On the other hand, if the train's running early, someone might miss it, so from time to time when they're running ahead of schedule, they stop to allow the schedule to catch up.
I guessed that happened when they knew there was a pickup somewhere shortly down the line.
At least that's the conclusion I came to as I sat pondering why the heck we were stopping here.
After Gladstone, the weather seemed to be lifting.
There was a vista of green rolling hills across to the Clare-wards horizon and fields beside the track planted with peas or some green manure type crop but was more than likely something else entirely.
Crop identification from a moving train isn't Hughesy's strong point.
Shortly before we were called for lunch, we passed Snowtown, and the mention of the name brought a raised eyebrow from 'Er Busily Adding Photos To The Laptop. I was scribbling in the notebook.
A long, relaxed and leisurely lunch took us onto the Adelaide Plains with sightings of grapevines as the urban sprawl became increasingly apparent. There are definite advantages in being in the second sitting.
Back in the cabin to prepare for the three-hour spell in Adelaide we watched as the CBD high rise hove into view. I scanned the horizon for familiar structures as the train rolled into what was obviously the terminal with an increasing sense of unease.