage do you ride on the "new" highway between Dalveen and Stanthorpe.
the old road is what some people refer to as the "fruit run"

it goes through townships called "thulimbah" and then "the Summit", Because of highway and rail crossings you have to be a bit clued up on the route otherwise a wrong turn is a possibility !

You bypass Applethorpe to the east on a road beside the railway lline and then crossover the rail line near the International club from which point it is DOWNHILL into Stanthorpe CBD.
Care on the roundabouts and maake sure you know where to turn left to get to the railway station

P.S. (1) the google map detail is insufficient to rely on near "the summit"
(2) there is a cattle grid a few km south of Dalveen. Not a bad one, but best taken at speed.

Cheers for the info, I had a good look on google maps today and now have a better idea of where things go up there. I navigated the entire length of Old Stanthorpe Rd from Warwick to Dalveen on Street View and will be doing the same for the route from Dalveen to Stanthorpe.

From 'streetviewing' Old Stanthorpe Rd, it is bitumen and gently rolling/flat from Warwick until the dirt starts approx. 1km past O'Deas Road. By that point the country has started to get hillier and more heavily treed. The dirt only goes for about 2k, then the road is sealed what appears to be the first significant climb (I know from painful experience that street view can be deceptive in that regard), roughly 4-500m at a pretty solid looking grade.

At the top of that hill it returns to dirt and the next climb comes 1km later, looks similar to the first climb but not as steep. A few km later at Cherry Gully the dirt finishes just before the road goes under the railway line. From there until Dalveen the road looks to be just rolling with no steep climbs.

I'm very pleased to find such a minimal amount of gravel to negotiate, although some of the sealed sections consist of a very narrow ribbon of bitumen.

Can't wait to get out there!

EDIT: should clarify, from about 7 k out of Dalveen the road is called Mountain Park Road, not Old Stanthorpe Rd.

[ldrcycles]

Looks like my challenge just got a little tougher, the forecast for sunday is 3-20 degrees in warwick and only 2 in Stanthorpe!


Just keep calm and repeat after me, "rule 5, rule 5, rule 5, rule 5......"

[elantra]

Looks like my challenge just got a little tougher, the forecast for sunday is 3-20 degrees in warwick and only 2 in Stanthorpe!


Just keep calm and repeat after me, "rule 5, rule 5, rule 5, rule 5......"

If you have been watching SBS2 Giro highlights you will see those tough boys have been racing up mountain passes in the snow. !
some of them not wearing much at all. But there is usually a team car not far behind if they fall off with hypothermia.

If there is ice on the tracks the train might struggle going up the long climb before it reaches Dalveen.

BTW, what is your return to Warwick plan ?

[ldrcycles]

Hey I've never even seen snow! Living on the coast 18 degrees is cold for me .

My wife will be driving up to Stanthorpe after the train and I leave Warwick and then we drive back home when/if I get there .

[Pax]

Good luck on the ride....I'm looking forward to the report

[morini]

Me too.

I forgot all about this and yes it's been cold up here but it's not that bad if you wear long sleeves and gloves. I'm still riding just in normal length nicks but I ride at a civilised hour and not at dawn like others up here. Sunday's forecast is 3 - 17. Nothing to worry about at that time of day.

Once you get to Dalveen the two roads and the rail line twist and turn over each other. Basically the "old road" continues parallel, but on the west, then crosses under the "new road" at the Summit and over the rail line so it's then on the east until all three meet on the outskirts of Stanthorpe.

Remember this if you can - when you go under the highway at the Summit you turn left almost immediately once your out of the tunnel - straight ahead will put you on a dirt road. It's not a total disaster if you do because this road joins the "old road" but a km or two further down at another lesser rail crossing called Glen Niven.

I'm not doing it this time. I think my wife might be having a crack with her cycling group.

If you get into any strife and need parts/tubes/lift/help call me on 46811919.

Have fun.

Chris

[ldrcycles]

Very very excited now, packing up the car ready to head down this afternoon after work.

Current forecast for tomorrow morning is 5 degrees in Warwick and 3 in Stanthorpe with a gentle breeze from the south east, sounds pretty good .

Any BNAers doing the ride tomorrow to keep an eye out for as I go through Dalveen?

[morini]

He flogged it.

[Pax]

He flogged it.

Excellent, (none the less, we voyeurs await a significantly more detailed report, hopefully with pictures! )

[foo on patrol]

Oiu where's the bloody report Idry, huh???????

Foo

[ldrcycles]

I'm getting there foo, be patient! Blasted computer was screwing me around.

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=60020&p=972244#p972244" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Absolutely awesome day, I can't believe I managed to get there ahead of the train, let alone more than a quarter of an hour ahead .

I can't wait to do it again and see what I can do now that I know the right way to go!

[elantra]

Bonzer effort there Lachlan.

Meanwhile I was partaking of the pleasures of steam power , about 1 thousand km away as the crow flies...

[ldrcycles]

I'm smelling a trip to Victoria.... I reckon that would be a good run for the 40s-50s roadster I've just started working on.

[duds2u]

Puffing Billy would be a pushover on a bike
I ran against it in another life ............. and lost.

[RonK]

As a comparison, it would interesting if you could take your smartphone/bike computer on the train, record the trip and publish the result to Strava.

[ldrcycles]

My aunty in Warwick sent me a link to an article that was in the local paper on Friday, I wish i'd seen it before the weekend so I could have tried to get a prize .

http://www.warwickdailynews.com.au/news ... g.facebook" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Lukeyboy]

Anyone in Brisbane doing anything on Sunday? - 2 laps? http://www.theworkshops.qm.qld.gov.au/E ... +June+2013" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ldrcycles]

Now that the weather is starting to warm up a little i'm thinking about my next trip down to the border . Won't be able to make it on Sep 7th, the next one after that is 30th November, anyone keen on doing the full run? There's a very slim possibility I could have my 1965 Local built up with a 3 speed internal gear hub, but if not the Mercier will step up again.

[elantra]

Now that the weather is starting to warm up a little i'm thinking about my next trip down to the border . Won't be able to make it on Sep 7th, the next one after that is 30th November, anyone keen on doing the full run? There's a very slim possibility I could have my 1965 Local built up with a 3 speed internal gear hub, but if not the Mercier will step up again.

Yes I am keen, very keen, but also not available on the weekend after next, so it will have to be November.

P.S. and i will be on a modern roadbike, caus will need all the modern assistance i can get to defeat that bloomin train.

[morini]

The baker from Stanthorpe's Zest bakery was telling this morning that the train flogged all comers on Saturday. Must be getting quicker this train.