131 Pinnaroo Goods.

 

Tailem Bend Yard in the 1970’s (Tailem Bend History Group Facebook (TBHG)

The following was written by retired SAR Guard Geoff Mathias. Just a wonderful read

Its 2.10 AM on a Friday morning in December 1979 and I am walking though the Tailem Bend yard, tucker box over my shoulder and carrying my hand lamp, towards the booking on room to book on at 2.20 AM to prepare and work 131 Pinnaroo Goods . Its a mild night but the temperature is predicted to be in the mid thirties during the day so no need for a jumper but my thin one is in my box just in case. I leave my box and lamp outside the book on room then sign on saying hi to Charlie Heir who is the 2100 Relief Guard and has been busy preparing trains and worked 22 Goods towards Mile End  to the cross of 907 and Peter Dickson who is about to depart for Serviceton on 955 Express Goods. Over to Tom Penn the desk Porter who gives me my correspondence and advises me that my train is on 5 road. A quick hello to Cyril Bagg the yardmaster on duty who is in his office then I speak to Train Control who advises me that there are no attaches enroute. This is a good start as grain season is in full swing and I expect that I will have a large train and be busy all the way to Pinnaroo.

Gathering my tuckerbox and lamp I walk over to 5 road and find brakevan 8328 at the rear of a long string of wagons. I put my box behind the Guards seat and prepare the brakevan ensuring that I have all the equipment that is carried including a first aid box. With my Guards train journal form on my clipboard I then start recording the wagon numbers and destinations of my train. I notice that we have 2 take-out wagons with take-outs for various stations which I record on a spare piece of paper that I am carrying. After finishing booking my train I head to No4 cabin at the eastern end of the yard to tally up the load ,write out instructions for the loco crew and await their arrival from loco. We are scheduled for a 3.30 departure and at approx. 3.00AM I notice a pair of 830 class locos heading towards us from the loco depot. Dave Linde advises me that these are my train locos and he admits them too the yard and places them on my train. 832 and 835 are the locos and once on the train I climb up and  find out that Reg Martin and Dennis Northcott will be the crew coming with me. I have tallied the load up, we will depart Tailem Bend with 55 wagons equal to 95 for 952 tons with shunts at 

Moorlands,Peake,Geranium,Parrakie,Wilawatt,Lameroo,Parilla and Pinnaroo and take outs at Sherlock, Peake, Geranium, Parrakie and Parilla as well. As yesterday was Eudunda Farmers loading day at Mile End the take-outs are substantial and we are going to be very busy. All this information is on a piece of paper that I give to Reg and I obtain his drivers sheet to record our trains progress on. I then walk back to the brakevan and at precisely 3.30AM give Reg first right for our departure. Once mobile I give second right and we are away, first stop is Tailem Bend station where more take-outs will be placed in the brakevan. A wave goodbye to Dave and past shunt loco 515 with brake tender which is waiting on an adjacent road for us to clear so the crew can resume shunting then at 3.34 we pull up at the station for take-outs to be loaded into the brakevan. First right is given and we depart at 3.42 heading for Moorlands and our first shunt. Past Elwomple the Mallee Highway runs adjacent to the line for a while and a few trucks roar past us and we exchange friendly waves to each other.

We arrive at Moorlands at 4.09 and I detach an empty OF open wagon which will be loaded with stumps I presume and depart at 4.27 leaving the residents of this small town to go back to sleep. Sherlock arrival is 4.47 and after placing 3 empty cream cans from the take-out car to the shed on the platform and ensuring that there are no pick-ups we are on the move again at 4.58  with the first rays of daylight showing. There is nothing offering for Buccleauch so we just slow down to see if there are any pick ups of which there are none so Reg throttles the 830's up and we head to Peake.

5.27 sees us arrive at Peake. We have to shunt 6 OB empty grain wagons to the silo and a loaded M van to the station road as well as 10 take-outs. Upon climbing into the take out wagon I notice that one of the take- outs is  a bundle of corrugated iron. Alright at Mile End it was loaded by a fork lift  but out here the 3 of us couldn't lift and carry it so Dennis returns to the loco and gets the stilsons to cut the wire holding the sheets together then we carry them out one by one. After all is done a quick report to Train Control as per our Train Order which we picked up back at Tailem Bend station which read " Proceed to Pinnaroo Report Peake,Parrakie and we depart at 6.10 As it is about 45 minutes running time to Geranium for the next shunt and take-outs with nothing offering for Jabuk its time for a coffee and a sandwich as we travel along. We have departed Peake with 47=80-813 tons.

We arrive at Geranium at 6.57 then sun is well and truly up and the temperature is already climbing steadily. Another 6 OB grain wagons for loading are placed to the silo chute and then the 3 of us have 220 take-outs mainly for Eudunda Farmers to unload. Reg and Dennis carry them out of the wagon to the take out shed while I check them off on the waybill and assist when I can.

Geranium Station and Goods Shed ( TBHG)

 After all this is completed we depart at 7.34 and head for Parrakie arriving at 7.47 detaching a FB flat wagon with an implement for a local farmer to the crane and more take outs for Eudunda Farmers Parrakie store. Another report to Train Control so he can advise the staff at Lameroo of an approx. arrival time and we depart at 8.16. An empty S sheep van is shunted off at Wilkawatt, not often this place is shunted now so we were a bit stiff to get this and it will probably be loaded for us to pick up on our return trip.

(TBHG)

9.12 sees us arrive at Lameroo . I assist the Station Master with take-outs while the Porter shunts the wagons off. When Reg and Dennis have the locos back on the train  they take their 20 minute crib break . Crib on this job was nearly always taken at Lameroo on the down as the town had a nice bakery where a pie or pasty, bun and cool drink were purchased. We depart Lameroo at 9.55 now the train load is 25=43-427 tons. Across the Mallee Highway crossing again then into Parilla arriving at 10.16.  Four OB and four OBF empty grain wagons are placed at the silo for loading and a M van of sundries is placed at the platform on the Goods siding. After a few take-outs from the brakevan are handed to Brian Gibson who is relieving as the Station Master there we depart at 10.40 on our last leg of the trip. Brian will report our departure time to Train Control and advise the staff at Pinnaroo that we are on our way. 

Parilla Station (TBHG)

Past the closed siding of Chandos we roll and then we arrive at Pinnaroo at 11.15 with 16=29 for 297 tons. Not much for us to do as Pinnaroo has a truck placer to shunt wagons around and as we are on long hours Train Control is keen to have us booked off as soon as possible as we have to have our 8 hours off in barracks before we can book on for our trip home.  A greeting to the Staff and correspondence is handed over ,one of the Porters cuts the locos off the train and Reg and Dennis stable them. We are off at 11.55 and available at 1955 to work 528 Goods back to Tailem Bend but that trip will have to be for another trip report as Reg, Dennis and I are off to the Golden Grain for a couple of beers, a counter meal then back to the barracks for some sleep.