"Whenever you brake, it should be done in a way that won't upset the passenger's glass of champagne." (Dennis Allmond)
"There's a lot of skill involved for the driver. And of course a bit to do with the tracks as well. Five generations of my family have lived in Alice and many of them have made a living on and around the legendary train. My uncle was the first porter here in 1929 and my other uncle was the first ever train examiner. My dad was a train driver and now my son works on trains too.
The Afghan camel handlers rode the line in the Ghan's early days, alighting at stations breaks throughout their journey to kneel on the platform and pray towards Mecca. The guards at the railway called it the 'Afghan trip'. Seems the name stuck, over the years it was shortened to 'The Ghan'. The whole idea of The Ghan takes me back to a time when people looked out for each other and the world was a really innocent place.." (Charlie Poole)
