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5-6-1980. T369 with eleven wagons loaded with empty shipping containers and a guards van were involved in a spectacular collision on 5-6-1980 at 9.55 a.m. at the 13th Street, Mildura level crossing on the Yelta line when a tip truck loaded with red loam collided with the locomotive. The tip truck was hurled into the air and T369 was damaged and derailed, one wagon derailed and about 40 metres of track including the rail across the roadway, damaged. The train crew and truck driver escaped serious injury. T369 was re-railed at 12.45 p.m. the next day, more than 26 hours after the crash.
The leading bogie of T369 was derailed and the short nose of the locomotive damaged with the impact of hitting a loaded sand truck at the 13th Street, Mildura, level crossing. 5-6-1980. Photo: Bruce McLean
T385 was called on to assist the next day with the re-railing of T385 after a collision with a fully laden sand truck at the 13th Street, Mildura, level crossing on 5-6-1980. Photo: Bruce McLean
10-6-1980: Two container wagons were derailed at 1.15 a.m. at the up end of Ouyen railway yard. They were on a goods train from Mildura to Melbourne. The wagons were re-railed by 10.30 a.m. having caused delays to a passenger train scheduled to Pinnaroo (no details known of this trip), the weed poison train, the Melbourne to Mildura "The Vinelander" passenger train and the "Fruit Flier" express goods train. Buses were used to bring Mildura passengers from Ouyen. "The Vinelander" travelled to Mildura when the line was clear, arriving at 10.54 a.m..
Workmen inspect the damaged tracks as a crane is readied to lift the two container wagons back onto the tracks at the up end of Ouyen yard. The derailed wagons blocked the lines from Ouyen to Melbourne and Pinnaroo. 10-6-1980. Photo: Sunraysia Daily
2-9-1980. The body of a man was found by Redcliffs railway station staff at 10.40 p.m. about 1½ hours after the passage of the Melbourne-bound "The Vinelander". The man, a railway worker aged 55, was killed instantly. He had been drinking at the nearby hotel and had left to return to the railway works camp on the opposite side of the tracks.
10-12-1980. Train services were disrupted when severe heat conditions buckled the track between Speed and Ouyen. The Mildura Weather Station recorded a maximum temperature that day of 43.4 degrees C (110 degrees F). "The Vinelander" to Melbourne left Mildura on time that night, a wheat train due to leave Mildura at 7.30 p.m. left three hours late, and the "Fruit Flier" express goods to Melbourne did not leave Mildura until 10 p.m.
3-3-1981. The 4.30 p.m. Donald to Ouyen goods hauled by B79 was derailed near Woomelang when two GY wagons and 3 VHGY wagons left the rails. Rerailing was completed by the following day.
24-6-1981. Five loaded GY wagons and a ZF guards van were derailed about 12.30 p.m. 10 km. west of Ouyen on the Pinnaroo line. About 200 metres of track was damaged. The line was closed for two days whilst the wheat was transferred to road transport, the derailed wagons cleared and the track repaired.
Four of the derailed GY wagons and ZF brake van about 10 km. West of Ouyen. Photo: Bruce McLean Collection
New sleepers have been brought in for rebuilding the track following the derailment of the five loaded GY wagons and ZF brake van. Photo: Bruce McLean Collection
Workmen pull back the tarpaulin covering grain in a derailed GY wagon. The auger will be used to empty the wagon before re-railing procedures can commence. Photo: Bruce McLean Collection
24-11-1981. A loaded Ampol fuel tanker overturned then exploded on a claypan beside the Nowingi - Millewa South line about 10 km (7 miles) west of Nowingi station. The incident happened about 9.45 a.m. when the tanker was turning on the track that follows the railway to the gypsum mine. The driver escaped by smashing his way out of the upturned cabin and was clear before the explosion. It was normal practice to refuel the locomotive along the track if the tanker met the train. The tanker turned around to find a suitable place to refuel but the locomotive driver (Mr. F. Mabey) did not require fuel and the tanker tried to turn again about 250 metres away to continue to the mine when it upturned on uneven ground. An alert was raised using the locomotive two-way radio.
