W250

W250 shunts VOBX wagons loaded with briquettes into the Doveton Street sidings whilst on the 75 Flour Mill Pilot.

1983 was bit of a transition year for shunting locomotives at Ballarat with the much maligned W class being used less and less, replaced by more reliable Y class. Y150, Y151, Y152, Y153 and Y154 appear to have been based in Ballarat for these pilot workings, Ararat and Maryborough Roadside goods, Pittong, Skipton and Allendale Goods. Observations in Newsrail recorded that W242, W243, W250 and W260 were all still active at Ballarat (if not all at the same time). There was also W247 and perhaps another W confined to shunting within the Ballarat North Railway workshops. There were a couple of withdrawn W's stored at Ballarat East, and likely others in bits at workshops, no doubt being used as a source of spare parts for this notoriously unreliable class.

W250 straight out the box.

W250 has recently joined the loco fleet, thanks to David Abberton. W250 was the only one of active W class that had its Mercedes Benz four stroke engine replaced with General Motors Detroit two stroke engine in the mid 1970's. The engine change resulted in the long hood being rebuilt eight inches higher, with a conical exhaust positioned at the end of the hood. Photos show that W250 operated with its conical exhaust painted silver. To replicate this, the exhaust was pulled out of the body, repainted and reinserted into the body. Eventually I'll weather the loco to replicate its appearance in photos.

W243 and W250 rest between pilot duties in Ballarat yard in the sidings near Ballarat East Box.

W250 was used in its first operating session today sharing yard pilot duties with W243. Its first run outside the yard was on the 75 Flour Mill Pilot delivering a rake of GH's loaded with grain, and two VOBX with briquettes to the Doveton Street sidings.

W250 shares yard pilot duties with W243 in Ballarat yard.

W250 shunts GH's over the weighbridge in Ballarat yard. Inward grain loading in GY, GH and VHGY wagons for the Garden City Flour Mill were individually weighed on the weighbridge before they were delivered to the Flour Mill for unloading.