70th anniversary of B61 entry into service

B61 celebrated the 70th anniversary of its entry to service on the 18th August. B61 is one of my favourite prototype locomotives during the 1982-83 period that I modelled. After B60 was dispatched to South Australia for rebuilding into a turbocharged A class in February 1983, B61 became Victoria's oldest mainline diesel locomotive.  B61 was rather filthy during this period sporting an overall covering of road grime and an oil stain fuel tank.

B61 hauls a Horsham block oil train out of Ballarat past the Doveton Street sidings.

Whilst still blue and gold B61 received rear vision mirrors at it's number 2 end cab. In May 1984 B61 was shopped at South Dynon for bogie repairs returning to service with radios installed (and radio equipped stickers on the side above the numberplates). B61 was spared being converted to an A class when the rebuilding program was abandoned at the 11th unit (B81) in favour of extending the order for new N class locomotives by an additional 15 units. In April 1986, B61 finally received V/Line's orange and grey colours, one of the last to be repainted before withdrawals started to occur with the influx of new N and G class.

Some observations of B61 during 1983 include:

B61-X50 combined down Daylight Overland and Horsham pass 28/01/1983.

B61 Up Bendigo pass at St Albans with set N5 (15ACN-40BRN-13BN) on 31/03/1983.

B61 Down Horsham pass at Ballarat with N set and VBPY on 27/05/1983.

B61-B69-X41 on a down Bendigo pass through St Albans on 4/09/1983.

B61 Up Bacchus Marsh pass with consist of BCPL-BW-BW-AW on 8/10/1983.

The B class were still an integral part of the Victoria's locomotive fleet in 1983 and were often running high weekly mileages. Below I've noted B61 use over the last 7 operating sessions on the layout, which gives a snapshot on how the B class might have being utilized in 1983.

B61 runs past Ballarat B Box with 8105 Melbourne - Horsham pass.

MONDAY 09:45 8105 Melbourne - Horsham pass / 16:45 8146 Horsham - Melbourne pass (ACN-BRN-BN-VBPY)

TUESDAY - 03:00 9155 Melbourne- Mildura Fast Goods 

B61 runs through Ballarat North on the 9155 Melbourne - Mildura Fast Goods.

WEDNESDAY - 02:35 9118 Mildura - Melbourne Through Goods with T381

THURSDAY - 23:27 8143 Vinelander (CE-AZ-MRS-BZ-BS-Sleepers-Motorail)

FRIDAY - 05:45 8110 Vinelander (CE-AZ-MRS-BZ-BS-Sleepers-Motorail), 

 21:45 8145 Down Ballarat pass (CE-AE-BE-BE-BE)

SATURDAY  - Stabled at Ballarat East Locomotive Depot

SUNDAY - 09:00 8122 Up Ballarat pass, 15:05 8115 Down Ballarat pass., 16:45 8132 Up Ballarat pass, 21:10 8135 Down Ballarat pass. (ACN-BN-BN).

B61 is about to pass under the Queen Street on the 8132 Up Ballarat pass.

Luckily after 70 years of service we still have B61 roaming the rails today with Southern Shorthaul Railroad for us all to enjoy.