Edited 19 May 2021 19:57, last year, edited by ngarner

Here we go, for those who have been patiently waiting for me to get my act together!

The Roster Clerk had, obviously, been advised not to put me against any roster as I didn’t note any roster number for the week, since Foreman Tong had the ‘privilege’ of tutoring me for the whole week. Sunday was OR once more.

Monday was on at 0835 for the 0950 Bendigo pass, train 8015. After making our way to Spencer St we climbed into the cab of X40, displacing whoever was already in the driver’s seat. With the speed chart signed, the train examined I waited for the ‘all clear’ from platform and guard. Receiving this, I released the brakes and opened the throttle. Negotiating our way out of Spencer St, once clear of the junction I open the throttle more as we headed towards North Melbourne, with a speed limit of 65kh. Clearing the North Melbourne Junction and then crossing the Maribyrnong River bridge, I increased power as we approached Footscray for the climb towards the station. Sounding a long whistle, I powered through the curved platform and continued on towards Middle Footscray, adding more power with the increased speed limit of 80kph from Footscray. Approaching West Footscray more power was applied for the climb over the, relatively new, grade separation of Ashley St at Tottenham and then eased off again as we crested over this point. Curving around towards Sunshine, I prepared to stop there. Braking to a halt in the platform for the ‘pickup only’, the crew member on the platform side looked for the guards ‘right away’. On receiving it, I released the brakes, acknowledged it with the whistle and notched up again. Whether the train got back up to 80kph before Albion I don’t recall but, either way, once past Albion I pushed the train on up to speed limit of 95kph. Clearing the crossing at St Albans with the appropriate sounding of the whistle at the whistle board and just before the crossing, we left the overhead equipment for the sparks behind and I kept our speed, as near, to 95kph, as I could, until we passed through Sydenham when I was finally able to increase our speed to the line speed of 115kph. Clearing Diggers Rest, we curved towards the long stretch towards Sunbury. As we neared the Gap Rd level crossing I slowed the train for the ‘pick up’ only at Sunbury. With any additional passengers on board, on getting the ‘all clear’ from the guard, I notched up as quickly as possible, as we passed under the bluestone bridge carrying Macedon Rd over the line, to tackle the grade up through the curved cutting, past Rupertswood station, and on out of the valley, towards the flatter track at the top of the valley. Once at the top of the grade, I would have been able to ease back on the throttle a bit as we ran through Clarkefield, Riddells Creek and Gisbourne, under clear signals. Sometime after clearing the home departure at Gisbourne, power was increased again to tackle the long climb up Macedon bank. Cresting the grade with the line leading straight to the station, I backed off power again and prepared to stop at the station as we passed under the Calder highway overpass. Braking to a halt within the platform, I notched up again with the ‘all clear’ to pass the sidings and signal box on the far side of the up line. Curving to the right as we accelerated back up to line speed we headed towards the remains of Carlsruhe. Passing the platform, at speed, we headed on towards Kyneton, our next stop. Approaching Kyneton, through the left hand cutting, the distant was clear but I closed the throttle and braked to a stop in the platform. Once again, notching up after the station stop I got the train up to line speed again. We ran through Malmsbury to cross the viaduct at speed, then Taradale’s station and viaduct and then curved through Elphinstone. As we approached the tunnel I eased off the throttle and prepared to engage the dynamic brake for the descent into Castlemaine. Dropping down through the site of Chewton the Maryborough branch appeared from the west and I braked to a stand at Castlemaine. Notching up once more to attack the grades, through Harcourt, on the way up to the Big Hill tunnel I eased off as the grades changed within the tunnel and once more prepared to hold the train speed with the dynamic brakes for the final approach into Bendigo. As the line levelled off near Kangaroo Flat the dynamic was shut down and the throttle opened enough to maintain our speed. Slowing the train as we approached the Myrtle St overpass to the line speed of 30kph through to the station throat and its maze of points I slowed more as we entered one of the platform roads, with arrival at 1204, 9 late. The fireman climbed down into the pit to uncouple and once the loco was separated from the carriage rake, he climbed back into the cab. I opened the throttle a notch, or two, to approach the departure home and opened it more when it cleared. Passing Bendigo ‘C’ box, I slowed the loco as we crossed the Williamson St crossing and halted clear of the disc signal on the down side of that crossing. The signalman changed the road and cleared the disc to allow us to head back towards ‘B’ box so we could run around the train. I threw the reverser, released the brakes and opened the throttle again to run towards ‘B’ box where the disc signal was clear to let us run onto the up main. Stopping clear of the dwarf signal, allowing access to the platform from here, the road was reversed and the dwarf signal, allowing us to drop onto the train again, cleared. Once more getting the loco moving, we crossed the station throat, re-entered the platform road where I stopped short of the carriages. The fireman descended to rail level and set up for re-coupling. Once this was complete we had a break, before forming the 1400 up pass, running as train 8052. On receiving the ‘right away’ I opened the throttle to get the train moving and through the throat onto the up main line where I was able to open it up a lot more, once under the Myrtle St bridge again, to get up speed for the run at the Big Hill grade. The stopping pattern of this ‘express’ was Castlemaine and Kyneton, with a ‘set down’ only at Sunshine. Using the dynamic brake once through the tunnel on the grades into Castlemaine, then opening up to notch 8 as quickly as possible on departure from there for the Chewton bank I kept the train as close to line speed as possible on the up run. After the stops at both Kyneton and Sunshine we approached Spencer St to finally arrive at 1606, 6 late. Once again sign off was noted as off after 8 hours.

