Allendale Goods

In the 1983-84 financial year, 2,136 tonnes of feldspar was railed to Allendale,  the then terminus on the former cross country line to Daylesford. The plant at Allendale processed the feldspar and sorted it into various grades for use in making cups, plates and bowls, and in glazes for baked enamel applied to refrigerators and stoves. On average 15 containers a month were being railed to Allendale.

Usually the local Y class pilot was used to transfer the wagons from Ballarat to Allendale. The pilot usually made two round trips per consignment of feldspar. The first would place the wagons at Allendale for unloading, whilst the second picked up the wagons and their empty containers. This ensured that the wagons didn't remain at Allendale for a lengthy period. 

T367 waits in the departure sidings with the pilot working to Allendale.

Today sees T367 in charge of the service to Allendale. The load includes two GY's with superphosphate, a  VQCY, VFDA and AQBY loaded with shipping containers loaded with Feldspar.  

Following the decision to consolidate fertiliser operations into a limited number of central depots spread across the Victoria, 1984 was the last season that fertiliser was delivered to Allendale, Only 54 tonnes of fertiliser were delivered to Allendale in this final season.

At 10:06am T367 departs for Allendale, crossing over from the up to the down line between Lydiard Street gates and Armstrong Street Bridge. 

Later in the afternoon T367 returns BONA. In three days time, the Y class pilot will run out to Allendale to retrieve the empty wagons.

T367 is an old Northern models body on an Athearn SW1500 mechanism, the GY's are Lima, the VQCY is from Steam Era Models, the other flat wagons are scratchbuilt and the ZF is from Lyndon Models.