WeddinNSW V6: 1967, Harvest Gold

WeddinNSW V6: 1967, Harvest Gold

Rural commodities accounted for the majority of traffic on the Blayney-Harden lines. While the movement of livestock was greatly reduced by the late sixties, grain transport continued as a mainstay of operations right up to the line's closure at the turn of the century.

This session is set in the summer of 1967. A number of new wheat bulkhead silos have recently been constructed, with more planned. 48 and 49 class diesel locos have become a common sight. We watch as 48118/48119 and 4902/4909 diesels head up consists of NGBF grain hoppers, working silos along the Grenfell and Eugowra branch lines. Nearing the end of its days, steam loco 3051 approaches Grenfell with a string of empty RU hoppers. The loco will be turned on Grenfell's turntable, then will load grain at Grenfell and Greenethorpe, before running through to Sydney.

The movement of superphosphate was another common operation during the mid to late sixties, thanks to the Federal Goverment's Superphosphate Bounty. In this session 42216 heads down the Main South with a load of 'Super' bound for the Riverina.

South of Cootamundra a consist of loaded BCW cattle wagons headed by 4519 is bound for the stock-yards at Blayney. By 1967 44 and 45 class diesel locos were common on the cross country line, having largely displaced the 50 and 55 class steam locos. However they were considered to heavy to venture on to the branches.

This session runs as a 'Lineside' demonstration session. There are many trains active at any one time, all driven by AI drivers. Watch them at work, either through the lineside cameras (press '3'), or the onboard cameras (press '1'). To see what is happening elsewhere on the route you can also swap the view from one train to another by holding down the [Ctrl] key, and pressing a numeric key from 1 to 7.

The session ends when the wheat train headed by 48118/48119 leaves the route's northern Main South exit, on its way to Port Kembla.

Approx run time: 5hr 35 min

WeddinNSW V6: 1967, Harvest Gold