8130 Up Dimboola pass.

X50 and S310 on the Up Dimboola pass are about to pass under the Armstrong St Bridge. 

Roster N12 which commenced on the 20th December 1982 introduced N sets on all trains west of Ballarat. During 1983 there was only the odd occasion when other steel cars and wooden cars were used on these trains. 

During January 1983 the Dimboola pass was almost exclusive hauled by S class and third series X class. It was common practice for the same locomotive to rostered on this train on consecutive days. Below I have attempted to reproduced the locomotives and consists that were actually used on this train during the first week of January 1983. 

Monday 3rd January sees X50 lead S310 with an N set and VLPY on the Up Dimboola pass.

X50 and S310 sit at Ballarat station waiting time on the Up Dimboola pass.

On Tuesday 4th January, wooden cars returned to Dimboola pass for the first time since N sets were introduced to the service on the 20th December. S307 hauls a scratch set with a consist of 70ZLP-14AS-Murray-1BG-55BES-40BW. It was unusual for a ZLP to be used as a van on a long distance passenger train with its limited goods space and for a Dimboola pass not to have a parcels van.

40BW brings up the rear of the Up Dimboola pass.

ZLP being used as van on the pass.

Wednesday 5th January saw S311 team up with B65 with an unusual consist of CE-VLPY and N set. Its assumed that the CE had probably been the van on the previous days down pass and had perhaps been removed due to a fault. With the guards van now repaired it was attached to the next up service to return it to Melbourne. B class were unusual on the Dimboola pass. the last use being on the 20th December when B84 hauled the first Up train with Roster N12. 

S311 and B65 haul the Up Dimboola pass past the Way and Works Depot at Ballarat North.

Thursday 6th January sees the classic pairing of back to back S class with S311 and S313 rostered to haul the pass. 

A clean S311 and grubby S313 bring the Up Dimboola pass through Ballarat North.

The pass waits in platform 2 at Ballarat station.

On Friday 7th January S311 and S313 haul the 8130 up Dimboola pass again. It was common practice for the same locomotives to be rostered on this train on consecutive days.  Today the train has two VBPY parcel vans. An additional parcels van was often included on the Up Dimboola pass.

Saturday 8th January see's S311 haul the Up pass solo. The train again has 2 parcels vans, a red and an orange VBPY. 

S311 runs past Ballarat East locomotive depot with the Saturday morning Up Dimboola pass.

S311 grinds up Warrenheip bank with the Up Dimboola pass.

S311 and S313 tackle Warrenheip bank with the Up Dimboola pass 6th January 1983.