September Morning

 On a windy but sunny 17th September 1984, I spent the morning observing trains arriving and departing Ballarat station.

I arrived at Ballarat station just in time to see B83 disappear under the Armstrong Street Bridge on a empty block grain train of GH's to Donald At 09:26am. 

15 minutes later, S312 slowed as it approaches Ballarat station on the 8130 Up Dimboola pass. The train will use platform 2 with the opposing 8105 Down Dimboola pass. due in 5 minutes to use platform 1.

At 9:46am S310 arrives on the 8105 Down Dimboola pass. Crews with swap between trains during a reduce stop of 5 minutes to make up time on the schedule. 

At 9:51 S312 departs for Melbourne on the 8130 pass.

There's a lull in traffic for close to an hour before B68 arrives at Ballarat station on the 8109 pass at 10:48am (three minutes down on the schedule),

Once passengers have disembarked, B68 uncouples from the carriages and pulls forward towards the Armstrong Street Bridge.

B68 runs around the cars using No.2 Road and couples up to the Melbourne end of the consist to form return pass (8134) to Spencer Street. 

T386 rolls into Ballarat on the 222 Goods at 11:18. The train consists of VOJF and VHJA wagons loaded with Gypsum destined for the cement plants at Geelong.

T386 on 222 Goods is held at the signal gantry at the Melbourne end of Ballarat station. T386 with follow B68 up Warrenheip bank once it has cleared the section Ballarat East - Warrenheip.

On time B68 departs Ballarat station at 11 45 with 8134 pass to Melbourne.

At 11 52 T356 rolls down Warrenheip bank and past Ballarat East locomotive depot on a stock special from Geelong. The cattle wagons will be taken out to the Ballarat Cattleyards by the afternoon Redan pilot.

At 11:56am Y170 glides down grade into Ballarat on the 392 Up Pittong Goods. The train consists of 4 open wagons with shipping containers trailed by a ZMF.

The train crawls along the no.4 road through the station then into the arrival and departure sidings, while T386 sits in the no.3 road awaiting line clear to proceed to Warrenheip.

With B68 now racing along the straight between Warrenheip and Bungaree with the 8134 pass, T386 departs at 12 04 on the 222 Goods to North Geelong.