PCUY Wagons

PCO/PCOP/PCUY Wagons.

In the early 1980’s, after approximately twenty years after the introduction of overseas containers, things started to change. The height of containers was increasing as well as the weight they could carry. The new standard maximum weight for ISO containers was 24 tonnes.

The main stay of the QR wagon container fleet was the QFC wagons which was limited to carrying 42 t of general freight. The wagons could carry two 20 t containers, the wagons did not have a centre container mounting position, if required to carry one container it was loaded on one end, (the hand brake end). Due to the load not being between the bogies, the container was limited to 19 t. Being a dual purpose wagon fitted with a timber deck (floor 1030 mm above rail) also placed limitations on the container height being carried. The growing height of containers was also forced infrastructure changes to the network, bridges, tunnels, platform awnings etc.

QR had number of single slot wagons capable of carrying one 24 t container, but most were for specialised/specific traffic. One container per wagon makes a long train with a small pay load. Other recent wagons entering service were designed around a freight forwarder requirements using odd size domestic containers.

To meet the changing scene in container traffic on the current track standard of 15.75 t per axle (“A” Class Lines), a new wagon was developed. Between April and August 1986 Commonwealth Engineering, Salisbury delivered 100 new PCO wagons (45250 – 45349).

Wallangarra (Meat Export Traffic from the New England area of NSW)

QR drawing P 405. The wagon was 14 500 mm over coupler, 13 440 mm over headstock, and when loaded the floor was 930 mm above the rail. Their tare weight was 14.2 t allowing for a pay load of 48.8 t on “A” class lines, two by 24.4 t containers. QR 38A bogies (3.26 t) with 760 mm wheels were fitted to the wagon. The wagons were express freight wagons (red circle) with a maximum speed of 80 km/h. These wagons were fitted with buffers, the buffer head was larger diameter than most freight wagons. The wagons could carry one or two 20’ foot (6.1m) or one 40 foot (12.2 m) container. Containers should as far a possible be loaded with their end doors inwards. If the wagon was loaded with one 20’ container, the weight was restricted to 19 t. and should be carried on the hand brake end. They could also carry 1 x 7.6 m container, SCR fridge containers. Again there is no centre mounting position for a 20’ container. At times if required to carry one 20’ container at maximum weight a ballast container (half height container with flood rock) was added to the other end.

QR 38 Bogie

In 1989, 100 wagons (# 45616 – 45715) and between January and May 1990, another 60 wagons (# 45728 – 45787) were delivered by ANI Ruwolt Ipswich as the PCOP class. As the classification suggested with a “P” on the end of the classification, these wagons were available for passenger trains, a white 100 was displayed in the red diamond. QR 50B bogies being fitted to the wagons. QR drawing P 405 A shows the same details as the PCO wagon. Photos suggest the floor was more open than the previous PCO wagons and some minor construction changes were made. The wagons were fitted with dummy buffers to protect brake pipe cocks/hoses in a changing drawgear environment.

Between February and April 1991 the company delivered another 50 wagons (45792 – 45841). Fifteen wagons were delivered as PCOP wagons with QR 51 bogies, the rest were PCOY wagons fitted with QR 50 A bogies. The requirements to keep the PCOP wagons available for passenger train operations if required may of been a tall order, ultrasonic wheel testing ever three months would of created a huge amount of shunting to cut out wagons for the wagon maintenance depots and a large amount of down time for the wagons. It didn’t take long for all PCOP wagons to be reclassified to PCOY wagons, “Y” being the code for 100 km/h wagons.

Rocklea.

In 1992, 10 wagons were allocated to BP bitumen traffic, the wagons were fitted with two 20’ bitumen tank containers and recoded PCBY wagons. (45812, 45818, 45829, 45837, 45735, 45761, 45776, 45684, 45694, 45701). The wagons were loaded at Bulwer Island (Pinkenba), conveyed on shunt trains to Acacia Ridge/Clapham/Normanby to be added into trains for their destination.

Bundaberg

The wagons pathed the way for 100 km/h freight services on the North Coast Line (NCL). The first test train was CU19 on the 19^th July 1992, the train was hauled by a 3900 class EL conveyed 36 containers of nitropril and cover wagons from Clapham to Moranbah, about 1,200 t.. Instruction indicated that PCOY wagons were to be used for the train. The train departed Clapham at 6:00 pm, Normanby 6:32 / 7:00 pm (change locos), Maryborough West 12:30/40 (change crews), Rockhampton arr. 7:23 am.

The wagons formed part of the NCL 100km/h project in 1995, all (PCO/PCOY) wagons were modified to the required standard where necessary and reclassed PCUY. The “U” code had the same meaning as the “O” code (15.75 t axle load) and was used to show change within the class without adding another letter.

With the introduction of PCZY wagons for the NCL to accommodate longer containers (46’/48’), in 1998, 67 wagons were allocated to the Mackay sugar traffic replacing the 93 PYCM wagons which entered service in 1967. The wagons were fitted with readers and classed PCUM. These wagons were fitted with two QRST bulk sugar containers and conveyed bulk sugar from Sarina, Marina and Proserpine to the Mackay Harbour. 2017 was the last use of these wagons, Proserpine being the last mill to use rail in the area. Outside the sugar season (January – June), the wagons could be returned to general traffic.

