Edited 28 Apr 2021 20:36, last year, edited by ngarner

Continuing to follow the roster I moved onto 141A, Sunday was rostered off.

Monday’s shift began at 1245, working with Driver P Botha. My, now obscured, notes indicate that we were supposed to work one of the many Pilots around Melbourne which may have been the Dynon ‘Jet’ but that’s not definite. Instead, we ended up tasked to prepare the Wodonga ‘oily’, and then run it as train 9325, departing the Paisley sidings at 1600. In a change to the norm, we climbed onto X49, which had T401 in multi on the down end of the X. Another crew climbed on board T401 and they were towed past the TR point to the reversing location below the hump. Our guard joined us here and then the crew of no. 401 took over to tow no. 49, and us, as far as the Paisley sidings, along the suburban lines. After the guard had given us access to the sidings, we uncoupled the T class, disconnected the MU cable and four brake hoses so its crew could return to the West line and head back to Dynon. With our ‘tow’ departed and the points reset for the main line, we then proceeded to assemble our train. With it complete, Driver Botha carried out the examination, with my assistance in applying and releasing the train brakes, as needed. Around 1600, the guard was given permission, by the Newport signalman, to change the points so we could depart the sidings. The train was stopped when it was clear of the points so the guard could restore them to normal and then board the van. My notes indicate that I drove for at least some of this run, so it is likely that I was the one in control from when we departed from the sidings. Powering back to Newport we ran behind the signalbox where the staff was collected, by hand, not by me for a change. Powering along the West line, we approached Brooklyn for a full staff exchange, which I may have done from the driver’s seat but I can’t be sure anymore, and moved on towards Sunshine. When the road and signal cleared to allow us to enter Sunshine station I notched up no. 49 and we entered the platform. I would have handed the staff up here as the platform was on my side of the loco, before we continued on towards Albion and the junction for the Loop line. Crossing the up suburban line we moved on towards Broadmeadows and at that end entered the passing loop. When the platform was clear of sparks the signal cleared and I notched up the X to climb the grade to the platform, where another crew, most likely a Dynon ‘Big Wheel’ one, based on relatively recent experience, were standing at the far end to relieve us. Stopping the train adjacent to them, at 1835, they climbed into the cab and we handed the train over to them. Departing the cab, we watched the train travel past us as the new crew powered away from Broadmeadows and then waited for an up spark to arrive to take us back to North Melbourne. After walking from the station back to the depot we ended up on standby to complete the shift, once more without being sent to work the Fuel Point. Sign off was 2045.

On Tuesday, I started at 1435 for the 1500 Dynon ‘Jet’ Pilot, working with Driver J Contessa. Y123 was our loco, when we got to it and together we assembled, or finished off assembling, the various afternoon Adelaide bound ‘Jets’ working largely within North Dynon Yard, although making occasional forays to other parts of Melbourne Yard, like the TNT sidings adjacent to the standard gauge main line, near Dynon, or one of the Hump Yard balloon loops. We worked the yard until the last ‘Jet’ departed and our shunters advised us everything was done, to then return the Y to Dynon leaving it at Fuel Point at 2240 and off at 2255.

Wednesday’s sign on was 1505 for the 1620 Bacchus Marsh pass, train 8127, with Driver Ray Pizzica. We had T365 for our loco and made the usual stopping all station run from Sunshine, arrived at ‘the Marsh’ at 1722. Once the carriages were empty of passengers, we pushed the carriages back onto the main line then waited for the signalman to change the points and clear the disc to allow us to enter the yard. Clear of the main line, I uncoupled the loco in preparation for the up journey, which we had to wait for some time for, as we were waiting for another down pass to terminate before any return to Melbourne was scheduled. This train arrived, hauled by T358, and repeated the process that we had used, earlier, to get their train into the yard. The next steps in this process are unclear but the two carriage rakes were combined and somehow no. 358 ended up coupled directly to the train with no. 365 leading. Eventually, we were handed the staff and the road was cleared for our departure, as train 8156, up empty cars bound back for Spencer St. We departed the yard at 2035 to work our way back to Melbourne, fighting our way against outbound traffic. We eventually drew the train to a halt at one of Spencer Streets platforms at 2205. Whether a Pilot coupled to the rake to drag it back into the Bank sidings or we pushed the rake back into the sidings ourselves I didn’t note. However, once freed of the rake of carriages the crew on no. 358 got to do some work as they hauled us over the flyover back to Dynon. With the locos being attended to by the fitters both crews returned to Manpower where I and Ray signed off at 2305.

Thursday was payday, so I know I was at the depot early. Once my pay was safely in my pocket, I signed on at 1450, once again with Ray, rostered to run the ‘Ford’ train from Newport to Upfield and back again. We travelled ‘per’ by spark to Newport to wait for the up, train 9260, to arrive behind the signalbox. The train drew to a halt behind the ‘box hauled by T375 so we climbed into the cab and relieved the crew. With them heading for the station to return to Dynon we got the train moving again at 1605 to travel through Brooklyn, Sunshine and Broadmeadows to climb the grade to Somerton to cross ‘the gauge’ and enter the sidings. I uncoupled and we ran the T class around to re-couple at the up end of the train. With a proceed aspect on the signal we moved onto the dual gauge line to access the Ford sidings, where we arrived at 1845. We shunted the newly arrived wagons to where they were needed and then proceeded to assemble the down train, no. 9281. After a meal break, we departed the Ford factory at 2100 and ascended the grade back to Somerton for the run-around. Crossing ‘the gauge’ again we dropped down the grade to Broadmeadows to cross the suburban lines and enter the Loop line. Gaining access to the suburban lines at Albion, we ran through Sunshine, collecting the Brooklyn staff on the way through, and continued on to Newport where we stopped near the crew standing near the signalbox waiting to relieve us. We were relieved at 2210, to cross to the platform to travelled ‘per’ the next up spark, to return to the depot with sign off being 2300.

Friday was a 1500 start to work the Fuel Point with Driver R Gale. After sign on, we walked to the Fuel Point foreman’s office to make our presence known and took some seats in the adjacent crew room. We moved locos after they had been refuelled to wherever we were directed to by the foreman until 2220, when we left Fuel Point to sign off at 2300.

Saturday was rostered off.