Central Receival Points

X50 and S313 with a rake of 22 VHGY's roll down grade through Ballarat East behind at 11:35am on 26th November 1983.

The movement of the record 1983 grain harvest to ports of Geelong and Portland commenced in the last week November 1983. The drought of 1982/83 had been disastrous for the state's grain growers with only 350,000 tonnes harvested, the lowest grain crop in nearly 40 years.  In 1983 good autumn, winter and spring rains fell over most of Victoria and saw the forecast grain harvest grow to over 4 million tonnes.

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 (almost 200) would receive no trains until after the harvest period. 

The first of the block hopper trains servicing the two Central Receival Points on Kulwin Line operated overnight to the unload on the new GEB loop at Geelong.  The empty return working glided down grade through Ballarat East behind X50 and S313 with a rake of 22 VHGY's trailed by a ZLP at 11:35am on 26th November 1983. On the Kulwin line the hoppers will be split into two rakes of 11. The first rake will be left at Wycheproof while the locos proceed with the remaining 11 hoppers to load at the CRP at Berriwillock. 

An hour later, T321-T370-T388 rumbled through the junction at Ballarat C Box with a long rake of GH's. These had been loaded at overflow silos on the Mildura line. 

T321-T370-T388 rumbled through the junction at Ballarat C Box with a long rake of GH's that had been loaded at overflow silos on the Mildura line.

With the establishment of Central Receival Points the Grain Elevators Board 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.