Mackay

With the BEZY wagon contract, 100 extra pairs of Barber QR 59A bogies were purchased. Around 2000/2001 these bogies were place under the second/third contract (PCOP/PCOY) wagons and reclassed PJZY, this lifting their carry capacity to 65.5 t, all up 80 t gross. These wagons are mainly used on the Fisherman Island seafreighter services operating on the NCL. The QR 59A bogies have a brake piston mounted on the bogie bolster, in the modification the body mounted brake piston was removed and a new handbrake arrangement was added. Automatic Celtic twistlocks replace the manual twistlocks/spigots. Twistlock carry boxes were added to the frame to carry spare twistlocks when loaded with 40 foot containers. Using PJZY wagons on Seafreighters released the longer (48’) PCZY wagons for Mt Isa cement/anode traffic replacing the PCC/PCCL wagons.

Around this time it became unsafe to climb across wagons to access the other side or to ride on the outside of a wagon during shunting resulting with the end steps being removed from many wagons. This modification was made to the PJZY wagons and some of the PCUY wagons. With this the label holder was moved to the end of the wagon ??. Possibly in the original position, maintenance crews were hitting their heads on it changing brake blocks lineside, plus the practice of adding label to wagons had finished some years before, this documentation becoming part of the train wire, thus was not required at all.

In the late 1990’s some oil companies move tank wagons from interstate to Queensland, most had the tank removed and mounted onto a container frame. These tank containers were conveyed on PCUY wagons mainly on the Mt Isa line. Around 2000, BHP loaded steel rod/bar into QR half height 20’ containers, there was a good chance that PCUY’s were used for this traffic.

Pinkenba (Tank ex Victoria Railways)

Townsville (Tank ex NSWR)

Between 2010 and 2013, 80 wagons were allocated to gas pipe traffic and reclassed PCUYP. The wagons were fitted with Dhatec System 88 pipe frames. 25 of these wagons were sold to Queensland Rail for spoil traffic in 2013 reverting back to PCUY class.

PCO/PCOP/PCOY/PCUY wagons were used across the network on most trains at various times. The wagons were used in the following traffic.

Longreach. Winton Gypsum Traffic. 2016

Winton – North Queensland gypsum traffic via Rockhampton.

Coal traffic Mackay area

Charleville – Fisherman’s Island export goat meat.

Tycamba (Dalby) – Fisherman’s Islands seafreighters.. Included Oakey and Toowoomba.

Wallangarra – Fisherman’s Islands export meat from the New England area of NSW.

Replacing PYC/BAUY wagons on the Goondiwindi cotton trains around 2013.

Ballast/Spoil Trains SEQ Area.

Around 2016, the class was used to upgrade cattle trains to 100 km/h with new containers.

Sleeper Trains

Central Queensland Q-Link Traffic Longreach 2016.

BHP Steel Traffic (NCL) and Mt Isa Line (Acacia Ridge 2002).

QRX Traffic Moolabin.

PCUYP Wagons (Pipe Traffic) Oakey 2013.

SEQ Spoil Wagons. 24/25 PCUY wagon in Clapham 2019.

These wagons/containers replaced the HSA wagons a couple of years ago.

New Cattle Containers on PCUY Wagons (Photo North West Star Sally Cripps)

PCUY 45297 was fitted with main reservoir pipes by Walkers at Maryborough in 2018 and was reclassed PCUYM. The marking on the wagon included a red diamond superimposed with a white 100.

Photo Carl Millington

PCUY Wagons on Westgate.

Having purchased two SRM 2300 class DEL’s, I needed rollingstock around that era. Most of my wagons on Westgate reflect QR in the 1960’s. Some of the early steel wagons were still in service when the 2300’s entered service in 1997, but with different markings and some had modifications like buffers removed etc.

2300 class locos mainly worked coal, grain, container, freight train and the A/C passenger train. I do not have later era grain or coal wagons or A/C passenger cars and if I did they would look a bit out of place on the layout. There is so much one can do with container and they offer endless small projects. One set of wagons and a box of containers allows you to have a different train each time you run a train, just swap the containers around, it’s so easy. Plus the choice of containers is endless, with various types, colours and markings. If you are into scratch building there is endless opportunities to put your own stamp on the train. Having a standard gauge container train gives me a supply of containers to draw on to swap around from time to time. Plus, today there is a great range of Aussie containers across various eras on the market today, many of them were conveyed by rail in Queensland.

So it looks like container wagons are required to supplement other wagons that could be used for a modern train. I used Peco track on the layout which give me a 24” radius curves on points, smaller wagons would look better than long wheelbase wagons and give less trouble. I was also looking for something simple to build with little work. A basic model with minuim detail that looks the part from a distance is what I was looking for. At the end of the day if the wagon was loaded with containers, you cannot see the open wagon floor. In the cupboard was a draw of SRM bogies waiting for a job. Checking various plans the simplest wagons to build were the PCUY wagons, a two slot container wagon.

