Autumn Evening

 

The evening of 18th May 1984, proved to be busy with a couple of grain extra's operating clearing the silos from the 83/84 bumper harvest.together with the procession of interstate goods and commuter passenger trains.

At 1755 B65 glides downhill through Ballarat East with 8121 Melbourne - Ballarat pass as S302-T338-T386 begin the grind up Warrenheip bank with a grain extra of GH's to the port of Geelong. The grain extra had come from the Kulwin branchline.

Time	Train No.	Run	Train	Locos	Consist
17:55			Dunolly - Geelong Grain	S302-T338-T386	GH’s-ZF
18:00	8121	8	Melb-Ballarat pass	B65	ACN-BRN-BN-D
18:23	9133		Melb – Adelaide Express Goods	934-S305
18:45	8150	8	Ballarat – Melb pass	B65	ACN-BRN-BN-D
19:00	383		Ballarat – Ararat Roadside Goods	Y152	VFLX-GY-ZL
19:15			Geelong – Horsham Block Oil (Mon. Wed and Fri)	X32	VFJX-VTQYx4-TWFx2-VFJX-ZLP
19:25	8135		Melb-Ballarat pass	B69	ACN-BRN-BN-D
19:35- 19:45	9196		Donald – Geelong Goods (M-F)	T331	GH’s-ZMF
19:50-20:00	8133	2	Melb-Dimboola pass	S310	D-ACN-BRN-BN-
20:00	9170		Ballarat – Melbourne Through Goods	T359
20:12	9141		Melb – Mildura express goods (M-Thurs)	T321
20:53	9147		Melb – Adelaide Express Goods	C505-S308

 

B65 uncouples and runs round the N set via the No.2 road to form 8150 pass, the return service to Spencer Street. 

Whilst waiting for it's 1845 departure, 934-S305 roll past via the no.2 road with the 9133 Melb – Adelaide Express Goods at 1823. 

At 1845, B65 departs Ballarat with the 8150 Melbourne - Ballarat pass, crossing over from the Down to the Up line.

T359 arrives from Ballarat East locomotive depot and couples onto the loading forming for the 9170 Ballarat - Melbourne Yard Through Goods in the departure siding. Soon the Train Examiner will arrive to check the train. 

At 7:15pm X32 rolls through Ballarat yard on the Horsham block oil train. Crew change occurs at Ballarat station and the train powers up the grade out of Ballarat and past the Doveton Street sidings.

Twenty minutes late Y152 departs Ballarat on the 383 Ballarat - Ararat Roadside Goods. The goods is short consisting of an empty VFLX and a GY with super trailed by a ZL 

At 7:25pm B69 arrives at Ballarat on the 8135 Melbourne - Ballarat pass. B69 uncouples from the cars and pulls forward across Lydiard Street and then reverses down no.2 road to run around and couple to Melbourne end of the N set. The B69 then shunts the cars to carriage shed and then runs to Ballarat east Locomotive Depot to stable for the night.

At 7:35pm T331 trundles into Ballarat with 9196 Donald - Geelong Goods consisting mostly of GH's. The train pauses in Ballarat yard for a crew change before departing at 7:45pm for Geelong.

At 7:55pm S310 slows for its scheduled stop at Ballarat station with the 8133 Dimboola pass. 

T359 departs on the 9170 Ballarat - Melbourne Yard Through Goods as S310 pulls into Ballarat station on the Dimboola pass. Consist of the goods is AQBY-VFDA-VLCX-KMQ-VLCX-KMQ-GY-VOAA-VFNX-VLCX-HR-ZF.

5 minutes late at 8:05pm S310 departs Ballarat on the 8133 Dimboola pass.

for the GEB terminal at Geelong. 

At 8:12pm, T321 rolls down grade through Ballarat East on the 9141 Melbourne - Mildura Express Goods. Usually rostered for a B or X in combination with a T, today a solo T class is in charge of the goods.

At 8:53pm C505-S308 bring the 9147 Melbourne - Adelaide Express Goods through Ballarat East. The goods will pause at Ballarat station for a crew change before continuing its westward journey.