Old Codger Who Never Once Caught The Train Prepared To Die Before Letting Abandoned Line Become A Rail Trail

ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact

A local old codger has confirmed he is willing to die to prevent the old Port of Betoota Rail Line be transformed into a "rail trail".

Bruce Hall, a retired school teacher from the Port of Betoota, told The Advocate that it was a dark day when they stopped the passenger train out to his satelite community, just 5.7km from the Betoota General Post Office.

Since then, a coach has been used to ferry the remaining denizens of the once-bustling community on the Diamantina River.

What has really rubbed shit into the 86-year-old's blanket this week is the council's plan to turn the disused train line into a "magnet for tourism and small busniess".

"It's a load of hot cock," Bruce told our reporter.

"They need to put the bloody train back on. The coach is fucked. Full of methheads, perverts and other reprobates you'd rather not share a confined space with!"

"When they shit the train off in 1982, the community suffered greatly. Now the council wants to spend ratepayer on this weak as piss bike track! I'm not going to let them do that."

Bruce then lead our reporter out to his shed, where he showed this masthead the EL Fairmont he was going to drive into the Council Chambers should the project be green lit.

"Can't afford to put fuel in the thing anymore. But I'm going to floor it one last time, use the front steps as a bit of a ramp, then second window from the left on the top floor is the Mayor's office. I'm going through that window, in my Fairmont, at full pelt. God willing, that is," he added.

"They will name a train after me when they get put back on. Like how they name their ferries in Sydney. The Bruce Hall Railmotor. Got a bit of a ring to it,"

"I don't want to hurt anyone, except the Mayor and public property."

When asked if he ever caught the train back in the 70s, Bruce laughed.

"I wouldn't be caught dead on that thing. It was full of the most worthless junkies back then. Speed freaks, dope heads. I had a XB hard top back then."

More to come.