From time to time I look
for prototype trains to run on the layout. Usually I look at the rollingstock
on the layout and think about trains that I have worked in one form or another.
In the late 80’s I also
travelled on the train in special car 1236 from Roma Street to Mackay with two
display QLXP’s for the Mackay Show. To refresh things I went looking for my
North Coast Line Timetables. To fit in with my presentation, I checked out the November
1973 Working Time Table (WTT) which was the same period I worked Landsborough
and most other stations between Caboolture and Monkland as a relief Assistance
Station Master.
To see what train I could
run I checked the rollingstock on the layout. I have red diamond wagons (QLX’s,
BLC’s, CMIS’s, CMR’s, CJFP), red spot wagons (CLC’s), and one (1) small baggage
car. Red diamond wagons have a max. speed of 80 km/h and can be used on
Passenger Trains and Express Freight Trains. Red spot wagons can travel at 80
km/h on express freight trains only. Checking
the WTT, Mondays looked achievable.
DEL
QLX – Townsville and
western traffic.
(Front of Train)
Goods vehicles
Small Baggage Car –
Mackay traffic
Small Baggage Car – Ayr
Road containing Bowen, Proserpine, Home Hill & Ayr loading.
CMR – Townsville Road
Perishables (Loading for north of Rockhampton).
MV – Roadside traffic
north of Bundaberg to Rockhampton and mixed roadside for stations north of
Townsville.
Small Baggage Car –
Maryborough traffic (roadside north of Maryborough to Bundaberg to be loaded in
the doorway of the wagon
(Rear section of the Train)
21A “Capricornian”
trailed a wooden baggage car for Bundaberg.
Given I only have one
small baggage car a situation that could arise in the prototype operations, I
made the following changes. The small baggage car I have was used for the Maryborough
traffic and trailed behind the Mail Van (MV). After consideration a BLC and a
CLC was used for the other two baggage cars within the train for the following
reason.
By 1970, all long
distance passenger trains were being worked by “M” class steel passenger stock.
This largely made the wooden baggage cars (BC class) surplus to requirements.
However from time to time they would still be required for relief and second
division passenger trains worked by wooden cars during holiday periods. Wooden
baggage cars were passenger stock fitted with D3 class hook drawgear and mainly
maintained by Mayne Car Shed. D3 drawgear limited these vehicle towards the
rear of trains on freight and goods trains.
BC class baggage cars
were still being used to convey parcels from Brisbane. As above 21A trailed a
baggage car for Bundaberg. Train 101 (Evening Brisbane – Maryborough) passenger
train conveyed three baggage cars, 1 for Gayndah – Monto, 1 for Gympie and 1
for Kingaroy. All up some night’s eight
wooden baggage cars were leaving Brisbane for the north. You may recall in the
209/309 series that train conveyed roadside between Gympie and Bundaberg and
must be worked with a suitable van, now you know where it came from, off trains
101 (Gympie BC) and 275 (Maryborough BC).
Train 275 loading roadside, Ice-Cream Shippers, Movie Films and Parcels.
Earlier I indicated that
QLX’s and BLC’s were red diamond wagons and available for passenger trains, so
what not use these wagons as a baggage car on the relief/second division
passenger trains during the holiday. Yes they could be used, but the
marshalling order would need to be altered. The General Appendix indicates that
wooden passenger vehicles conveying passengers are not to be marshalled between
steel vehicles. Generally if a QLX or BLC was used as a baggage car, it was
marshalled on the front of the train behind the hauling loco. This means
parcels/mails/luggage etc. were at both ends of the train, this made life at stations difficult with limit
staff with roadside in two locations instead all being at the rear of the
train. Time to load and unload roadside would blow out and delay the train.
275 has a guard in a
wooden van, exchanging the two small baggage cars for Mackay and Ayr to steel
wagons keeps the marshalling in order and did not place steel vehicles each
side of the van conveying the guard.
The WTT shows Day old
chickens consigned to stations north of Gympie from Beerburrum, Beerwah, Eudlo
and Woombye were to go forward on 101 to Gympie and then on 275 north.
The train was given a
good run up the coast with just 2 stops between Brisbane and Gympie. One stop
at Yandina (10:39/55) was for the crew to have a meal and cross 242 (10:53), this train was one of two “HOT”
south bound express freighter conveying interstate fruit for Clapham. All up, 275
crossed 12 trains coming south towards Brisbane between Elimbah and
Woondum. Arrival in Gympie was 12:29 am,
just 4 hrs and 19 mins for the trip. The afternoon Sunlander (241) were given 3
Hrs 42 mins without a meal. The morning
Sunlander (237) worked with MU Locomotives was given 3 hrs and 20 mins.