Tuesday was an 0745 start to run the 0900 Geelong pass, train 8225. We invaded the cab of B80 at Spencer St and completed the usual pre-run procedures. Releasing brakes and notching up I got the train moving to Footscray for the ‘pick up’ only. Getting underway once more I slowed for the Newport Junction and then opened the throttle again. Stopping from Little River onwards on the outward journey we drew to a halt at Geelong platform at 1008, 3 late, where we were to from the 1030 up, train 8238. Working with the fireman to uncouple, the run-around the cars and re-couple, I did a continuity test under foreman Tongs guidance, signed the speed chart and prepared to return to Melbourne. Getting underway, once more, to negotiate the departure from Geelong station and its throat I kept power on as we passed the local depot and ran along the straight approach to North Geelong station. Stopping the train within the platform, I re-applied power on seeing the guards ‘all clear’, acknowledging it with a pop on the whistle. Accelerating through the western junction of North Geelong Yard we headed towards North Shore station. Running under the Princes Highway overpass, past the grain loop approach and into the curves near that station I slowed the train, crossed Station St with the require whistles and stopped in the platform. The fireman relayed the ‘right away’ to me this time and I got the train moving again, for the decent length straight to Corio. Notching up again to leave Corio we got up to line speed during the longer run to Lara. After the stop there, where the fireman once again passed on the ‘right away’ I opened the throttle to head for Little River. With the process repeated there, although this time I was leaning out to accept the ‘right away’ once more, here. Running into the metropolitan area and on to Spencer St we drew to a halt in the platform at 1138, still running 3 late. Foreman Tong and I left the loco and, once more, were singed off for an 8-hour shift.

Wednesday was on at 0700 and before we took on a main line run, we took out the locos for both the Hump Pilot and Trimmer, off the pit. H3 and 4 were coupled in multi with F212 coupled to them, but not in multi, in one of the through roads on the depot, although which was the leading loco I can’t recall. Driving, from whichever was leading, to the TR point and then on to the reversing point beneath the hump, we moved to the loco at the far end of the three and moved into the Arrival Yard. At this point we probably handed over the paired H class to the crew running the Hump Pilot then drove the F up the Hump approach and reversed it into its siding. We then made our way to the footbridge leading to North Melbourne station to catch a spark to Spencer St. We joined the 1000 Geelong pass, train 8227, which had B67 at the front. In echoes of the day before, we ran to Geelong where arrival was 1123, 8 late, to form the 1130 up pass, train 8240. After the run around, I got the train moving back to Melbourne where we drew to a stop at 1249, 9 down on the timetable, for another 8-hour sign off.

Thursdays start was 0820 for the 0900 Seymour, train 9313. Once we had made our way to Spencer St, we found T369 at the head of its train, to climb into the cab. Apart from the ‘stopping all’ stations variation this was otherwise similar to the Shepparton runs. After departure from Broadmeadows, with a fully opened throttle, this was eased back on cresting the grade at Somerton, until approaching Craigieburn, where I braked to a stop there. After the ‘right away’ the throttle was opened up again to get as close to 100kph as the T could get until braking for the stop at Donnybrook was necessary. Departure from Donnybrook was under notch 8 and it was left there until we’d crested the grade where Beveridge station used to exist, when it was eased back a bit for the stretch to Wallan, in the same way as the Shepparton pass’. Braking, and blowing the whistle, as we neared the level crossing on the up side of Wallan and the curve into the platform, the train was halted once again. Wallan’s departure resembled the one from Donnybrook, although there was a little more level track here to try to build up speed before the 1-in-48 grade up to the Heathcote Junction crest. We slogged up the grade in notch 8 until just before the crest, with the platform at Heathcote being only a short distance beyond that point. Stopping on the down grade required a little more care than the earlier, flatter, stops but getting away from this station, consequently, a lot easier on the T class, with whistle sounding again for the crossing, but power wasn’t kept up for too long with Wandong being not all that far away down the grade. Stopping here was a challenge with the down grade encouraging overshooting. Getting away from Wandong was, once again, easier on loco but a higher notch setting was maintained to keep up time as we headed for Kilmore East. With the flatter track on the approaches to Kilmore East this was less of a challenge due to grade but more of one due to having to stop from 100kph. With another successful stop within the platform length, I once more opened the throttle to tackle on the slow rise through the down side curve and the long climbing straight where the ‘Apex’ siding diverged to the right. The throttle would have been kept in the higher notches for this stretch and the climb into Broadford station. The grade drops away almost immediately after getting away from here, with its relatively tight S-bend curves, so the T had assistance to get up to its maximum speed again. The momentum grades help goods trains but to maintain the timetable the T was, once more, kept powering. Braking into Tallarook, powering away from here wasn’t too bad, with its slight upgrade, but I had to slow the train for the single line over the Goulburn River at Schoolhouse Lane and then keep it relatively low with speed limits applying into Seymour proper. I braked to a halt in the platform at 1100 and Foreman Tong and I left the loco. We then waited at Seymour station until the 1340 up pass, train 8316, which was the up Shepparton, arrived into the platform. B65 rolled to a halt and we invaded the cab, probably to the disgust of the ‘Big Wheel’ driver. Taking his seat, I applied power when the ‘right away’ was given and brought the train back to Melbourne, including the Broadmeadows ‘set down’ only to arrive at Spencer St at 1455 for another 8-hour sign off.

