A VERY RARE TRAIN MOVE at Clunes with a very short grain train - Australian Trains

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Today's video features a loaded three wagon grain train which is one of the shortest loaded mainline broad gauge grain trains to run for a very long time.
The story began back on the 28th of November when a fully loaded Pacific National grain train from Ultima stalled between Clunes and Ballarat. The three grain wagons were originally left at Clunes in the hope that the reduced weight would help the grain train over the steep banks towards Ballarat as there was some issue with one of the locomotives. The idea didn't work and the train stalled anyway. This is the only siding between Ballarat and Korong Vale so when trains do run into trouble, the options are fairly limited for crews.
10 days later the three grain wagons were finally picked up. The spur road at Clunes is very rarely used for trains so what you are viewing is very unique. The video covers the light engine movement, the arrival and departure from Clunes and departure from Ballarat where Pacific National's Diesel Locomotive G524 makes light work of the three wagons in tow.
Here is a link to the previous video that shows the stalled grain train and the light engines that rescued the train - • THUNDERBIRD LOCOMOTIVE...
It's an interesting video and I hope you enjoy it. Enjoy the rest of your week - Brenden S.
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Filmed 8th December 2021 Clunes, Ballarat East, Warrenheip
Filmed in 4K Sony AX53 Handheld
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[@TheDemocrab]

Excellent shot of where the old Buninyong line left the mainline right behind the last grainer as it fades to black.

[@Schony747]

I still remember the truncated line to the oil yards in Ballarat East. Thanks for taking a look.

[@annakutacheva]

I remember how one technical train passing by my village every day, and we called this train "cuckoo")

[@Schony747]

Interesting. How did it get that name?

[@irelandbloke]

Super shots !

[@Schony747]

Thanks! 😀😀

[@irelandbloke]

@@Schony747 You're welcome :)

[@therealandrewstrains]

Of note in the video Brenden, is the colour light dwarf signal at Clunes, showing the "PURPLE" instead of a red stop aspect. This is common for sidings to ensure that mainline trains do not see a red on approach. May also have had a "LUNAR WHITE" clear aspect instead of a green for the same reason. Also noticed that when he came off the Geelong line he ran through the switch, forcing over the points and changing the switch target. Would have thought that was a controlled point, now thinking otherwise.

[@Schony747]

I always wondered why there was a purple or white signal colour. That answers that. Thanks

[@senyaw53]

This whole fiasco would make for some very expensive grain. Good work to get the whole story.

[@Schony747]

The whole fiasco is repeated from time to time when other trains stall as well

[@MrValhem265]

Great FOOTAGE Brendan thanks so much, i love the seaphore signal@2.48

[@Schony747]

Thanks Rob. Always happy to see your contributions

[@AndrewCastlemaine]

Another interesting video. Thanks!

[@Schony747]

Thanks. Your contributions are always welcome 😀😀

[@raybesserdin7542]

Great filming and informative narrative. Know your stuff!👏👏👏😀👍

[@Schony747]

Thanks! 😀😀

[@jamesgovett2501]

Good job you’ve done there with your choice of sites and lots of interest!👍

[@Schony747]

Thanks. I try and make it as interesting as I can so people will continue to watch 😀

[@kurikokaleidoscope]

Excellent.

[@Schony747]

Thanks 😀😀

[@kennethleggatt4885]

An interesting video, showing freight working in country Vic. Good camera work.👍

[@Schony747]

Thanks for looking.

[@johnparker7874]

I love the sound of a EMD645. Even if it is half a world away

[@Schony747]

Yep enthusiasts never get sit of a quality engine sound

[@bigdmac33]

Love that sound!!

[@Schony747]

Everyone loves the G class sound. It wasn't exactly working hard either!

[@mattmatty4670]

Cool thanks mate

[@Schony747]

Thanks for looking 😀😀

[@StrayaTrains]

Great catch!

[@Schony747]

Thanks. One out of the box this one.