Another factor to
consider is the QR “worm” logo, it came into play in late 1970. Thus only new
wagons or wagons coming out of workshop overhauls would have it on.
Train 6275 was still
shown in the March 1985 WTT running six days a week. No 6275 Down will convey a
maximum of 650 tonnes be restricted to 75 units in length and will be
marshalled as followed:-
Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday.
Goods Vehicles
QLX …… Townsville Road
(dogs) Tuesday Only
QLX …… Townsville and
western traffic
QLX …… Mackay traffic
QLX …… Ayr Road
(containing Bowen, Proserpine, Home Hill, Ayr loading).
MV ……. Roadside traffic for stations
Bundaberg to Rockhampton and mixed roadside for stations north of Townsville.
6275 Monday to Friday
must not shunt enroute without approval form the Office of the Chief Traffic
Manager.
Carriage & Van orders
for Tuesday 13th of March 1984 showed MV 1058 on hand Roma Street
station was to work 6275. The following day, Wednesday the 14th of
March, MV 502 on hand Roma Street station was to work 6275.
1990 WTT did not show
train 6275, QR operations changed in two main areas. The “Superfreighter’s” had
commenced running on the North Coast Line. A single 3900 class EL between
Brisbane and Rockhampton was hauling 1,400 tonnes and the train length had
increased from 450 metres to 650 metres. The other change was the Goods and
Livestock By-Law (Goods Trains) and the Coaching By-Law (Parcels on Passenger
trains) was replaced by the Freight Manual combining both operations. This new
service offered door to door freight system, gone was sending small parcels
from your local suburban station.
On the layout my train
has 13 vehicles, about 500 tons, the maximum length of the second crossing loop
on the layout without blocking the level crossing. The oldest goods wagon on
the trains is a wooden CJFP, in the mid 30’s a number of new louvered box wagon
on “Jumbo” bogies (8 ton axle load) were
built and classed CJF, some older CLF were fitted with “Jumbo” bogies and
reclassed CJF, some were modified to be used on passenger trains, thus CJFP
(red diamond). On my train I was thinking the CJFP may not be just right.
The
period I model is the mid to late 60’s, when CJFP were in service. One was used
as a baggage car on the Charleville – Quilpie “Flying Flea” with MV 1224 until
about 1964. From an operational point of view, the CJFP with two sliding boors
on the train would have been must better for getting stuff out than a small 32’
baggage car with a single swing double door. With additional QLX’s being built
in the late 60’s, CJFP were reclassified to CJFF (red spot reducing maintenance
requirements).
Some were also downgraded back to CLF’s, CJFF were common on
express freight trains in the early 70’s, being D3 hook drawgear they were
marshalled in the rear half of the train. CJFF were still around in the mid 80’s
mainly as maintenance wagon, one was part of the ND (Townsville) breakdown
train. But a little research found in John Armstrong book “Wooden Wagons of the
Queensland Railways 1880 – 1980 shows there was still 18 CJFP’s on the books in
June 72, thus my train was found to be in order.
CJFF downgraded and reclassified to CLF (Carry capacity reduced from 20 t to 8 t).
CJFF 20979 with boarded side/ends. Wagon used with the ND Brakdown Crane No. 7 to carry equipment (slings/Timbers) for derailments. Townsville 1979. (As a note the Breakdown Crane was restricted to 60 km/h ??)
September 74, CJFF 19543
was observed stencilled Coorparoo to Roma St Tranship Traffic Only, suggesting
the class was now taking a back seat in conveying freight.
The wagon on my train
is a Fox Casting kit running on Turntable bogies with Steam Era wheels built
some many years ago.
Caintode Flats currently
have CJF/CJFP/CJFF kit (CFK 18) available in their range.
The other wooden vehicle
on the train is the small baggage car trailing behind the van. It is the only
scratch built wagon on the train, built about 1988. How I know is I have a
Certificate of Merit First place for an advanced Passenger Stock dated 1989 in
the annual AMRA Modelling Competition. I look at now and think it must have
been the only enter.
When built the wagon ran
on Roundhouse “Fox” bogies narrowed to take K & M 12mm wheel sets. Today it
is running on Steam Era B4 VR Plate Frame bogies which have been narrowed to
take Steam Era 12 mm spoked wheel sets. Today, the correct bogies are available
from Wuiske Models QRB 003 (12mm) or QRB 005 (16.5 mm). Caintode Flats have CFB 4 bogie, their CFB 10
is the same style of bogie with smaller 2’ 9½” wheels.
All wagons on the train
are now just a memory, the way it was. Maybe it worth a look at the other
wagons on the train and the roles they played over the years.
Trust you enjoy the post.
Arthur.
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