“P” Wagons were
listed in the original wagon classification code introduced in 1890 as an 8
wheeled platform wagons. Other railway owner/operators may call this type of
wagon a flat car or flat trucks. The term “Flats” was used in Queensland
shunting yards, but it referred to open wagons (F, FF, FJ, FJS, FG, H, HJ, HJS class
wagons). Yard Orders for Monday afternoon could say hold 10 F of Flats for wool
and place on ramp for 7 AM loading Tuesday. It was up to the Shunter in Charge
to select the wagons from empties on hand. One “F” was the length of the
smallest wagon in traffic, a 4 wheeled “F” wagon which was 15 foot long. An “H”
wagon (30’) was 2 F, thus the Shunter in Charge could place 5 H wagons or 8 FJS
to fill orders.
2 F was the orders on Westgate for
today, HJS wagon supplied.
The unit was
also used for making up trains, the maximum length of train hauled by a PB15
engine was 60 F. With the introduction of metric measure in the early 70’s the
term was changed to a “unit” which was 5 metres. The maximum length of a train
without an authority was 90 units. In the 90’s train lengths measure changed
again, this time it was actual metres, i.e., a 2400 class DEL of 3.6 units
became 18 metres (The unit length by 5 was close to the mark). The maximum
length of train for a single DEL became 650 metres. This length of train did
cause a few wagon braking issues with older wagons being marshalled on the
rear, resulting in instructions being issued to which class of wagon that could
be marshalled at the back of a train. Longer train can run subject to approval
and could vary from line to line. Today trains have 2 lengths, static length of
the vehicle and the stretched length taking into account drawgear movement
within the train. A train of 40 wagons has approx. 1 wagon of slack within the
drawgear/draft packs etc. I’m getting
off the subject, so back to “P” wagons.
The QR plan
book has the following plans
P 176
(Originally 61) dated 5/1/14. 32’ long x 8’ wide, bar frame bogies with 4’ wheel
centres, 2’ 2” wheels with 7x3 journals. Ave Tare 7 ton 11 cwt, carry 12 Ton 9
cwt. Gross 20 tons.
P 177
(Originally 62) dated 22/2/16. 32’ long x 8’ wide, bar frame bogies with 4’ 9”
wheel centres, 2’ 9½” wheels with 8x4 journals, Ave Trae 9 ton 16 cwt, carry 22
ton 4 cwt. Gross 32 tons.
P 178
(Originally 63) PJ 12125. 32’ long x 8’ 9” wide, bar frame bogies with 5’ wheel
centres, 2’ 2” wheels with 8x4 journals.
P 181 PTH
wagons, converted from PT class in 1938. Underframe 22’ by 7’ 9” fitted with
sides 3’ 6” high, centre door 8’ long by 2’ 6” high.
Wooden 8 wheeled “P”
Wagons
|
Class
|
Length
|
Width
|
Tare
|
Carry
|
Remarks
|
|
P
|
26’
|
7’
6”
|
6 T 9 C
|
13 T 11C
|
Approx. 32 in service.
4’ Bar frame bogie
|
|
P
|
30’
|
7’
6”
|
6 T 19 C
|
13 T 1C
|
Approx. 5 in service. 4’
Bar frame bogie
|
|
P
|
32’
|
7’
6”
|
6 T 7C
|
13T 13c
|
Approx. 21 in Service.
4’ Bar frame bogie
|
|
P
|
26’
|
7’
6”
|
6 T 13 C
|
13 T 7 C
|
Approx. 10 in Service.
4’ Bar frame bogie
|
|
P
|
32’
|
8’
|
7T 11 C
|
12T 9C
|
Approx. 8 in Service. 4’
Bar frame bogie
|
|
PH
|
26’
|
6’
4”
|
7 T
|
25T
|
1 in Service No. 2172.
