RTA Redan And Eureka Tour

For the Queens Birthday holiday, the Rail Tourist Association ran a tour to Ballarat visiting Ballarat Cattleyards, Redan, SECV siding and Eureka. The tour party travelled to Ballarat on the regular Ballarat pass and utilised DRC43 between its runs to Donald to visit the Ballarat branchlines.

DRC43 arrives at the Ballarat Cattleyards on the RTA tour.

The tour party arrive on the morning pass (8109) hauled by X31 with set N6.

X31 arrives at Ballarat on 8109 pass. The tour group will transfer to the DRC43 when it docks at Platform 2.

With the tour group on board DRC43 heads to Ballarat Cattleyards and Redan.

DRC43 arrives at the Ballarat Cattleyards.. After preceding to the Gillies St gates the Railmotor driver changed ends to return the train back along the siding to the junction to Redan.

Having crossed Latrobe St, DRC43 passes RT21 shunting GHs and GYs at Elliott Magill Mill at Redan.

The horse doesn't appear at all interested in the unusual visitor to the branch.

DRC runs into the Freezer siding. The tour paused here for 10 minutes while the driver changed ends providing and opportunity for passengers to capture the Railmotor on film at this location.

DRC43 passes the Doveton St sidings as it heads back to Ballarat station. Here the drive will swap ends before taking the Railmotor out to SEC siding where the passengers will get the opportunity to see progress on the restoration of D3 369.

Returning from the SEC siding, DRC43 runs past Ballarat North Railway workshops.

DRC43 is about to pass under the Armstrong St bridge for the 4th time today on its way back to Ballarat and out to visit the sidings at Eureka.

DRC43  emerges from under the Queens Street Bridge returning from the sidings at Eureka.

DRC43 arrives back at Ballarat, The tour party will use the footbridge to reach the afternoon Melbourne pass (8115) hauled by B72 with a consist of BCE-AS-BE(a/c)-BWL.

Inspiration for including the tour during the weekends operating session came from a Facebook post on Aaron Davys Victorian Railways History group by Frank Hinde of a ARHS tour by DRC41 to Redan in 1993.

The image below shows that the orange DRC did visit Ballarat Cattleyards on at least one occasion even if it was 10 years later than the year the layout is set in.