News Flash

VR has advised that as the Cement plant has closed today that all sercive on the branch line will cease to run on 31 December 2010. The line will officially close on 12 Jan 2011

New Blog to start shortly will be Hunter Valley & Liverpool Range Line. Keep a look out for it

Passenger Service

For most of Victoria V/Line Pass has operated a frequent passenger service on most lines and this Branch Line is no exception. Currently there are three return services from Melbourne each day. The trip takes 90 minutes each way. Trains arrive with half an hout turn around before departing at 0800, 1300 and 1900. Trains are usually hauled by B or occasionally an A class unit and consist of three cars including one car with a buffet section. N class diesels are expected to take over as the train engine later this year Following is a typical service arriving and departing


A84 in an all over orange scheme arrives at the platform. This was the only loco ever painted in this scheme


Once the passengers have disembarked the loco is uncoupled from the train in readyness to run around the passenger set. The uncoupling is done by the loco crew. The loco has been uncoupled and the crew member is about to re-board the loco



The loco is crossing from the Main Line to the Loop as it runs around its train


The loco is now attached to the Melbourne end of the train ready for the 1300 service to the State Capital. The crew are taking a short tea break. Arrival time in Melbourne is 1430 if it is on time

A Rare Branchline Visitor

Whilst out on trials after servicing the first steam loco to visit the line. It operated as a light engine in both directions. Some time was spent moving around the station yard for the locals to view the spectacular. It was a bust thre hours from arrival to departure

6028 seen in the yard near the Cement Works shunting a few wagons

Assorted Pictorial Views

This is a pictorial of the goods train that runs at least three days a week M W F) and more (usually T S) depending on traffic. B class units have taken over operating the train because of the increasing loading for this train.. In these photos B84 is the train engine and Y146 is the Yard Shunter

As you can see it is busy some days. There is at least one and sometimes two cement trains for loading.

New Industrial Siding

Business is booming so a new Industrial Siding was installed to serve five industries and a loco shed for a single diesel unit which has now been allocated to the station. The first industry is Henry's Grain. Sharing the next siding is Mountain Top Export Wines and and The Hills Distribution Warehouse. The siding not yet connected is for container loaded cattle run by Snowy Cattle . The points will be put in when the council finally approves the land use and traffic plan. Until then the containers will be unloaded in the goods yard At the end is another warehouse building for Bob's Builoding Products. Next to that is the VR Loco depot . Currently Y146 is allocated there with a new loco being allocated when the loco has to for a service.

The landscapers still need to arrive and put in road access . A bit messy in the wet. The current wet and cold weather is holding the task up.

VR Cement Train

Click on photos to enlarge
A photo pictorial of the arrival, loading and departure of one of the cement trains












T364 on the Cement Train leaving the fiddle yard












T364 arrives in the loop in order that the loco can run around the train
























The crew have uncoupled the loo and it is about to move forward and cross over to the main track













T364 has crossed over to the main track and the points have been set for it to run around. The loco is seen from the sawn timber siding and the Cement works is in the background












T364 stops just short of coupling up so that the crew member can signal the driver back onto the train












The train has now been pushed back into the silo siding and will shortly be in position for loading to commence












Cement wagons never look clean except the first couple of days back in service. It is a while since this car has seen the workshop












Loading continues as the first of six cars to be loaded has emerged from the silo












The last car has just finished loading and the train is ready to proceed up to the platform for the final paperwork ans wait for the staff to the next section












The staff for the next section has been received and the Cement train is about to depart the loop. This saga will be played out later again that day when the next Cement Train arrives

Stay tuned for another in depth view of another service on this branch line

Viewing photos in posts

Click on the earlier posts photos for full size view
Doing blogs and getting them right is a pain in the neck.

The Landscapers Arrive

The first job was to make the station safe so fences and steps down to the street were completed. About the same time the newest industry arrived in town in the form of a saw mill owned by Mountain Top Lumber Company. A rail connection was made to receive logs and ship out sawn timber to the rest of the world.

























The track ballast for this siding is still waiting the return of the team as the yard had been completed. A train load of Blast from RIC is due soon.



