5’ bar frame bogie
|
|
PJ
|
32’
|
8’
|
9T 7C
|
22T 13C
|
3 in Service. BF bogie
with 4’ 9” wheel centres 33½” wheels.
|
|
PJ
|
30’
|
7’
6”
|
7 T
|
27 T
|
1 in Service. BF bogie
5’ wheel centres 33½” wheels. Reclassed to PH
|
|
PJ
|
32’
|
8’
|
10T 12C
|
21T 8C
|
# 12125 Timber chocks
for boilers. BF bogie 5’ wheel centres 26” wheels.
|
|
PJ
/ PH
|
26’
|
7’
6”
|
7T
|
25T
|
1 of each. BF bogie 5’
wheel centres 26” wheels.
|
|
PJ
/ PH
|
32’
|
8’
|
9T 10C
|
22 T 10C
|
1 of each. BF bogie 5’
wheel centres 26” wheels.
|
|
PJC
|
50’
|
8’
6”
|
12 T 4 C
|
19T 16 C
|
# 32669-32673. Bogies 5’
wheel centres 33½” wheels. Converted from carriages for cars??
1963.
|
|
PJM
|
32’
|
8’
|
9T 6 C
|
22T 14C
|
# 18536 Drop centre
floor.
|
|
PT
|
22’
|
7’
9”
|
10T 7 C
|
21T 13C
|
12 in service. Bogies 5’
wheel centres 33½” wheels. T for Tank/Traction.
??
|
|
PTH
|
22’
|
8’
|
10T 11C
|
21T 9C
|
7 in Service, 3’ 6”
sides with a 2’ 6” centre door.
BF bogie 5’ wheel
centres 33½” wheels.
# 19091 converted to
Ipswich W/S shunt runner. H/B wheel on headstock.
|
|
PWT
|
22”
|
9’
2”
|
9T 13C
|
22T 7C
|
12 in Service. Bogies 5’
wheel centres 33½” wheels.
|
|
PWX
|
40’
|
8’
9”
|
11 T 5C
|
28T 15C
|
#29397 – 29399. Bogies
5’ wheel centres 26” wheels. (Numbers suggest about early 50’, maybe MTW’s )??
Two PWE wagons (4
wheeled well wagons) were built for the electrification project)
|
P and PJ
wagons had an approval in the General Appendix for an overload of 1½tons.
PTH Toowoomba 1974
PTH Ipswich Workshop 1979.
In the mid 1950
the methods of transporting goods was changing, wheat/sugar started to move away
from bags to bulk handling. Many W/MTW wagons in the wheat traffic found work
in the seasonal sugar traffic (July – December), this also made a number of
wagons available to general traffic. The longer, steel frame MTW wagons
providing a number of advantages over the timber frame P wagon. By 1960 the “P”
wagons were not big in numbers, but where was quite a mix with some having
special use, below is some info from the 1960 annual report.
|
Class
|
June 59
|
June 60
|
|
P
|
8
|
8
|
|
PJ
|
2
|
2
|
|
PJM
|
1
|
1
|
|
PT
|
19
|
8
|
|
PTH
|
3
|
3
|
|
PWT
|
2
|
0
|
|
PX
/ PE
|
0
|
10
|
Reading a list
of derailments for 1950, a number of PT/PTH/PWT derailments were recorded
across the state.
In 1969 most
wooden Jumbo (J class) wagons (8 ton axel load with 8 x 4 journals) on the QR
network were reclassed and had their carrying capacity down rated to carry 12
tons, PJ wagons became PH wagons. .
With the
introduction of bigger steel wagons in the mid 60’s (QFX), not many wooden “P”
wagons made it past the end of steam
The 1982
Rollingstock Book showed 3 PH wagons in traffic.
PH Yeerongpilly 1979
P wagons
carried various types of loads, mainly wheeled vehicles, machinery, plant and
were used as runner (match/cover) wagons for long loads hanging off other
wagons.
