In March 1982, and being stationed at South Dynon Locomotive Depot, Melbourne, I wrote the following article for the AFULE newsletter, ‘Central Branch News’

 

NOW THAT’S SERVICE!

 

 

For those of you who have never run the 06 30 Pass ex Seymour, here is a story concerning this train which could only be described as a ‘poor excuse for shifting people from A to B’.

 

To run this train you first have to get to Seymour.  On this particular day (Mon. 15.3.82) we ran the 02 55 Goods ex Newport.  On going over the pit at Seymour we were allotted Locomotive No. Y 151 to run our return trip (the 06 30 Pass).  We docked the cars (3 - 120 tonnes) into the platform and waited for the departure time to tick up on the clock.  I was still pondering over the fact that the Guard had a disgusted look on his face as he wrote down the ‘vital information’ (carriage numbers, Name of Driver) required to run this train when 06 30 ticked up and the right-away obtained.  Little did we know what was to come.

 

Melbourne here we come.  15 kph out of the platform due to a speed restriction then ‘in to it’.  After all we are running train?  Speed did not get above 52 kph in the first section, and we arrived at Tallarook 4½ minutes late.  Worse was in store, mainly for the passengers, as can be seen by the timetable below.

 

Things did not improve.  On very rare occasions we actually reached speeds of 70 kph, but only downhill (thank goodness for those hills).  As we slowly (and it was slow) made our way towards that bustling station of Spencer Street we were getting further behind time, to the extent that at Craigieburn we had dropped 22 minutes.  I’m still wondering why those people at the station gave me ‘dagger’ looks and checked their time pieces as we rolled in.  However things did improve.  By the time we had stopped at Broadmeadows, we had gained ONE MINUTE.  Now we had only a further 21 minutes to make up.  Some slick driving to Essendon and not being blocked by a ‘Spark’ gained us nothing.  Being ‘checked’ at 2 signals approaching this station did not help either.  Still 21 minutes down.  The run into Spencer Street was about usual, finally coming upon a ‘Spark’ which knocked us a bit more (that adds insult to injury), but we did improve on the 22 minutes down by arriving at Spencer Street only 19 down.  Whether it was because it was Monday morning or our late arrival, I am not sure, but happy faces were few and far between.

 

Comment was made at the depot by a Driver before we left, ‘that when running the 06 30 Pass ex Seymour, you throw away the timetable and get out your calendar’.

 

That is what VicRail terms as SERVICE.  Why the travelling public on this train do not scream ‘blue murder’ over this so-called pathetic excuse for a train service leaves me in bewilderment.  The only explanation I can offer, is that if complaints are being made, they are falling on ‘deaf ears’.

 

So remember, if by chance you should be rostered on the 06 30 Pass ex Seymour with a Y class, take extra tucker and don’t forget your calendar.

 

STATION                               T/T Time                        ACTUAL             LOSS (Min)

Tallarook                                 0 638                             06 42                             4

Broadford                                06 50                             07 00                             10

Kilmore East                            06 58                             07 13                             15

Wandong                                 07 06                             07 23                             19

Heathcote Junction                   07 09                             07 27                             18

Wallan                                     07 15                             07 33                             18

Beveridge                                07 20                             07 40                             20

Donnybrook                            07 27                             07 48                             21

Craigieburn                             07 34                             07 56                             22

Broadmeadows                       07 44                             08 05                             21

Essendon                                 07 55                             08 16                             21

North Melbourne                                   08 07                             08 25                             18

Spencer Street                         08 10                             08 29                             19

 

Y Class Specifications:

Entered service: 17.09.63

Road Nos: 101 – 175

Horsepower rating: 101 – 150, 650 hp

                              151 – 175, 750 hp

Maximum Speed: 70 kph

 

Locomotive Y 175 was geared for 100 kph.  This locomotive was allotted duties of hauling the Commissioners’ train when it ran.

 

Picture Caption: Double-headed Y class locomotives on an Up Pass ex Werribee stops at the ORIGINAL Hoppers Crossing station.  The station was later relocated to the Up side of Old Geelong Road Level Crossing.