Weekday mornings

Weekday mornings in Ballarat were busy with commuter trains to Melbourne, the Overland, local and interstate goods trains and pilot workings serving the flour mills and Redan. Between 6 and 11am there were 12 services through Ballarat. Below is a brief description of these trains.

Back to back S313-S312 glide down grade through Ballarat North on the Up Overland.

Time	Train No.	Train	Loco	Consist	Comments
06:35	391	Ballarat - Pittong Goods	T or Y	Open and flat wagons
06:45	8118	Melb pass	B	ACN-BN-BN	Forms 8109 0855 BAL
06:45	232	Maryborough – Ballarat Roadside Goods	Y or T
06:50	72	Redan – Ballarat Pilot	Y or W		Return of 67
07:05-07:25	835	Overland	X-X, S-S or X-S	Motorail-VBPY-PCO-sleepers-club-sleepers-AJ-BJ-RBJ-BJ-CO	Motorail (and van) shunted from front to rear of train
07:45	8122	Melb pass	B	CE-AE-BE-BE-BE
07:51	75	Flour Mill Pilot	Y or W	VHGY’s, GH’s or GY’s KMQ’s and FJ’s	Shunts Garden City Flour Mill
08:45	76	Flour Mill Pilot	Y or W	VHGY’s, GH’s or GY’s KMQ’s and FJ’s	Return of 75
09:35	8130	Dimboola – Melb pass	S or X	CW-AS-BE(a/c) -BWL-BWL	Forms 8115 1230 BAL
09:45-09:55	8105	Horsham pass	B	ACN-BRN-BN-VBPY	Forms 8146 SSS
10:50	9146	Adelaide - Melb Express Goods	C	Bogie stock only
10:55	8109	Ballarat pass	B	ACN-BN-BN	Forms 8134 1145 SSS

At 6:12am, B60 rostered on 8118, was turned on the Ballarat East turntable, before slowly running down the loco track to Ballarat carriage sheds. Once coupled to N set 6 (ACN-BN-BN), B60 pulled out onto the mainline and then reversed under the canopy to platform 1.

With no loading offering today the 391 Ballarat - Pittong Goods was cancelled.

At 6:45am, B60 on 8118 pass departed for Melbourne.

At 6:48am, Y170 rolls through Ballarat station and into the arrival siding with the 232 Maryborough - Ballarat Roadside goods.

Y170 rolls past the Doveton St sidings on Maryborough - Ballarat Roadside Goods. Loading is light consisting of a GY, a VOBX (loaded with hay) and ZL.

Two minutes early at 7:03am, back to back S class arrive at Ballarat with the Overland. The train is short today, only 10 cars and doesn't include a motorail wagon. S313-S312 uncouple from the PCO power/guards van and draw forward with the orange VBPY van. The S class then reverse down the track 3 onto the waiting Y class pilot. Y151 then runs down track 3 past the Lydiard St gates and then reverses via the crossover to track 1, coupling the van to the rear of the train.

With the S313-S312 recoupled to the front of the train, the Overland departs on time at 7:25am.

B69 rostered on 8122 is turned on the Ballarat East turntable. It then slowly runs down the loco track to Ballarat carriage sheds. Here it couples to a set of red wooden cars of CW-AW-BW-BW. It then pulls out onto the mainline and reverses under the canopy to platform 1. These cars are a replacement set that arrived last night on 8145, after the usual set of CW-AE-BE-BE-BE was delayed on a South Geelong service. On time at 7:45am, 8122 departs for Melbourne.

Shortly after 8am, Y151 on Flour Mill pilot, departed for the Garden City Flour Mill at Ballarat North pushing a rake of VHGY's. The hoppers arrived overnight and were weighed on the Ballarat weighbridge prior to being transported to the mill. After exchanging the full wagons for empties, Y151 returns to Ballarat yard 20 minutes later with 6 GH's.

Y151 shunts VHGY's on the weighbridge track in Ballarat yard.

There is a lull in traffic for over an hour before the next arrival, 8130, the up Dimboola pass at 9:35am. After a brief pause, X44 departs platform 2 with a consist of BCE-AS-BE(a/c)-BWL.