362 Ararat - Ballarat Roadside Goods

Y150 is nearly at its destination as it crosses Doveton Street with the 362 Ararat - Ballarat Roadside Goods

On the Western mainline through Ballarat, there was one scheduled Roadside Goods to Ararat a day, Train numbers 383 and 362.  383 Ballarat - Ararat Roadside Goods was scheduled to depart Ballarat each weeknight at 7pm, with the return working 362 scheduled to arrive back at Ballarat at 4:15am.

The Roadside Goods undertook a range of pick up and set-out moves at the intermediate stations between Ararat and Ballarat. The Roadside Goods usually only consisted of a few wagons, often a couple of open wagons and a lourve van. Regular power for these workings were Y class, with a T class being used occasionally.

Today's Roadside Goods consists of only 4 wagons, an AFBX with steel pipes from Whyalla, an empty GY (which had delivered superphosphate) from Beaufort, an empty VOWA which had delivered sleepers to Buangor and the VBAY from Ararat,

AFBX loaded with steel pipes from Whyalla. It had been removed from an interstate express goods at Ararat and was being delivered to Ballarat on the Roadside goods. The pipes are destined for replacing a water main in Ballarat.

VOWA, returning empty to Ballarat which had delivered red gum sleepers for the local ganger at Buangor. The VOWA is scratchbuilt out of styrene sheet. 

GY 91 returning empty to Ballarat, after it had delivered superphosphate to Beaufort. The GY is a standard Lima model.

VBAY 79, is a BGB model. It is one of the few lourve wagons to receive reverse Y stencils.

On arrival at Ballarat, Y150 shunts the ZLP guards van to the dock platform and then places the VBAY at the goods shed. The empty wagons are shunted into no. 10 road while the flat wagon with pipes is shunted onto the KMQ-KMQ-VLCX-ABQY that will form the 67 Redan Pilot schedule to depart Ballarat at 5:30am.

The VBAY is shunted to the Goods Shed.

 

The empty wagons are shunted into no. 10 road.

The AFBX flat wagon with pipes is shunted onto the KMQ-KMQ-VLCX-ABQY that will form the Redan Pilot schedule to depart Ballarat at 5:30am.

Usually the loco from the Ararat roadside goods after shunting its load into Ballarat yard, then runs to Ballarat East for servicing, although the loco may take up duties as one of the yard pilots, or be used to run the 67 Redan pilot or the 391 Skipton Goods. Today Y150 will assist with yard pilot duties breaking up the 9101 Melbourne - Ballarat Fast Goods before running to Pittong on the 391 goods.

W243 has placed the wagons that will form the 391 Goods to Pittong in the departure siding. Y150 will couple onto the wagons in readiness for 6:35am departure.