S303 - C J Latrobe

 

S303 departs Ballarat on an Up Dimboola pass.

The fouth member of the S class, S303, builders number 57 - 167 enter service on the 30/09/1957 and was named C. J Latrobe. 

Recently I added two more S class to the locomotive fleet from my dad's layout, these being numbered S303 and S304.  

S303 body was in good condition but the motor was faulty so I swapped it with a spare lima mechanism that I had. This loco already had brass C J Latrobe name plates fitted. I also touched up the weathering on the locomotive further to more closely match its appearance in photos from 1983-1984. The loco was fitted with number plates printed on photo paper as i prefer these to the tarnished brass numberplates it had.

S303 and S304 lback to back lead the Overland through Ballarat North.

During 1983-84 the S's shared duties with the 3rd series X class on the Overland and on Dimboola passenger trains. The S class (in multiple with other classes) were also regularly rostered on Express goods and grain trains.

Some observations of S303 during the period modelled are:

28/01/1983 S303-S309 Up Dimboola pass.

29/01/1983 S303-S309 Up Dimboola pass.

27/08/83 - S304-S303 Up Jet (30 wagons) at Parwan.

23/09/83 S303-T407-T381 Up Goods at Stawell

11/10/83 S304-S303 Up Overland at Bungaree 

11/12/83 S303 and X42 only mainline locos at Ararat loco

16/12/83 S300-S303-T359 Up grain at Stawell at 1410, S303-S300 Down grain at 1735

23/12/83 S300-S303 Block grain at Portland

25/12/83 S303 at Ararat Loco

13/01/84 S303 Down Dimboola pass (N set and 2 VBPY)

14/01/84 S303 Up Dimboola pass

18/01/84 - S303-S304 with a block grain train stabled on the former Casterton Line at Braxholme for a cross.

29/01/84 S303 with S302 and S304 at Ararat loco

09/02/84 S313-S303-T392 Up grain at Stawell at 0800. 

21/03/84 - S303 at Mile End (South Australia) for crew training ahead of the S class being added to through running loco pool.

 

S303 and Y152 roll downgrade through Ballarat East on the Horsham block oil train.

In its first week in service on the layout it has been rostered on the Overland, a Dimboola pass and on an interstate goods and the Horsham block oil train. 

S303 survives in preservation with the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre and continues to see use on the mainline on rail tours and on short term hire to private operators to cover locomotive shortages.

S303 runs past Ballarat A Box on an Up Dimboola pass.