Y153

 

Y150 to Y154 had been allocated to Ballarat by 1983, largely replacing much maligned W class on pilot duties. My fleet of Ballarat Y's already includes Y150, Y151 and Y152, although I have wanted to include Y153. For this locomotive I decided to do something different and model the Y with full interior, cab door open and a group of shunters leaning on the handrails in front of the cab.

Construction follows the method that used to scratchbuild Y175. 

Y153 pushes GH and GY over the weighbridge in Ballarat Yard for weighing. When weighing is complete the Y will pull the wagons into the departure and arrival sidings, runs around the wagons then depart for the Flour Mill.

Y153 shunts the flour mill sidings at Ballarat North.

Y class were employed on pilot duties around Ballarat and roadside goods to Ararat and Maryborough. They also share duties with T class on branchline goods trains services on the Skipton and Newlyn lines that originated from Ballarat.

Pilot duties complete Y153 is turned on the Ballarat East turntable.

Y150, Y151, Y152 and Y153 rest around the turntable at Ballarat East.

On the 27th May 1983, Y153 was observed on No.97 and No.98 Flour Mill Pilot. Newsrail regularly included records of locomotives at Ararat on Sundays.  Y153 was recorded at the Ararat loco on the 18/09, 25/09 and 2/10. By the end of 1983, Y153 was assisting with moving the grain harvest, being employed on pilot duties at Donald, shuffling grain wagons between the freezer sidings and the yard on 30th December 1983. 

Y168 idles away in the no.3 road at Shepparton, 1985

Y170 shunts the yard at Shepparton 14/12/1984. Shunters stand and sit in front of cab. This is the look that I was attempting to achieve with Y153.