Trains on the plains

Despite living on the western side of Melbourne, and the high volumes of freight traffic (for Victoria), I haven't spent a lot of time photographing trains out between Newport and Ararat in recent years.

There's no real reason behind it, sure, I've taken the occasional photo of trains crossing the magnificent Moorabool viaduct, mainly preserved steam, and have headed out to the Lara - Little River area a bit, but that's been the limit of my exploration.

In the mid 90s before and after the line from Geringhap to Maroona was gauge converted, a few of us would chase a train west to Cressy after work, getting a few photos, then depending what light was left, or what we felt like, would sometimes head to Colac for a counter meal, and come home.

There's been a few sporadic trips over the last couple of years, photographing the SRHC Ararat trip on the outward journey, before abandoning the return after the train set fire to paddocks, and was halted for a while.

I went for a bit of an explore out to the Murghbuloc curves for a shot of The Overland when it was looking like finishing up, but that's been about it.

Since January though, things have changed a little bit.

After our trip on The Great Southern, and back from Adelaide on The Overland, I've been paying a bit more attention to the line.

Going out for photos of the Great Southern a couple of times at a few different locations has got me interested in the line again.

Some Great Southern Exposure

The nice, long summer evenings gave some opportunities to head west to Inverleigh, and beyond, to photograph the Great Southern. It was due to depart Inverleigh at 6pm, so getting away from work smartly was the sticking point, a good run is a bit over an hour, not something that's easy to get after work,  and I like to have a bit of time to sort out what I'm doing, so it only ended up being a couple of times.

The first was Wednesday 11th, and I had enough time to head out past Inverleigh, the next crossing loop, Barwon Park, and almost to Wingeel loop.

Due to the length of the train, I was trying to find somewhere nice and open to show off the entire train, and the golden paddocks it was running through. This spot ticked the boxes, with the added advantage of being able to see the signals for the loop, which would give me an idea when the train was getting closer.

Parked out in the middle of nowhere, a couple of passing farmers actually stopped to see if I needed a hand, which was very nice of them!

The train was running a bit late, and an up freight crawled into the loop from the west waiting for it to pass.

Eventually, the Great Southern could be seen approaching, slowly as the signals were against it with the freight fouling the main line.

Once it was in clear, our train received a yellow over red signal, and started picking up speed again. I left the GS there, and followed the freight back in towards Melbourne for a bit, before heading for home.

NRs 112, 1 and 34 wait in Wingeel loop for the Great Southern to pass through before continuing their journey to Melbourne

The Second, and last time for the season played out a little differently. I'd picked up a mate (Jules) as he wanted to get some video of the train, and we were out there in plenty of time to have a chat with the crew, and watch a Melbourne bound freight pass through.

NR 30 sits in the siding at Inverleigh on the Great Southern as an SCT freight rushes past

They have an extremely boring day of it, getting on the train at Broadmeadows at 10:45, and running it to Inverleigh with an arrival time of 1:04 pm. As Inverleigh is only a siding rather than a proper crossing loop, they are required to sit on the train until the relief crew arrive from Dimboola to hand over. They then drive back to Melbourne, and sign off.

We saw the busses arrive back from their day excursions, and the passengers board the train. An up freight went through, but still no relief crew.

They eventually showed up, and we set off up track to our chosen location, the long grade out of the siding, a bit over a train length out so the train would be working to build up speed.

More waiting, and watching the Melbourne crew at the points, before the train surprisingly pushed back towards Melbourne! We found out later that they couldn't get the points over and locked properly, so rather than waste more time, they went out whence they came, with meant they were going faster than would have otherwise been when they came past.

NRs 30 and 31 have the Great Southern stretched out across Terrier Rd, and are about to cross Mahers Rd. as the train climbs away from Inverleigh.

Once past us, we quickly headed for Bannockburn, about 15km away on the Geelong to Ballarat line. We had received a message that a grain train would be around, adding to the day's catch.

The grain, hauled by a pair of S classes, and operated by Southern Shorthaul Railroad did the right thing and showed up not long after we did.

The Cockatoos feeding on spilt grain have their feast interrupted as S 317 and S 312 pass through with another load.

The pair of 1960s vintage S classes swing into Bannockburn on their way to harbour with a load of export grain from the Mallee.

Leaving Bannockburn, we headed to Newport for dinner at The Junction hotel, which eventually the grain came past, a successful afternoon out.

K car transfer

I had some leave recently, and there was word of a set of former South Australian Railways passenger cars that were stored at Dimboola would be heading into NSW to join The Picnic Train fleet.

The cars are owned by Steamrail Victoria, and had been converted to Standard gauge some years ago, but I don't think they had turned a wheel in revenue service.

Keeping an eye on some of the Facebook groups, and getting updates from friends, a couple of short trial tips were run to make sure the cars were up to the journey to Goulburn, which, with the addition of some tarps and ratchet straps, they were.

Based on information I had, I set out for Cressy, hoping to have a bit of time to look around.

Cressy was once a four way junction with a connection to the north at Newtown on the Ballarat to Skipton railway, and south to the Warrnambool / Port Fairy railway at Beac, near Colac. Where there was once a loco depot, signal box, and extensive sidings, there's very little to indicate there was ever a station there at all. This drawing gives you an idea of the extent of this once busy place.

There's sharp curves at both ends of the old station site, the down, or away from Melbourne end was my first choice, but didn't cut it, so I headed back out toward Geelong to a side road that had potential.

As I headed down the dirt road, I caught sight of the train out of the corner of my eye, so made a hasty decision on where to take my shot - a pile of ballast at the level crossing.

Former South Australian Railways 701 has swung through the Cressy Curves, and is making good time on the journey through to Albury.