1-12-1981. Three loaded GY wheat wagons and a ZLP guards van on a Mildura to Ouyen goods hauled by T330, were derailed about 2 kms on the up side of Kiamal about 6.30 p.m.. 150 metres of sleepers and 100 metres of track were damaged. The loaded wagons were off the Meringur line. The Up "The Vinelander" was terminated at Hattah and passengers transferred by bus to Donald where the Mildura-bound "The Vinelander" was met and passengers were exchanged between the two trains.
21-12-1981. The tri-weekly block train of gypsum from Nowingi to Geelong was derailed near Woomelang. Eleven GY wagons of the 13 vehicle train were derailed and scattered over the track. The locomotive, T352, was not derailed. Similar arrangement to the derailment on 1-12-1981 were put into place for "The Vinelander" passengers.
10-2-1982. Part of the 8.50 p.m. Up Mildura goods was derailed at Carwarp when shunting wheat wagons. Train locomotive Y144 was not derailed.
8-4-1982. A minor incident occurred during shunting at Mildura on 8-4-1982. A Motorail wagon was pushed through the baulk at the end of the Mildura carriage shed. This occurred attempting to place as many vehicles as possible in the car shed at Easter after the arrival of two long trains that morning.
A minor but interesting incident where Motorail wagon VMAY8 has been pushed passed the baulk at the Mildura carriage shed on 8-4-1982. Photo: Bruce McLean
29-8-1982. As "The Vinelander" was departing from Mildura station, two carriages separated causing the train to be delayed about half an hour.
13-8-1982. Locomotive X42 failed completely between Woomelang and Lascelles on the Down "The Vinelander". Ouyen pilot Y143 was sent to assist the train but made slow progress until Hattah. T339 was sent from Mildura and relieved the struggling Y Class. Arrival in Mildura was 10.55 a.m., some 210 minutes late.
21-4-1983. A loaded fuel tank wagon derailed at the Redcliffs down end points on the main line during shunting at 5 a.m.. There were no cranes in the area capable of lifting the 33 tonnes loaded wagon with 45,000 litres of petrol, and it was decided to use four road tankers to transfer the fuel. Passengers on "The Vinelander" were transferred by bus from Redcliffs to Mildura, arriving at 7.50 a.m.. The line was cleared by 11 a.m. and after minor repairs to the track, rail traffic was able to resume across the affected section.
"Sunraysia Daily" newspaper photo of the tanker derailment at Redcliffs on 21-4-1983. Source: Bruce McLean Collection
4-11-1983. The A end bogie and two wheels of the B end bogie of B74 were derailed at the up end of No.3 road Mildura at 6.35 a.m. when it ran over a derail device which had been placed on the track by vandals. B74 had just arrived with the down "Fruit Flier" and was preparing to shunt the trains wagons when the derailment occurred. The locomotive was re-railed by 10 a.m. that day.
B74 with the A end bogie derailed all wheels and the B end bogie two wheels off, following a derailment at the up end of No.3 road, Mildura on 4-11-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
A end bogie of B74 derailed all wheels after hitting a derail device placed on the track by vandals during shunting operations at Mildura on 4-11-1983. Photo: Bruce McLean
11-1983. A solid steel girder supporting the south-west corner of the Mildura Freight Centre was buckled in early November 1983 (no actual date available) when three wagons derailed when they hit a baulk on No.4 road and smashed into the "H" section girder during shunting operations. The baulks were placed on the truncated No.4 track following construction of the steel canopy. A review of the regional freight centre network was being undertaken by V/Line and as the buckled support did not present any major threat, repairs were to be undertaken when the future of the freight centre was decided.
The "H" section girder supporting the Mildura Freight Centre canopy showing the damage sustained when three wagons overran the baulk on the truncated goods shed track and derailed, hitting the support. November 1983. Photo: Sunraysia Daily
7-2-1984. A man was killed when he was hit by "The Vinelander" as it was gathering speed after leaving Irymple station at 9.35 p.m. 120 metres west of the Morpung Avenue crossing.
12-11-1986. A container carrying 50 tonnes of packed sultanas destined for New Zealand was knocked off the rail wagon it was loaded on at Irymple when it was hit by an empty fuel tank wagon during shunting. The fuel wagon was derailed and the container damaged when it hit the ground. The accident happened at the down end of the yard on a set of points leading from No.2 to No3 roads. (The falling container narrowly missed the former Mildura Loco Van H919 standing on No.4 road waiting for removal following its purchase by the author).