[@GoldM4official]

nice

[@Schony747]

Thanks mate

[@ajo3085]

Lucky I read the comments first as I was going to make the same observation about whether they should have left a few more wagons there or not considering the length of the siding. One for the trivia buffs. Wasn't Mad Max filmed at Clunes? If so, there's some more evidence of how our VR network has been stripped as my memory wants to say there were 2 or 3 roads there in addition to the main. As I say though, the trivia buffs might have to put me right on that one.

[@Schony747]

Probably many roads a Clunes like many other locations. Places like Ballan and Gordon even had yards back in the day.

[@andyrob3259]

You Are 100% right. The Toecutter gang are seen riding down the Main Street at Clunes and at Clunes station. Clunes was also where Ned Kelly was filmed and many other movies as it has a fairly intact colonial business area (like Maldon) with few modern buildings.

[@ajo3085]

@@andyrob3259 Thanks very much Andy. I'll have to watch it again now. 😊

[@andyrob3259]

@@ajo3085 yes. The street is so intact often all they (filmmakers) have to do is remove tv antennas and throw gravel/dirt onto the road tarmac to make it look old.

[@ajo3085]

@@andyrob3259 Wow. I haven't been up that way since I was a kid. I'll have to get up there and have a look as I've always enjoyed the colonial era buildings. Cheers!

[@vsvnrg3263]

excellent

[@Schony747]

Thanks Man 😀😀

[@TrainsOnGoPro]

Nice Video! Green G524 looks good!

[@Schony747]

524 still looks pretty good and still sounds great.

[@G516R700]

Hahahahahaha the fastest PN grain train up Warrenheip. Nice footage mate

[@Schony747]

Yeah no trouble with that consist

[@lokiwiseyt8608]

Damn that’s one big train

[@Schony747]

Yes indeed and a very slight struggle for the loco as well 😀🤗

[@olddanb1]

A really lovely video. thanks. I went through Ballerat in June 2019. When we were all in the land of the Covid innocents.

[@Schony747]

It's a great City Ballarat. I grew up there. Thanks for looking.

[@clayton4115]

wow very rare indeed!

[@Schony747]

Very cool to see in person as well. Thanks for looking.

[@itechcircle9410]

I'm going to wait until the 1080p version comes out.

[@Schony747]

Did you enjoy the HD view?

[@itechcircle9410]

@@Schony747 yeah it was great

[@allenjones5525]

Just wonder if you have ever mention the remains of the old Ballarat East station, which in it's day was an impressive blue stone construction and you have the old Ballarat East Engine Sheds off to the left when looking towards the Ballarat Station waiting for the G to move onto the Geelong line. Enjoy your work. Have a good one.

[@Schony747]

It was mentioned in the subtitles. I'd like to do a full video around Ballarat of the old stuff

[@allenjones5525]

@@Schony747 Just by the by my great uncle was Stationmaster at Ballarat in the early 50's as well as a Railway Commissioner. This is on my Mum's side and her family had a connection with the victorian railways going back to 1868. Hope you can get to making the video about the old stuff around Ballarat. Cheers

[@olddanb1]

Don't forget to look out for the supporting cast. Black Winged Stilts show boating here and there.

[@Schony747]

Yep a typical country scene with a supporting local cast. Thanks for having a look 😀😀

[@1Nanerz]

What’s with the three old steamers off to the side? Museum pieces?

[@Schony747]

Part of Steamrail I'm assuming as it has a depot at Ballarat East

[@troller2908]

Steamfail own them not that they need them as they do not care about the D3 they have at newport.

[@geoffreymoore1510]

Thanks for the grain train video. Slowly getting my hand around putting up some videos of my own. Not professional of course.

[@Schony747]

Go ahead and have a go. Mine aren't professional. I just enjoy putting it all together

[@geoffreymoore1510]

@@Schony747 Appreciate the encouragement. Still trying to fix my other KZbin account. Can't seem to get "in the back" for editing??

[@Schony747]

No idea to be honest. I use Corel video studio and then upload the file Once I've edited it and rendered it.

[@retabera]

so they just left the points set for the siding for the next crew to notice

[@Schony747]

It's all controlled remotely from Ballarat or Centrol in Melbourne. The points were set for the straight not long after

[@bigman4225]

ballarat.