The wagon floor was made from .040” styrene sheet. The width was reduced by 1 mm to accommodate the sole bar that will be added. Some had the open sections were cut out on one end for a single container load. Frist contract PCO wagon diagram was used as a guide. “A” end is different to “B” end, brake gear is visible on the “A” end. “B” end is the handbrake end, this is something that changes from time to time. There was a time when “A” end was the handbrake end. I often mark one end of my model to assist keeping thing in perspective. Working on models upside down can toss you at times. A sketch is great aid as well.

The headstock across the ends was Evergreen #127 .020 x .156. The solebar along the sides was Evergreen #8206 H0 2” x 6”, trimmed to correct length. The pivot beam for the bogies was added between the solebars according to the bogie centres on the plan, these were Evergreen #167 .080 x .156. The bogie rubbing pad was Evergreen # 127 .020 x .156, the king casting of sorts. To keep the floor/wagon straight, a centre sill was added between the two pivot beams. Along the underside of the floor Evergreen # 156 .060 x .125 was added. On each side of this the same size strip was added, the ends will need to be sloped back to the same height as the pivot beam to accommodate the bogies.

On platform wagons I like to build my own coupler pockets. I’m not a fan of gluing coupling boxes to wagons floors, they have a habit of letting go at times. Often there is very little material for a screw. Building my own allows me to reduce the yoke and reduce the sideway movement/swing in the coupler shaft. Wide opening in couple boxes allow the couple to move to one side when pushing back increasing the chance of pushing the wagon off the track on curves. The size of the yoke will be subject to the radius of your curves. Kadee have a narrow coupling box #262 which I use regularly were when I can screw it to the floor. An added bonus is that they fit between the 12 mm wheels. You may need to play around with packing to get the correct coupler height that you are using. After fitting couplers and bogies, the wagons are given a run on the layout to check the wagons run without derailing.

Detail was added to my liken, brake cylinder and counter lever slide were AR Kits brake bits, the reservoir was made from Evergreen tube #226 3/16”, with # 154 .060 x .080 strip inserted in end for the triple value. Some styrene rod was added to remove the block look. Brake wheels were Model Etch ME 77, 5 spoke. Steps on each end were Tichy Train Group # 3076 Freight Car ladders cut to size, these are a bit oversize and not quite to the same profile. I added steps as I feel they make the wagon look smart. The container mounting pads on the side were made from Evergreen #8206 H0 2” x 6” strip. Supports were added using some smaller size strip. Coupling release levers were made from Mains West BWR 12 .12 thou brass wire available from AR Kits. Steel strips on the deck was made from .005 thou styrene cut to size, this I found in a chocolate box used to separate the trays.

The wagons were placed on the scales and came in at 20 grams, for me this is somewhat light. I like my bogies wagons around 50/60 grams. Plumbers sheet lead about 1mm thick was cut to size and super glued to various areas of the floor out of sight. If I make any more I think I will use .030 thou styrene for the floor. When finish the wagons were again placed on the scale coming it at 35/36 grams without a load. After adding the lead the wagons were added to the front of a 22 wagon train on the layout, 32 wagons in all on the train. The wagons did not derail, but were at their limit, some consideration will be needed with the loads being added to the wagons. All up nine wagons were built, I find doing a batch of wagons allows you to cut all the components together and allows you to move from wagon to wagon giving the solvent time to set.

During the construction of the above wagons I came across the Wuskie Models PCUY wagon kit at a buy & sell for $ 5.00. The hot water method to straighten the body didn’t give me a straight frame, some parts of the solebar in the open areas bowed outwards. These parts were cut out and replaced with brass strip. The centre sill was reamed out and a solid brass bar was glue in out of sight. I had used this method before to keep my FNH QFC wagons straight and add a bit of weight. The pivot bean was milled down in the drill press to reduce the height to a similar floor level as the other wagons. The kit has better detail than the wagons I build from scratch.

The wagons were painted using PGC lacquer QR Rollingstock Grey, bogies/wheels were painted black with Tru-color TCP-171 Weathered Black, I cover the wheel tyre with masking tape to keep them free of paint.

Decals need to be made and weathering will come later.

So container can be interchanged from wagon to wagon when I built the standard gauge train back in the 1980’s, I made a 20’ container base template from shim brass sheet. Corner holes were drilled which would me a consistent position for drilling mounting holes. .020” brass wire was glued into the container base to hold the container to the wagon. I found different manufactures making containers can have different lengths for the same size containers. Some Australian manufactures have mounting holes in the container base to accommodate moulded twistlocks on their wagons. If you were not planning to move your containers around your fleet, they can be fixed them to the wagon floor. There are various manufactures of containers, some have been around for many years, I found some do not line up with mounting pads on the wagon. Some containers I used centre mounting pins, one each end to stop the container moving around during travel on the layout.

Overall the project was to use components and parts I had in the draws without going shopping. The bogies have oversize wheels for this type of wagon and using the .040” styrene for the floor lifted the floor height by about 1.5 mm above the correct height. Over all I feel they look the part and the 2300’s will look more at home on the layout, but I let you be the judge.