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DRC43 departs Ballarat on a trial run to Donald.
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DRC43 was the first of the Tulloch railcars to be overhauled as part of the New Deal for country passengers. DRC43 emerged from the workshops in June, with sides and ends painted orange contrasting with its stainless steel panelling and with a grey painted roof. The interior of the car was refurbished to match standard of the S and N cars. It was the only DRC to receive Victorian Railways tea-cup symbol, with 40, 41 and 42 all emerging from the workshops after the launch of V/Line in August 1983.
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| DRC43 is spied over the back fence of a property in Little Clyde Street on a trial run to Maryborough |
Although there were no scheduled railcar services through Ballarat in 1983, I have included them in winter operating sessions under the premise that the Cain Labor government had pledged to restore daylight passenger services to Donald in the 1982 state election. The recent completion of the overhaul of DRC43 providing the opportunity for these services to be restored.
Over the last couple weeks DRC43 had been in Ballarat for crew familiarization and training runs in the lead up to the commencement of services to Donald in August 1983.
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| DRC43 is refueled at Ballarat East |
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| Over the weekend DRC43 was stabled within the Ballarat car sheds |
DRC43 has had a number of trial runs to Maryborough, usually departing Ballarat mid morning and returning in the afternoon. Between these runs DRC43 has either been stabled at Ballarat East Locomotive Depot or in the car shed adjacent to Ballarat station.
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| T356 hauls DRC43 past Ballarat North Railway Workshops after it failed on a trial run near Creswick |
DRC43 also visited Ballarat North Workshops for some attention after it developed problems on one of these runs near Creswick. T356 was dispatched to bring the DRC43 back from Creswick.
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| DRC43 undergoing repairs at Ballarat North workshops. In the adjacent roads a S car is undergoing refurbishment and test GH155 is undergoing repairs. |
In its second week of trials, DRC43 operated from Ballarat through to Donald following the proposed running times. The railcar carried railway personnel recording the railcars ride, speed and performance against the proposed timetable. The railcar rested overnight at Donald before returning to Ballarat the following morning. DRC43 performed these trials faultlessly.
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| DRC43 sits in platform 2 at Ballarat for inspection by railway staff. |
In reality, DRC43 began operating scheduled services in July 1983 taking over run 38, which was the only run scheduled for a 600 in Roster N15 which had commenced on the 30th April 1983. Run 38 consisted of an early morning run from Seymour to Melbourne (0550 Up), two trips to Kyneton and return (on the 0805 and 1510 Down services), returning to Seymour in the evening on 1855 Down service. I have fond memories of DRC43 running these Kyneton services and stopping at the old Up platform at St Albans which backed onto a showrooms where my dad occasionally worked.
Donald railcar services will be launched on the 14th August with ceremonies attended by the Transport Minister, Steve Crabb and railway officials at Ballarat, Maryborough and Donald.
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| DRC43 runs past the Garden City Flour Mill at Ballarat North |
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