Peter Kennedy who was Manager of
Special Loads for many years and was on the QR Rollingstock committee add some
information on PJC wagons. Probably in the mid-sixties a new type of
galv iron roofing came on the market under the trade name
of ‘’klipklock’’in long strips and initially were conveyed on 32’ P type
or 40’ MTW wagons., Gradually the lengths of this strip roofing increased and
we found 50ft lengths could be carried on 40ft. MTW wagons by extending
5ft beyond each end of the wagon and using a runner wagon each end for
which the customer paid an extra 2 tons freight for each runner wagon.
Obviously the customer didn't like paying for otherwise empty runner wagons,
also we dislikes using 3 wagons for little payload. I found out older timber
carriages on 50 ft. steel underframes were being scrapped and we saw an answer.
Several 50ft carriages steel underframes were timber decked as
flat wagons and used for 50 ft. roofing and classified as PJC
wagons. As these underframes were rather weak they were restricted to
10ton capacity. Soon however we were asked to carry 60 ft. lengths
of roofing and again we used two runner wagons and a PJC. It
should be noted that 5ft was the max. length of unsupported roofing extending
beyond the end of the wagon before the risk of buckling may
occur. Again we were asked to take longer lengths. To achieve this
we made up several ‘’outriggers” were made from 60lbs rails bolted to the
ends of QFC wagons and projecting a further 5ft beyond each end so that the
overall length of the wagon was 60 ft. and allowing for 5ft. unsupported overhang
each we could carry ‘’Kliplock’’ roofing up to 70ft max length again using
a runner each end. Because of the increased mass of the roofing as it got
longer we needed to use QFC wagons as the mass of the roofing exceeded the
10ton load limit on PJC wagons. Reference to para 14.1 of
the ‘’loading booklet’’ will explain more. When not needed
the ‘’outriggers’’ were removed from the QFC wagons allowing them to
return to normal use. The PJC wagons were also seen as a suitable
light weight low capacity wagons suitable for motorcars and were
fitted with car restraining bars and reclassified MPJC. Later
more 50 ft. carriage steel underframes were modified for car traffic and
classed ML.
On Westgate, I
have a number of “P” wagons.
Wagon 1. “P” wagon with rain water tank. The
wagon was scratch build using Evergreen styrene, Caintode Flats bogies with
Kadee whisker 158 coupling. The coupler box were built into the floor during
construction. I was given the CGI tank, it is 10’ 6” wide and looked too big to
go beside a house. Wide “Out of Gauge” tanks were regularly consigned from
Beaudesert. Saw mill offcuts were place over the bottom rim of the tank and
nailed to the wagon floor clear of the tank. Rope (cotton) was placed over the
top to add extra securing. The FJS wagon following has also been loaded with
smaller tanks on their sides.
Wagon 2. “PH” Wagon with 2 Tractor was built in
the same manner at the P wagon above. The tractors were picked up at a buy
& sell, and repainted. One was fitted with a blade on the front, a canopy
for the operator and a slasher on the back, all items were knocked up from
styrene. The tractors were secured with sleepers and chain. 
The next four wagons have just entered
service on the layout.
Wagon
3. “PJ” wagon with a
Massey Ferguson MF 830 Combine Header. The wagon was build as above from
styrene and Caintode Flats bogies.
The Massey Ferguson Combine is an
Artitec kit. The kit consisted of some 40 parts, including approx. 25 etch
brass parts plus 10 decals. www.artitec.nl
Wagons
4, 5 and 6. These three
wagons are 26’ wagons, built in the same manner as the other wagons. They are
being used as runner (Cover/match trucks) for long over length loads on other
wagons.
Longer pipes can be carried on the
prototype using this method of loading, on the layout with tighter curves they
would be very much an issue.
I used scraps to make the floor on the
26’ “P” wagons, dunnage from a previous load was used to cover the join visible
in the floor. .
All the “P” wagons have been marshalled
into a train for their first run on the layout.
In the early 70’s the “P” classification
took on a new meaning. At the start most were cut down steel wagons to carry
one ISO container, then 2 containers. As always there were a few exceptions
along the way. I cover this in a later post.
Enjoy.
Arthur H.