Moving the harvest

The movement of a record 4 million tonnes grain harvest to ports of Geelong and Portland commenced in the last week November 1983.

T321-T401-T388 haul a block train GH's off the Maryborough line and past the Macarthur St gates. 

In order to move this record crop, the Grain Elevators Board of Victoria reorganised the grain receival system. The plan involved the establishment of 14 Central Receival Points (CRP's) and 70 overflow stations to be serviced by daily trains. The CRP's were to be service by block hopper trains with the empty wagons being returned from the port to the silo's for reloading within a 24 hour period. The balance of the silos in Victoria wouldn't receive any trains until after the harvest period. Together with new grain unloading facility on a loop completed at Geelong, the GEB and V/Line hoped to move more grain from these points than would have traditionally be moved from almost 300 silos during the peak harvest period.

A week into the harvest, the following grain trains were observed passing through Ballarat North on the first Saturday of December 1983.

T386 and T345 rumble through the junction at Ballarat C Box with a empty train of GY's for loading at overflow silos on the Mildura line.

B61 and T396 runs past Ballarat C Box with a block train of GH's. The train loaded at overflow silos on the Robinvale line.

 S313-S303 power up the grade out of Ballarat and past the Doveton Street sidings with block of empty VHGY'S destined for the Central Receival Point at Wycheproof on the Kulwin line.

B69-X42 haul of block train of VHGY's from Dunolly past Garden City Flour Mill at Ballarat North.

T359-T356-T404 haul a rake of GH's past the Doveton Street sidings which were loaded at Donald.