[@retabera]

@@Schony747 Ah interesting that they would automate such a rarely used siding. I guess they wouldn't want some drongo to play with it unnoticed.

[@philsara1476]

3 old steam locos on the left at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="630">10:30</a> ???

[@troller2908]

stuffed D3's

[@Schony747]

Old locos at Steamrail Ballarat East

[@louiskats5116]

Goodday Brendan, I don't think that G Class broke a sweat pulling those wagons. Where do they switch the rails to go into the siding ? Cheers Louis 👍

[@Schony747]

It's all controlled through Centrol in Melbourne

[@gazfish]

Surprised it came off idle

[@troller2908]

@@Schony747 Wrong! Controlled from Ballarat! Like Bacchus Marsh!

[@Schony747]

My understanding is it's all controlled through Centrol. Bairnsdale and Swanhill have a local panel. Otherwise it's all Melbourne. My train controller mate even controls Shepparton from his desk at Centrol

[@louiskats5116]

@@Schony747 Thanks Brendan The marvels of modern technology. Cheers Louis 👍

[@XDHwilks]

I saw G523 the other day

[@Schony747]

It's standard gauge so pops up regularly on grain trains

[@aussi3212]

old school local goods,

[@Schony747]

Yes! Just like the local shunts that were taken off the mainline goods.

[@nickhiscock8948]

how did you know this movement was to occur at this time?

[@southaussiegarbo2054]

There's sites for tracking trains

[@Schony747]

I get my info from Facebook tracker groups. I was in Ballarat for a change, saw the post and went out and waited. Normally I'm not even close.

[@trainbuff1090]

Wonder what the train number was 🧐

[@Schony747]

No idea. Maybe someone else might know.

[@troller2908]

TD Number: 9150

[@kyleJohn1997]

Sounds like and almost looks like a Class 66 'Shed'

[@Schony747]

Very similar but some obvious differences

[@troller2908]

G class is a 3000hp Emd 645. Shed's are a 710

[@philbarker8219]

The plovers were not amused by the intruder....

[@Schony747]

It would have been a bit of a shock. 😀😀

[@kroo07]

Looks like four old steam locos in need of TLC.

[@Schony747]

Sitting there at The Steamrail Ballarat East Depot waiting as a part of a future project I suppose.

[@Stefan_Boerjesson]

Wooden stops? Are You joking? Such stops are crashed by a 14 ton railcar when s they are forgotten. Derailing.. I'm used to "safety points" directing the train away from the main line. Maybe this mechanism is faster and cheaper to install.

[@Schony747]

The road is very rarely used and my understanding is its more like a storage road for emergencies and not used as a safety road hence the wooden stoppers. This is the first time in many years I've actually seen the road in use.

[@Stefan_Boerjesson]

@@Schony747 I have a lot of respect for 3 US 4 axel cars fully loaded.... In the video I thought I heard the sound of metal when the stopper is put to rest on the car. Normally safety points are used in order to let 2 trains enter a station at the same time. If one train misses to stop the safety point will direct it out in the nature, not up into the other incoming train. For a siding like this it looks like overkill.

[@archmcdonald6170]

Could they have placed 4 or 5 wagons in that siding?. that would have taken a load of the consist.

[@Schony747]

Looks like 5 would have fitted. I don't think it would have made a difference anyway in the bigger scheme of things

[@troller2908]

4 and a Small Loco. Otherwise it will foul the dwarf.

[@raytylicki9001]

Your grain cars are shorter and smaller than USA

[@Schony747]

That's a fair comparison. I look at some of the US videos and the grain wagons are much bigger.

[@troller2908]

our loading gauge is also smaller.... so of course they are

[@raytylicki9001]

120 tons max per USA grain car

[@raytylicki9001]

@@troller2908 You have 5 ft 3 in and USA is 4 ft 8.6 inches. The line here is wide gauge

[@troller2908]

@@raytylicki9001 that's track gauge. Not loading gauge!