With all that done then the landscapers moved in and started to improve the look of the town.. The cement works was fenced off and some work was done around the silos and up to the Melbourne of the station. They are taking a shot break before continuing


























T364 is about to shunt the cement wagons into the silo siding for loading while T363 has a load of limestone ready to be unloaded. These are the new n track limestone cars

























This view shows the station and goods shed
























The landscaping around the Cement woks and silos. T364 heads the train loading cement






















The last picture today is T363 is ready to depart with the limestone cars while T379 waits to shunt its train of limestone cars into the siding

Busy Dayin North Mirboo

The day has been frantic in getting things done. Three construction crews have been busy all day. The first to arrive was the road crew but being a Mexican team things didn't always go to plan but by the end of the day the main roads were sealed. As the old motto goes build a road and the cars will come and so will the traffic jams and the cops. By the end of the day still no cars Maybe because it was 35 degrees they went to the beach.

While the road crew was busy the railway contractors returned to set up the station and install a building to control things. The building was a left over from New South Wales and arrived slung under a Chinook helicopter. It was positioned on its piers but as the day sped by they didn't get the platform fence done or the steps down to the street. They will be back soon to finish off the job. As the hotel was closed for the day no one hung round after work.

The shops are all stocked and ready to open when there are some people to come and buy. Its all up to the cement works to get up and running

























The Crown Hotel


























The other hard working team that day belonged to the cement works. They were setting up the cement loading and unloading bay at the silos. It involved a lot of cementing but in their usual efficiency the job was completed mid afternoon. It looked good . By 3pm the works was deserted. Their next job is to build a limestone unloading facility.





The weather has closed in and it is unlikely much will get done in the next day or so. This is the supervising Manager signing off for tody

Trial Operations

Monday saw the influx of B class locos all fitted with their computer upgrades. All were testing how well the track construction crew went. It was a disaster. The track test operations ceased after a few derailments took up all the overtime for the Breakdown crew' The construction crew didn't read their plans and mixed heavy rail with lighter track and joined them on a corner.
At the convention were B61 (SSR), B62 (Blue & Gold), B65 (Auscision), B74 & B82 (Orange & Grey) and B84 (Orange). Gate crashing the convention were Bi-centennial B66 and Y137. Three A class sent their apologies' A good day was had by all and a tour of the underground operations centre was undertaken. It was built there in case of terrorist attacks, They will never find them under the track.

ABunnings special supplied bunker. (Well at least the brackets and screws)

The track crew were dragged back today under threatening cloud and put to work. It wasn't long before the heavy rail was dragged away and in came the lighter rail and with the whip cracking the finished the job in one day.

Now the great wise people need to attrack workers to the town as well as some more business. They will need to water the ground to get some greenery going. Who wants to live in a dust bowl. The end of this entry the track constudtion crew submitted two photos of their work

Entry to the fiddle yard
Fiddle Yard complete

Australia Day

What a difference a couple of days can make. The track laying gang is heading off for a break and will be back to lay two more sidings when their location can be agreed upon. The weeds have still to grow although a few buildings have grown quickly.

The sub terrain crew has been busy rolling out the cables to get things going. They worked so hard that all the work has been done and there were only two bugs to sort out and kill. Just as the sun was setting in the west and before the fireworks an A class arrived on a test run. Note the new hotel that was built by the night shift

It quickly disappeared and came back with a goods train. That was followed by a Y class hauled pass train from Melbourne. It didn't stay long before it left on its return run

The construction crew are having a couple of days off in appreciation of their enthusiastic work

The Next Day

As the bare earth was cooling and before weeds were invented suddenly a track laying gang appeared. This was the starting point for the branch restoration. The two points set the mood for the rapid advancement of the connection to the outside world . The next picture shows that important event

Then all of a sudden two items of rolling stock blew on on a north easter from NSW as test equipment . The track gang had been busy continuing to lay track so that by the end of the day a lot had been achieved. The next two photos round out the day


It will be exciting days ahead.

Creation

Southern Cement has just built a new cement plant in southern Victoria (Australia). Fortunately it was located at a closed VR branch line to North Mirboo resulting in a reopening of the line and introduction of general freight and passenger services. There will be a photo essay of the model and its development until the line closes. Keep coming back for updates

In five days the earth was made and ready for life. When it gets dark then the great sky lights brightens the place up




Now get ready for the first signs of life (Forget Adam & Eve they just don't rate)


On the next day appeared the Cement works building and a passenger train ready to make its first run. The landscapers are running way behind schedule.

Everything is ready for the big expansion tgay tuned