V/Line around Ballarat
February 17, 2019
V/Line services west from Bacchus Marsh to Ballarat, Ararat and Maryborough: since Regional Fast Rail started in 2006 boring old VLocities are the only trains used beyond Bacchus Marsh.
Ballarat buses
February 17, 2019
Buses in Ballarat are operated by CDC Ballarat, formerly Davis Bus Lines, part of CDC Victoria.
Ballarat Tramway Museum
November 27, 2018
Located on the shores of Lake Wendouree and with about a kilometre of single track with a single crossing loop, and a 7 road shed, the museum has a collection of trams representing those used on the Victorian provincial tramways
Ballarat line infrastructure
August 19, 2018
Photos of Ballarat station - a lot more are on my other site, Rail Geelong
Pacific National broad gauge Mildura freight
March 07, 2018
The Mildura freight runs from Merbein (just north of the town) to Melbourne and return for Wakefield Transport. The train is made up of standard and refrigerated containers, as well as a small amount of cement loading. Until recent years oil tankers, louvre vans and LCL containers were also attached to the train. With gauge conversion of the Mildura line, in late 2017 the service was rerouted to serve a temporary freight terminal at Manangatang on the parallel Robinvale line, with a standard gauge service taking over in mid 2018.
Ballarat Workshops
October 25, 2017
Currently operated by United Group they carry out work for Metro Trains Melbourne, Great Southern Rail and a number of other operators
707 Operations - Ballarat Beer Festival, January 2016
January 16, 2016
On January 16, 2016 T413 and T364 lead a train from Melbourne to Ballarat and return (via North Shore) for the Ballarat Beer Festival.
DERMPAV - charter to Ballarat, May 2013
May 25, 2013
On May 25, 2013 a private group chartered RM58 for a trip to Ballarat and return, via Bacchus Marsh
Geelong - Ballarat Railway 150th
April 10, 2012
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Geelong Ballarat rail line opening, a special charter train ran from Geelong to Ballarat and return on 10th April 2012. Steamrail's T364 led the train, which included carriages 1BCE, 3ABE and 7ABE
Ballarat broad gauge freight
April 10, 2012
Until 2008 freight trains actually stopped at Ballarat - container wagons loaded and unloaded in the goods yard at Ballarat then attached onto the Pacific National service that ran between Mildura and Melbourne, and grain trains from Dunolly served the Bunge grain silos at Ballarat North.
Steamrail - Y112 Geelong shuttles, April 2011
April 17, 2011
T356, Y112 and D3 639 ran shuttles around Geelong on April 16th and 17th. The diesel was only used on the first morning, Y112 having run light engine from Ballarat for the occasion.
Steamrail - Cup Weekender October 2010
October 30, 2010
Running from Melbourne to Quambatook and Sea Lake over the Melbourne Cup weekend, the consist was S313 - S301 - PCP - Goulburn - LAN - Moorabool - BZ - BRS - Werribee - Indi - Coliban - Inman - AK - BCE.
Steamrail - Y112 Ballarat shuttles, August 2010
August 22, 2010
On August 21 and 22 2010 Steamrail run steam shuttles out of Ballarat, using K153 and Y112 push-pull on a rake of timber bodied BW carriages.
V/Line - Maryborough line launch
July 24, 2010
V/Line services to Maryborough were officially launched on Saturday July 24, with VLocities VL34 and VL38 running special trains on the day, and Premier John Brumby and Public Transport Minister Martin Pakula there for the opening ceremonies.
The train carried passengers from Melbourne as far as Ballarat, then took invited guests to Creswick, where an opening ceremony for the new station was held. Locals were allowed to catch the train to Maryborough where another opening ceremony was held. Five shuttle trips were run between Maryborough and the 214 km post for the locals (originally six were planned) before VL38 headed back to Melbourne, VL34 stabled to run the first up service the next day.
Steamrail - Mildura 2009
November 02, 2009
S301, T395 and S313 lead the train of 15 carriages, R761 was added to the train on the return leg between Ballarat and Melbourne (via North Geelong)
PCJ van transfers to/from Ballarat, September 2009
September 15, 2009
El Zorro ran a transfer between Melbourne and Ballarat via North Geelong, T357 took V/Line power van PCJ491 to the Ballarat Workshops for refurbishment, bringing back completed van PCJ493 (formerly PCO2). You don't see Bona (engine and a single guards van) moves that often!
707 Operations - Ballarat September 2009
September 13, 2009
R707 lead a 7 car train push-pull with T413 from Melbourne to Ballarat and back, via North Geelong
Steamrail - Ballarat driver training September 2009
September 13, 2009
Recently repaired R761 took 5 cars on a driver training run from Melbourne to Ballarat - via Geelong on Saturday 12th, and back via Bacchus Marsh on Sunday 13th
Steamrail - 'Ballarat Discoverer' May 2009
May 02, 2009
R761 lead a 5 car train from Melbourne to Ballarat and return, via Bacchus March both ways.
Hitachi transfer, January 2009
January 18, 2009
El Zorro took CFCLA liveried T369 out light engine from Dynon to Ballarat to pick up a refurbished Hitachi set from Alstom's North Ballarat Workshops. The set was 23M-2007T-233M + 9M-1919T-144M and was taken to Newport Workshops
Hitachi transfer with T378 to Ballarat, August 2008
August 31, 2008
SRHC's T378 took Elecrail Hitachi set 7M-1994T-225M-89M-1946T-99M from Newport to Ballarat Workshops via North Geelong for refurbishment. Here are some shots between Lara and Warrenheip.
SRHC - Ballarat Blue Train Tour, May 2008
May 24, 2008
On May 25 the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran a special train from Seymour to Melbourne to Ballarat and return. New V/Line liveried locomotive N468 took the train of blue S cars
SRHC - Ballarat Blue Train Tour, December 2007
December 08, 2007
The Seymour Railway Heritage Centre ran their 'Blue Train' from Ballarat to Seymour via Southern Cross, with locomotives B74 and T357, with Parlor Car in the consist
First day of VLocity operations - Ballarat line launch
December 22, 2005
December 22nd 2005 was the entry of V/Line's new VLocity trains into revenue service. I managed to catch the 1406 service to Ballarat, and the 1629 service from Ballarat. In this collection I've got pictures of the VLocity arriving at Southern Cross Station, for the first time with paying passengers on board, as well as the services that I travelled on.