Grades

Ballarat's station, goods yard and locomotive depot are situated in a hollow which ensures that any train leaving for any point west, north-west and east have a grade to climb as soon as they leave the station or goods yard. Trains for Geelong and Melbourne face a steep 1 in 62 grade for 5 miles to the Junction station of Warrenheip. Ararat and Maryborough bound trains face a short sharp grade from the end of the station platform for a mile to the junction at Ballarat North. Beyond the junction, both lines climb for some distance before level track is reached.

On the layout the tracks are generally flat although as the floor of the 1930's shed that houses the layout isn't level it has resulted in a slight climb out of Ballarat station for trains heading for either Maryborough or Ararat lines. This isn't really noticeable when running trains except when operating long Adelaide bound express goods or long grain trains Maryborough bound.

C507 and S307 grind up the grade and around the curve adjacent to the Doveton Street sidings with Adelaide bound express goods. Y152 shunts two open wagons loaded with Briquettes for Doveton Street sidings.

I usually slow the train though Ballarat station and through the maze of points before Armstrong St reducing speed further as the loco tackles the grade across Doveton Street and up the straight to MacArthur Street and the Junction at Ballarat C Box.

C507 and S307 continue the climb along the straight past the Ballarat's Garden City Flour Mill.

The signalman at Ballarat C Box waits to hand to staff to the crew of C507

The steepest grade on the layout is from Ballarat C Box to the hidden sidings as the line swings behind the railway workshops, due to a warp in the baseboard. Melbourne bound trains off the Serviceton line usually pick up speed on the downhill and the throttle needs to be adjusted to slow the train down to safely negotiate the Junction.

The express goods climbs past the Way and Works Depot and the workshops.