Dimboola pass

S312 accelerates up the grade past the way and works depot with the Down Dimboola pass.

With the harvest in full swing, locomotives are in short supply resulting in the Dimboola pass being rostered for a single locomotive. The Dimboola pass is usually assigned to single ended locomotives, either an S and third series X class. 

In the first two weeks of January 1984 S312 was rostered on the Dimboola pass on 9 ocassions, with the only other locomotives used being S300 and S306.  

S312 departs Ballarat station with the Up Dimboola pass. on Tuesday 3rd January 1984.

On Wednesday 4th January, S312 on the Down Dimboola pass runs past the Doveton Street sidings. A number of wagons waiting repairs at the workshops are stored in the sidings.

A VBPY is on the tail of the Down Dimboola pass as it departs Ballarat.

Below are observations from Newsrail of the Up Dimboola pass in early Jan 1984.   

Mon 2/1 S306 - N3

Tues 3/1 S312 - N4

 Wed 4/1 S312 - N1

 Thurs 5/1 S312 - N11

 Fri 6/1 S312 - ?

 Sat 7/1 S300 N15 - No van attached

Mon 9/1 S312 - N6

 Tues 10/1 S312 - N17

 Wed 11/1 S312 - N4

 Thurs 12/1 S312 - N16

On Thursday 5th January, S312 runs past the Garden City Flour Mill on the Dimboola where a VPFX is being unloaded with flour while GH's discharging grain into the pit below the track in the adjacent siding.

On Friday 6th January 1984, S300 arrives at Ballarat on the Up Dimboola pass. A freshly painted GH, just released from the workshops sits on the end of a rake of hoppers in the arrival and departure sidings. S300 will return to Melbourne on the Up pass on Saturday.

On Monday 9th January, S312 brings the Up Dimboola pass down the grade past the workshops. The train has two parcels vans today, a VLPY and VBPY.

On Tuesday 10th January 1984, S312 arrives at Ballarat on the Down Dimboola pass.