Back to the car, and in pursuit of the 80kmh train, I was surprised how long it took to overtake it.

A couple of possible shots I had in mind flashed passed, until I got to a cross paddock shot I wanted that required a lens change.

Not much time, but new glass on, as the train got where I wanted it. The camera wouldn't focus ( the lens was on manual), so that was a loss, and I was was behind the train again, with some roadworks ahead.

Almost back to Inverleigh, I did manage to get a shot across the paddock, but nothing of note.

While the loco and first couple of cars are looking good, it gets a bit shabby from there back. Ratchet straps are being used to hold the remains of the roofing in place for the journey.

I then decided to cut for Little River, and Peak School Road, where the lines climb up to the highest point between Geelong and Melbourne.

There's also a bit of interest here, as the standard gauge swings away from the broad gauge lines , and the silos at Lara can be seen in the background - not that I managed to get them this time.

Peak School Road, apart from having an interesting name isn’t a bad spot to photograph trains climbing up out of Lara.

I had barely got to my chosen spot before the train, but was happy with what I captured, and waited there, as the 'Fruity', the Mildura train wasn't far behind.

Boxes hauling boxes - G 523 and BL 26 drag the ‘Fruit Flier’ from Mildura up the climb out of Lara.

Grain on the plains

A couple of Fridays later, I decided to head west again to see if I could pick up a grain train.

The weather was fairly woeful, blowing a gale, and overcast, with torrential downpours now and then - but I was back to work on Monday, so grabbed a beanie and coat and headed out.

There's a reasonably regular pattern with the grains, come into Geelong in the morning, tip at the export grain loop and either head out again, or into the North Geelong yard to wait for a late afternoon departure.

There was an article recently in Newsrail on Murghebulloc station, and its role on the edge of an army supply base in WWII, and as Murghebulloc has some nice sweeping curves and earthworks (it's probably the most scenic section of the whole railway), I headed there as a starting point.

I'd pulled up at a bridge over the railway line to stretch my legs, and see how wet it was off the road when the train I was hoping to see was approaching. Lucky timing, as a few minutes later, I would have missed it.

At the eastern end of the Murghebulloc curves, XR 557, BL 33 and XR 559 are Warracknabeal bound with empty grain wagons in tow.

I took a couple of shots, then back in the car to get onto the Hamilton Highway to start the chase proper.

It took until well through Inverleigh before I caught the back of the train, and it was pelting horizontally but after my reconnaissance from last time, I at least had half a clue where to go. Past Wingeel, the line and road re converge, and there's a couple of interesting spots with nice vertical curves.

Taking a chance on the soggy road shoulder, I pulled over as far as I dared, and waited for the train.

The rain had stopped thankfully, and after having lost sight of the train over the paddocks, I had a few minutes wait to set up before it appeared. By this stage, I was about 30 km from the first time I'd seen the train, and maybe 20km from Cressy where I planned to turn around, so it was looking like a three shot day, which wasn't too bad considering the dodgy weather.

Fairly miserable conditions out on the Pleurisy Plains as the train rolls through the dip, and out the other side.

I haven't actually mentioned the consist of the train - it was a fairly interesting set of locos, XR 557, BL 33 and XR 559 on 45 empty grain wagons.

The XR's are a class of nine locos, the first six were originally built as X class locomotives dating from 1966 to 1970, while the remaining three (557 to 559) were built from new at South Dynon.

All of the class were fitted with refurbished higher horsepower engines from G class locos, which were getting a refurbishment of their own.

The G Classes, and BL classes were delivered to Vline, and Australian National respectively in the mid 1980s to essentially the same design. Growing up, I wasn't a fan of the G classes, as they were displacing the old VR favourites, while the BL's were something different in green and yellow livery, but still just boxes!

Time marches on, so I was happy to capture the trio!

I made Cressy reasonably comfortably, and after photographing the train was planning on going home, but the weather was improving, the sun was coming out, and it was my last day of leave…

Very little to show that Cressy was once a busy junction station with island platform, signal box, loco depot, and junction for two other railway lines!

So, off towards Berrybank I went.

There were some interesting spots for future expeditions noted, a couple of old road bridges and road alignments out of Cressy, and the now sweeping curves to the level crossing between the two 'towns' are worth a look in the right conditions.

I caught up with the empty grain - it was slowing at Berrybank, looking like a cross was on the cards.

The decaying remains of the station building, and silos with the rusty rails of the siding that once served them were a reminder to shoot anything while you can - who knows how long these relics will last.

It's interesting to note that Berrybank has a large road based grain handling facility right beside the railway with a direct link to the port of Geelong, just saying.

Expecting the arrival of an up train, I set up for a shot between the down departure signals, and didn't have long to wait before NRs 71, 82 and 117 on 3XM4 steel train from Whyalla, South Australia, swung into view.

Rounding the curve into Berrybank amongst the wind turbines. There’s an almost endless supply of it on these flat open plains.

I took a couple of shots of the up train, both trains, and then the departing grain which I left to its journey to Warracknabeal, and set off in pursuit of the steely.

The steel train has departed, and it’s time for the grain to have a run, past the slowly decaying station building.

That turned out to be a non event really, it had a good head start by the time the grain departed, and with some roadworks on the way, it left me well behind.

I'd made some ground on it by Wingeel, and was in front of it coming into Inverleigh, where lower speed limits, and traffic slowed things down.

There was no chance of getting in front of it before the highway crossing outside of town, so I elected to take a shot at the site of last year's culvert washout, before packing up, and heading for home.

The three NRs cross the replacement culvert and track that was installed after the November 2022 washout and derailment.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post, as always, feel free to leave comments, or email me.

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