B61

One of my favourite prototype locomotives during the 1982-83 period that I modelled is B61. After B60 was dispatched to South Australia for rebuilding into a turbocharged A class in February 1983, B61 became the grandfather of Victoria's mainline locomotives.  B61 was rather filthy during this period sporting an overall covering of road grime and an oil stain fuel tank.

B61 hauls a Horsham block oil train out of Ballarat past the Doveton Street sidings.

Whilst still blue and gold B61 received rear vision mirrors at it's number 2 end, I'm unsure why they were only applied to one cab. In May 1984 B61 was shopped at South Dynon for bogie repairs returning to service with radios installed (and radio equipped stickers on the side above the numberplates). B61 was spared being converted to an A class when the rebuilding program was abandoned at the 11th unit (B81) in favour of extending the order for new N class locomotives by 15 units.

B61 is turned on the Ballarat East turntable.

B61 sits out the front of the Ballarat East fuel point awaiting its next turn of duty. 

In late 1984 B61 had a can of paint thrown at one side, leaving a green splatter mark behind the first pothole behind the cab door. This made it easy to spot in the crowd at South Dynon loco or at Spencer Street. In April 1986, B61 finally received V/Line's orange and grey colours, one of the last to be repainted before withdrawals started to occur with the influx of new N and G class. 

Some observations of B61 during 1983 include:
B61-X50 combined down Daylight Overland and Horsham pass 28/01/1983.
B61 Up Bendigo pass at St Albans with set N5 (15ACN-40BRN-13BN) on 31/03/1983.
B61-B69-X41 on a down Bendigo pass through St Albans on 4/09/1983.
B61 Up Bacchus Marsh pass with consist of BCPL-BW-BW-AW on 8/10/1983.

B61 was built by combining 2 lima S class shells together, adding the single roof fans, horns, pilots and air hoses.

B61 crosses MacArthur St with the Mildura bound Fruit Flyer.

I've tried to replicated the well worn appearance of B61 in my weathering of the locomotive.  I used two photo's as a guide, one by Chris Nuthall of B61 at Sunshine in Oct 1983 and one by Graham Withers taken at Ballarat East in June 1984.