On Friday we signed on at 0756 for the 0855 Ballarat, train 8109. We relieved yet another driver of the controls, this time of B74, when we got to the Spencer St platform the train was departing from. This train ran via ‘the Marsh’, so after getting to the Sunshine ‘pick up only’, on accepting the ‘right away’ from the guard we curved through the junction and onto the South line as I notched up. I’m not certain of the stopping pattern of this train but the amount of time allowed for it to get to Ballarat suggests that it was a limited stopper. I’m assuming that it stopped at ‘the Marsh’, Ballan and Ballan as many more would have added considerable time. The flat line before Ardeer and Deer Park would have enable line speed to be achieved fairly quickly so the throttle could be eased off a little, however the curve and grade leading to Deer Park West junction would have needed more power again. Once on the undulating line heading for Rockbank 115kph would have been reasonably easy on the loco, with the fireman setting up the auto exchanger to collect the staff there. The road to Melton would have been similar except for speed limited curve on the up. Slowing for this curve I notched up again as the staff exchange occurred with the auto in action again, with maybe a little easing off approaching and crossing some of the bridge but full power would have been brought into play for the short climb off the bridge and then eased back again for the relatively flat run to Parwan. With another exchange complete at Parwan the throttle was eased more for the drop into the valley to pass over the curves over the, backfilled, former Parwan trestles but with the climb out of the valley I would have notched up to 8 again roughly halfway through the curves to climb out of the valley again. Easing up again, once over the crest, we dropped into Bacchus Marsh where I had to slow substantially for the points into the platform. The fireman handed up the staff as I braked the train to a halt. On getting the ‘right away’ the throttle was notched up but only enough to get up to the maximum speed for returning to the main line. Once the train was clear of the crossing I opened the throttle fully again to take on the sweeping curves and grade up towards Rowsley and this power level would have been maintained along this whole stretch with the exception of the slight dip between Rowsley and the horseshoe curve bridge. Climbing the long grade towards Bank Box, power would only have been eased off somewhere between Bank Box loop and Ironbark Gully bridge, on finally reaching more level track. The run from here to Ballan would have had the throttle open but not all the way. On the approach to Ballan power was shut off and the brakes applied for the stop, and collection of the staff, there. With the ‘right away’ passed across the cab by the fireman, notch 8 was selected again to get us back under way until we were back up to line speed, allowing for a few sharper curves. Running past Gordon station, we followed the line to the left towards Wallace, on the now closed ‘loop’ still at line speed with enough throttle to keep us there. Running through the closed station we then curved around towards Bungaree, past the site of the future, but reasonably short lived Bungaree loop. On approach to Bungaree the fireman raised the trapdoor and carried out another exchange with the throttle being advanced gradually on the up-grade. Swinging around the curve past what used to be Dunnstown we approached Warrenheip where I had to shut off and brake for the junction’s 40kph speed. The staff was handed up, probably using the auto once more and I opened the throttle to get us back up to line speed once the rear of the train was off the junction, although this was short lived with the grade assisting an increase in speed. Descending the grade, I slowed the train for the approach to Ballarat and stopped in platform 1 at 1050, 5 minutes early. We formed the 1145 up, train 8134, so the fireman dropped into the pit to cut off. Once uncoupled I moved the loco to the departure home waiting for the home signal to allow us to cross Lydiard St as we performed the run around. On the far side of the crossing I stopped the loco and we quickly changed ends. With the dwarf cleared to allow us to run past the train I accelerated the loco over the crossing and ran to the far end of the station throat so we could back onto the train again. Re-coupled, I did a continuity test accompanied by Foreman Tong pointing out what to check and what to ignore. After our break, the fireman passed on the ‘right away’ again and I opened the throttle to repeat the down run, only in reverse this time. Really the only major difference was the descent from Bank Box to Bacchus Marsh, which required a lot less power but a whole lot more braking and, attempting, use of the dynamic brake. I drew the train to a halt at Spencer St at 1332, a whole minute early. The now standard 8-hour shift was recorded once more.

Saturday was OR as to be expected.

Neil