Last day of winter - 31th August 1984

 On the last day of winter (31st August 1984), the following trains were observed running through Ballarat during morning.  

At 04:50am C507-S305 power up the grade through Ballarat North on the 9103 Melbourne - Adelaide Express Goods.

At 5:35am 934 on 9130 Adelaide - Melbourne Express Goods slows for a crew change at Ballarat. V/Line is experiencing a severe locomotive shortage resulting in usual workings such as solo 930's on interstate goods.

A77 rolls through the junction at Ballarat North with the Up Vinelander. A class have only recently commenced running on the Vinelander, replacing X and B class on the overnight run from Mildura.

At 5:45am A77 pauses at Ballarat station on the Vinelander.

At 5:46am W250 waddles up the grade past the Doveton Street sidings on the 67 Redan pilot. Today's pilot only includes 3 flat wagons with shipping containers all for loading with car parts at Bendix Mentix.

Y170 departs from Ballarat yard with the 391 Pittong Goods. Today's train is short, consisting of four open wagons with shipping containers for loading with Kaolin. 

B72 departs Ballarat East Locomotive Depot and runs to the carriage shed to retrieve the set that will form the 8118 Up Ballarat pass.

At 6:38am T361 with 232 Maryborough - Ballarat Roadside Goods rolls over Lydiard Street and into Ballarat yard. 

At 6:45am B72 departs with 8118 Up Ballarat pass. T361 has uncoupled from the roadside goods and will run to Ballarat East Locomotive Depot for stabling.

Yard Pilot Y153 couples upto the wagons from the roadside goods and pushes them towards the sidings adjacent to the goods shed.

The B van is pushed towards the goods shed.

The GY's are placed in the weighbridge road for weighing, while the VOWA is stored in the No.11 road.

Y153 places the VBBX with other wagons that will form part of the loading for 9170 Ballarat - Melbourne Through Goods.

At 7:02am W250 arrives back at Ballarat from Redan on the 72 Redan Pilot.

W250 pushes the 3 flat wagons into a siding in Ballarat yard. These wagons will be attached to the 9170 evening goods to Melbourne.

At 7:22am S300 and 942 arrive at Ballarat with the Overland. S300 had replaced a defective X49 at Ararat. With no Motorail wagon or parcels van to transfer to the rear of the train, the crew should be able to make up the lost time.

At 7:30am S300 and 942 depart Ballarat on the Overland, now only 5 minutes down on the schedule. In the background T361 has been coupled up to T359 and will run a grain extra to Donald later in the morning.

With platform 1 now clear, S312 retrieves a Z set from the carriage shed and pushes it into the platform to form the 8122 pass. The Z set is substituting for the usual N set. 

Yard pilot Y153, completes weighing of GY's with wheat from Kulwin destined for Garden City Flour Mill at Ballarat North.S312 can be seen in the background awaiting departure time on the 8122 pass.

Y153 pulls the GY's and VPFX into the arrival and departure sidings.

At 7:45am S312 departs Ballarat on the 8122 Up Ballarat pass, while Y153 prepares to push the Flour Mill pilot to the Garden City Flour Mill at Ballarat North.