Begonia Festival special

Down Special for Ballarat's Begonia Festival hauled by X40 long end leading runs past Ballarat East locomotive depot.

Each March Ballarat's Begonia Festival showcases the city's unique and rare collections of Begonias. Established in 1953, the festival is one of Ballarat’s largest events drawing thousands of visitors to the city.

For this years Begonia Festival, 8115 Ballarat pass operated with an extra set. In addition, a dedicated special operated to Ballarat each morning of the long weekend returning to Melbourne late afternoon.

Down Special hauled by X40 long end leading arrived at Ballarat at 10:20am.  The consist of the pass was CD-AS-BRS-BS-BS, a set usually used on Warrnambool services. X40 cut off the cars and ran forward to the Armstrong Street Bridge then reversed down the no.2 road to run around the set. The X them couples to the cars pulls forward on the mainline then shunts the cars into the carriage shed. X40 then runs to Ballarat East Locomotive Depot and stables off the turntable until required later in the afternoon.

Down Special hauled by X40 long end leading arrives at Ballarat at 10:20am.

X40 cut off the cars and ran forward to the Armstrong Street Bridge then reversed down the no.2 road to run around the set.

X40 couples to the cars pulls forward on the mainline then shunts the cars into the carriage shed. 

CD-AS-BRS-BS-BS rest in the carriage shed until required in the late afternoon.

X40 runs to Ballarat East Locomotive Depot and stables off the turntable until required later in the afternoon.

At 1:14pm B72 runs past Ballarat East with the 8115 Ballarat pass. This train consists of two N sets. B72 runs around the consist to form 8142 pass to Spencer Street. 

Whilst B72 waits for it's departure time, T359 arrives on a block grain working from Dunolly. The grain train will follow B72 up Warrenheip bank.

Ballarat Begonia Festival is an innovative garden-based horticultural event that showcases Ballarat’s natural assets including its unique and rare collections of begonias. For 10 months of the year, the City of Ballarat’s horticultural team has grown and nurtured thousands of begonias in over 500 varieties. The impressive collection is the rarest in the Southern hemisphere.