Flour Mill Pilot

During the early 1980's Ballarat was a busy freight hub with many rail served industries. Monday to Friday six pilots a day operated out of Ballarat yard to Ballarat North, Wendouree, Ballarat Cattle siding and Redan.

Three flour mills were served, Garden City (at Ballarat North), White's (at Wendouree) and Elliot Magill (at Redan). By 1983, Y class had largely replaced W class on pilot duties at Ballarat. Y150 to Y154 were allocated to Ballarat and operated most of the pilots as well as the nightly Ararat roadside goods. W242, W243, W247, W248, W 250 and W260 were still active in Ballarat but all others had been setaside and stored at Ballarat East or Ballarat North workshops.

Garden City Flour Mill was served 2 or 3 times a day by pilots operating out of Ballarat yard. All grain destined for the mill was required to be weighed on the rail weighbridge in Ballarat yard before being transferred to the mill.

Below is a description of the Flour Mill Pilot from a recent operating session on the layout.

It's 6:38am as Y150 pushes GH's onto the Ballarat Rail weighbridge for weighing. The GH's had arrived overnight from Dunolly.

Once weighed the GH's are pushed beyond bridge.

It's now 7:10, Y150 departs Ballarat pushing the 5 loaded GH's. (Scenery in this section of the layout (including Ballarat station) has only partly been completed).

Y150 emerges from beneath the Armstrong Street bridge pushing the GH's towards Ballarat North. Behind the loco are the Doveton Street Sidings.

Y150 grinds to a halt over the Macarthur Street crossing. The points in front of the locomotive will be switched providing access to the flour mill sidings. S309-T397 wait on the Maryborough line for permission to enter the double track section of the main western line.

Y150 pulls the GH's into the flour mill sidings. The GY wagons in the siding adjacent to the train are empties. The wagons beyond the Y are full wagons awaiting unloading.

Y150 stops before Doveton St level crossing. Signal B controls access over the level crossing and into the Doveton Street sidings. The signal is activated by a button on the post.

After the points are switched, Y150 pushes the GH's onto the rake of empty GY's in the mill siding.

Y150 pulls forward towards Doveton Street level crossing, then reverses pushing the empty wagons towards the mainline points.

Having uncoupled from the empty wagons and activated the level crossing lights, Y150 rumbles towards Doveton St sidings with the rake of GH's.

Y150 stops short of the buffers. The points are switched and the Y reverses down the mill siding. The VOBX wagons are in briquette traffic, the other wagons are stored awaiting transfer to Ballarat North Workshops.

Y150 shunts the full GH's onto the rake of full GY's. The oil tank is standing in the Shell oil siding.

Included in the rake of full GY's is 904, one of the last remaining wheat proof GY's in wagon red.

The full GY's are shunted over the unloading pit.

Y150 uncouples from the full GY's, pulls forward and uncouples from the full GH's. These wagons will be moved over the unloading pit by the afternoon pilot.

Y150 pulls forward over the Doveton Street level crossing. The points for the mill siding are switched and the Y reverses down the loop siding towards the empty GY's.