Re: Great days on the VR Western line was Bromage really is GOD!!!

[David Langley <del@ancc.com.au>]

Geoff Lambert wrote:

> Hmm.  I lived by the line, and I was a keen observer of the trains in
> the 1970s (= railfan) and I don't recall any such an occurrence.

The best I can recall one year was on the down a 2020, 2040 (1st Division) and
2150 (I think). The year in question I travelled to Serviceton on the 2020 where
we crossed the eastbound relief having crossed the Overland (1st division) at
Diapur. The 2nd division had already arrived at the platform, changed locos and
then backed out towards Wolseley leaving the platform free for us. We changed
trains with the Ballarat conductors and so we were not going to get stranded there
although there was the 1150 later that day to Melbourne. Ahh for the good old
days.

> There were three paths in the WTT for the Overland and reliefs,
> numbered in the 1960s as 10, 12 and 14 (or 12A sometimes) on the Up
> and 69, 71 and (I think) 89 on the Down.  The Up was more prone to run
> to three divisions than the Down.  To have all three run was a most
> unusual event, although I did see it at least once in the mid 1960s
> (I'll have to look up my notebooks).  Somebody who frequents this site
> (can't remember who) ventured the opinion to me in an e-mail a few
> weeks ago that the running of all three divisions on the one day
> probably never occurred, but this is not right.  However running 4,
> much less 5 divisions on the one day would definitely be an
> off-the-planet occurrence, and I would be very interested in hearing
> the when and why.  I have nearly all the special WTT books for early
> 1970s' Easters and none of the ones I have schedule even 3 Divisions.
>
> There were up to 9 standard gauge trains to Sydney scheduled at some
> Easter Thursdays, but never more than three Overlands.

The best year was 1710, 1750, 1845 SOP, 2000 SA, 2130 and 2230. These followed two
daylights at 0745 and 0840. That makes 8 trains. There was a schedule of a 2150
Sydney but I don't think it ever ran.

> In 1890 (this is not a personal recollection), the WTT contained paths
> for four trains- two Divisions of the Adelaide Express and two for a
> boat and mail special... the latter two were alternatives though.
>
> It was not unknown to have many more than 5 Adelaide trains on the
> line, though they weren't divisions of the Overland.  On Christmas Eve
> 1973, for instance, there were scheduled to be (I think) about 15
> (fifteen!) Melbourne-Adelaide trains, all running via Bacchus Marsh.
> Two of these were Overlands, the rest were scout jamboree specials.

And a grand night was spent at Serviceton. Arrived on the railmotor at 1800 or
thereabouts and nothing until around 2200 when an eastbound goods crept in behind
some 930's. Following this the down signals were cleared for arriving trains with
incredible regularity as the scout specials arrived, all manner of car sets and
vans. Somehow SA found locos for them all mostly (this done without the aid of the
notebook) single locos. The VR started to amass a large proportion of its main
line fleet there and in the early hours of the morning although daylight, an up
employee special headed to Dimboola - about 10 locos and a BCPL for the sleeping
crews. Now where is that notebook?

> Then, for some Easters in the 1960s and 1970s, there was train A11,
> which was the Adelaide Daylight train on Good Friday (and return on
> Monday).  This could make up to 4 paths to Adelaide within 24 hours.

>
>
> But 5 Overlands?

Not in the same direction.

David Langley.