An empty fuel tank wagon derailed on the down end at Irymple during shunting operations. The tank wagon knocked a loaded container off a wagon standing on an adjacent siding. 12-11-1986. Source: Sunraysia Daily - Author's Collection
30-1-1987. Four loaded grain wagons were derailed at Carwarp as a train of 42 wagons was transferring into the crossing loop about 2 a.m. to allow a goods train from Melbourne to pass. The goods train was on its way from Meringur to Sunshine. The main line was blocked for about four hours until railway gangs cleared the main line. The wagons were eventually rerailed with the assistance of a crane later that day.
Derailed GH wagons at the down end of Carwarp crossing loop following a derailment on 30-1-1987. Photo: Bruce McLean
The down end compound points at Carwarp leading into the crossing loop where the GH wagons were derailed. 31-1-1987. Photo: Bruce McLean
7-9-1987. A 39 year old man was struck by a goods train travelling from Ouyen to Mildura about 330 metres on the up side of the Eighth Street and San Mateo Avenue, Mildura, level crossing. The man, who was last seen drinking in a Mildura hotel about 9.30 p.m., died instantly as he was either walking along or crossing the railway line.
29-5-1988. Three wagons were derailed on an up goods from Merbein at 578km between Merbein and Mildura. The track was in a poor state of repair with rails already distributed beside the line for relaying over the next few weeks.
Two loaded container wagons and an open bogie wagon were derailed on an up goods between Merbein and Mildura on 29-5-1988. Photo: John Page
Close up of derailed bogies. Note the new 80 pound rail waiting to be laid on the line. 29-5-1988. Photo: Bruce McLean
27-4-1988. Two loaded GH grain wagons were derailed on the down side of the McEdward Street, Merbein, overhead bridge on a train returning to Mildura from Yelta. The derailment happened at 5.20 p.m. when the last wagon came off the track and derailed the second last wagon. The derailment, like the previous derailment on 20-5-1988, was due to the poor condition of the track which was due to be relayed in the next few weeks.
The two derailed GH grain wagons are depicted in this newspaper photograph of the scene on the Up side of McEdward Street, Merbein, overhead bridge. Photo: Sunraysia Daily, Bruce McLean Collection
5-10-1988. A wagon loaded with containers derailed at the Koorlong Avenue, Irymple level crossing during shunting operations at the Mildura Co-operative Fruit Co. siding. The derailment occurred at 12.15 p.m.. The cause of the derailment was the spreading of rails. As the shunting was being undertaken by a rail tractor, it was necessary to bring a locomotive from Mildura to assist with the rerailing of the wagon.
Scene of the derailment at Koorlong Avenue, Irymple during shunting operations on the Mildura Co-operative Fruit Co. siding. 5-10-1988. Photo: Sunraysia Daily, Bruce McLean Collection
22-12-1988. Sticking brakes on the Mildura to Melbourne "Sunraysia Fresh" express goods train caused a sleeper fire at Red Cliffs station.
22-12-1988. Several grain wagons were derailed on the Pinnaroo line near Ouyen. (No other information available).
2-1-1989. The locomotive hauling the overnight "The Vinelander" failed at Gama, south of Ouyen with a faulty generator. Passengers were transferred to buses and taken on to Mildura. A locomotive was sent from Ouyen and hauled the train back to Ouyen. (No information is available on train movements following this incident but is likely the carriages were worked through to either Melbourne or Mildura for train balancing purposes).
8-2-1989. About 2 km of track and 400 sleepers were damaged after a bushfire burned across the track about 8 kms south of Hattah about 6 p.m.. The bushfire, started by lightning, was fanned by strong, gusty winds and jumped a 100 metre wide fire break before crossing the Calder Highway and the railway, 30 minutes after "The Sunraysia" passenger train from Melbourne had passed through the section of line. Railway gangs worked throughout the night by replacing sleepers and renewing the track. The line was opened the next day at 11 a.m., the first train through being the "Sunraysia Fresh" hauled by X38.
X38 proceeds slowly past the site of the bushfire damage near Hattah amidst smoke and flying ash on 9-2-1989. Photo: Sunraysia Daily, Bruce McLean Collection
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