Deep Lead Derailment

At 14:30hrs on Monday 19th December 1983 a derailment occurred about 1 kilometre east of Deep Lead. This was the first major derailment for some time and blocked the western mainline for 2 days.

At 1715 C507 glides down grade past Ballarat East Loco with the 9127 Melbourne - Adelaide Express Goods.

The Up grain train consisted of 33 bogie wagons plus ZLP van was hauled by T348, T325, T338 and T344 was loaded with barley from Jeparit, consigned to Portland. Twelve wagons mid train derailed, six of them rolling or sliding down an embankment at approximately 14:30. The Western line was closed until 1700 the next day. 

The locos took the first 15 wagons which remained on the track to Stawell. Here they attached a ZLP that was stored in the yard to the rear of the train and continued to Ararat. Later that afternoon at 1945, T344 and T338 returned to Stawell, attached wagons in the yard loaded with used rail and then ran out to the derailment site to be used in reopening the line. 

S307-S313 were detached from an up goods at Glenorchy, and ran to the derailment site were they coupled to the ZLP and the last 7 wagons and then returned to Glenorchy. The wagons and van were added to the Up goods and S307 and S313 were then shut down.

With the line blocked some services were cancelled (those that could not reach there destination). Other services in transit were halted at stations/crew depots, the train secured and the locomotives shunt down until the line reopened.  This created the unusual site of a number of trains halted in Ballarat. 

C507 crawls through Ballarat yard with 9127 Express Goods. 

9127 Melbourne - Adelaide Express Goods with C507 arrived at Ballarat at 1715 and was held in the arrival and No.4 roads for 90 minutes (due to its length) until a decision could be made on if the train should continue west. At 1845 C507 departed with the train to be stored in the loop at Trawalla until the derailment could be cleared. 

9127 was held for 90 minutes while train control made a decision on if the train should proceed. .

The Ballarat - Ararat Roadside Goods operated with additional loading, with 2x VOWA loaded with sleepers and a VFAA with used rail for use in repairing the line at the Deep Lead derailment site. It departed at 1900 with Y170 in charge.

Y170 sits in Ballarat yard awaiting departure time on the Ballarat - Ararat Roadside Goods.

With rail and sleepers required to repair the line, 2 VOWA's loaded with sleepers and a VFAA loaded with used rail was added to the Goods. 

At 1903 Y170 runs past the Doveton Street Sidings with the 383 Ballarat - Ararat Roadside Goods.

The Down Horsham oil train arrived at Ballarat at 1915. X40 then reversed the train onto the Eureka line for stabling until the line was cleared. The locomotive then ran to Ballarat East locomotive depot and was shut down.

X40 reverses the down Horsham block oil train onto the Eureka line for stabling until the line was cleared. 

X40 then ran to Ballarat East locomotive depot and was shut down.

The 8133 Dimboola pass hauled by S308 and X53 arrived at Ballarat at 1950. This train was terminated at Stawell with buses used to transport passengers for the remainder of their journeys.

Crews worked throughout the night and the searing heat the following day to get the line reopened. The derailment further delayed the movement of the record grain harvest following the rail strike earlier in the month.