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Evening
folks
Thanks to those who tipped off re GNRS running
ballast trains out of Inverleigh with GM27 (oh, and ex-Westrail J103 too,
for what it's worth). According to Great Northern, they will be there for a
few weeks, and for today, Friday and Saturday were/are to make two trips
from Inverleigh per day, one at 09 00 and another at 13 00, working as far
as Vite Vite loop.
I checked them out this arvo, discovering
GM27-J103 (just 27-103 according to GNRS's numbering) and 13xVZMF hoppers at
midday in Wingeel loop, waiting for a cross with NR89-NR11 on WP2. Getting
section authorities to continue apparantly took ages, as it wasn't until 13
00 that the locos left the loop to run around the train, and it was 13 40
before they departed to return to Inverleigh discharging the last of the
ballast as they went.
As an aside, Little Bo Peep will presumably
have been experiencing severe disappointment at some stage over the past
weeks, judging by the number of dead sheep beside the tracks in the
loop.
Back at Inverleigh a second set of hoppers were
waiting already filled. In an interesting variation on push-pull working,
the train entered the siding from the down end, the locos coupled to the
loaded hoppers, and then pushed them towards the up end of the loop while
still pulling the empties into position for reloading from the large pile of
ballast being added to by a constant stream of road tippers. It was an
unusual sight to see the two locos effectively in the middle of their train.
After leaving the empties in position the locos
continued to push the full hoppers out onto the mainline, departing again at
15 35. They discharged again almost immediately for a short distance before
heading off at speed to Wingeel Loop again, where they waited for a cross
with NR91-NR86 on PW4 at 16 35. I was satisfied with my collection of photos
of that gleaming red bulldog nose, and left the train to continue on its way
to Berrybank Loop. The GNRS livery [or paint scheme for the benefit of our
Echuca correspondant, as the bogies aren't silver!] really does look superb
in the sun, where it almost glows.
[For those interested in photos, if it's not
already clear GM27 leads when heading west of Inverleigh, and J103 on the
easterly return.]
Regards,
Russell Armstrong
Geelong, Vic.
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