Grampians Wildflower Special

B69 glides down Warrenheip bank through Ballarat East with wildflowers special to Stawell. 

On Sunday 16th October 1983, V/Line ran a special train to Stawell for the spring display of wildflowers in the Grampians. Five buses were used to transport the passengers from Stawell to Halls Gap to view wildflowers in bloom.

The special was hauled by B69 and used one of the spare sets of wooden bodied passenger cars held in Melbourne. The consist was 32BW-40BW-38BW-40AW-29CE.  The regular Sunday Horsham pass also operated with usual double consist (2 N sets) hauled by B67 and B65.  This train terminated at Murtoa due to works associated with the introduction of CTC on the Western line. 

38BW 

40BW 

32BW

At this time there were still a couple of spare wooden sets made up of two of three BW and/or BE cars, with a AE or AW and CW van. These were mostly used as railmotor replacements or when a set didn't get back to Melbourne in time for its next scheduled service. With the significant reduction in the size of the wooden passenger car fleet some of the spare sets had AE and AW's being used as economy cars.

40AW

29CE riding on aligned bogies.

B69 pauses at Ballarat station on Grampians Wildflower special.

In 1983, only one wildflower special operated, whereas in 1982 two specials operated on consecutive Sundays. In late 1983 there was limited availability of cars to form specials due to the significant reduction in the carriage fleet with scrapping of wooden bodied cars and the large number of S and Z cars that were in the workshops being refurbished. 

 

B69 departs Ballarat with the wildflower special to Stawell.

Down Horsham pass was hauled by B67 and B65 with two N sets.
 

B67-B65 depart Ballarat with the Sunday Down Horsham pass.