PJW 30700 Well Wagon.

This wagon was built in 1954 to convey materials for the Tully Hydro Project. The wagon was somewhat unique in a number of ways. Other rail networks refer to his type of wagon as a depressed flat wagons.

Prior to the construction of PJW 30700, QGR only had one wagon for oversize loads. The 32 foot timber framed PJM wagon had a 15 foot recess floor in the centre section of the wagon which was just a 10 inches lower than a standard platform wagon. The recess floor was 6 feet nine inches wide and was strengthen by two steel beams under the wagon frame. The wagon could carry 22 ton `4 cwt. The photo below shows the wagon being loaded at Roma Street in 24 Road. I just love the work practices of this era, I’m sure today CEO’s would not be to impressed with them.  

 

PJM 18536 Roma Street, 24 Road, 11’ 6’ dia. cylinder for Gympie.1963.

PJW 30700 was all steel construction, 45 feet (13 720) long over headstocks, that is equal to just over 4 “F” wagons/ 2 “H” wagons or 4 units. The drop centre section was 16 feet 3 inches long and timber floor was just one foot two inches above the rail head. That’s about 1 foot nine inches lower that a standard floor height. The wagon was fitted with six wheeled bogie, I’m not aware of any other goods/freight wagon with six wheeled bogie. The wheels were 2’ 2” dia. with 9” x 4½” journals, the axle boxes were the same as a C17 tender bogie.  The wagon had a tare weight of 27 tons and could carry 37 tons, that’s a gross of 54 tons. With less than a 10 ton axle load, the wagon could be used on all lines fully loaded. With approval a 7.1 tonne overload i.e. max. load of 44.7 tonnes was allowed. Supports for loads in the well section should be as far apart as possible. When loads are supported on the decking above the bogies, such supports should not be outside the bogie centres. Final location of such loading points was subject to approval.  

Photos AMRA Qld Library, Keith McDonald Collection.

The wagon was painted black and in the 1970’s painted grey like other steel wagons at the time.

Ipswich North Yard . 26.03.1988  Photo AMRA Qld Library, Keith McDonald Collection.

The wagon did not have air brakes and was marked with two disconnected semi-circles coloured red on a white back ground. The 1962 General Appendix shows the wagon did not have a hand brake and sprags must be used to hold the vehicle when stationary. When not required for special loads in the early days wagon was used to convey bagged wheat from the Downs. The loaders at Malu found out the hard way with the wagon derailing in the catch points. A metric plan (1974) shows just one brake block coupled to a screw hand brake on the headstock, hardly a suitable brake for controlled (loose) shunting of the wagon, most likely would only hold the wagon stationary once place in a siding. This may of been a later modification, some photos do show the bracket shown in the plan.  

The General Appendix provide the following instruction for wagons without brakes on Goods Trains. Counting all 8-wheeled vans and wagons as being equal to two 4-wheeled wagons, the maximum number of wagons, loaded or empty, either pipe wagons or with brakes cut out or defective, to be allowed on a train shall not exceed the equivalent of one 4-wheeled wagon in every ten 4-wheeled wagons. (Example; Thus in a train of eleven (11) 8-wheeled wagons and sixteen (16)  4-wheeled wagons, and one 8-wheeled brake van, equivalent to forty (40) 4-wheeled wagons, it is permissible to have two 8-wheeled wagons or one 8-wheeled wagon and two 4-wheeled wagons with no brakes. The PJW was to be treated as two 8-wheeled wagons. When looking at photos where were some exceptions to this rule. 

Wagons without brakes could not be placed on the rear of a train, in the good old days, generally there must be at least two braked wagons on the rear of a train, in later years this became six braked wagons must be on the rear of the train.

 

The use of the wagon will at the direction of the General Manager Brisbane, to whom application must be made.

During the Roma Street days the wagon was held at Roma Street to wait there next job. After Roma Street closed the well wagons were stowed at Yeerongpilly.   

Roma Street, 24 Road. 15.04.1987  Photo AMRA Qld Library, Keith McDonald Collection.

Some recorded incidence of the wagon

03.06.1955 Derailment PJW 30700 Garbutt ACF Siding during shunting.

25.08.1959 Derailment of PJW 30700 Kolijo on 198D at the angle.

13.11.1959 Derailment PJW 30700 Wooloongabba on 205 Down due to clay hole on a curve.

The wagon was used to carry various load types. During the late 1980’s with high demand to convey transforms for the main line electrification project, booking for the wagon needed to made some 18 months in advance. Of the three well wagons in use on the QR, the PJW saw the most use. As far as I aware, the wagon is still in service as a workshop wagon at Ipswich Workshop for moving boilers.

 

11’ 6” dia. 39 ton Ball Mill for Mt Isa Mines.

 

 

 

Using the well wagon for the grader saved removing the cabin. The hand brake “V” bracket is shown on the R/H end of the wagon.

 

Dredge section from Roma Street to Mt.Garnet 1960. Photos of the dredge can be found on the internet. This would make an interesting load.  

This photos shows part of the hand brake bracket on the R/H end.

PJW 30700 is the leading wagon on the train.

When you model a prototype, photos like this are gold. The Winton mixed has been on the layout before some time ago. But, this one is a little gem. Seeing the photo in the weekly AMRA Qld newsletter, it was time for the train to make a comeback on the layout. 

 

 

Westgate SWR.

The wagon on the layout was scratch built using styrene.

 

 

The bogies were also scratch built from styrene, the wheel run in Steam Era bearings.

Axle box covers were cut from retired Roundhouse bogies.    

 

A jig was used to assemble the bogies.

 

The bogies were mounted off centre to reduce the overhang on curves. The centre wheelset has extra side movement for the curves. The coupler pocket was built into the frame giving the end wheels extra clearance. Plumber’s lead sheet was packed into the well section and on the slop section. This gives the wagon a low centre of gravity and tracks very well on the layout.

Looking at Peter’s photos I liked a couple of the loads, for now it will be the Shell tanker.

 

 

 

The load on the wagon is not secured with securing equipment and blu tack is used to keep the load on the wagon. The main reason for this to allow me to change the loads and run the wagon empty. This relates back to my March 2019 blog “What’s on our Trains”.

The road tanker is a Herpa Elliptical Gas Tanker Trailer. Shell decals were added.  After purchasing the tanker a tri axle vehicle was available.

The runner wagon is a scratch built 26 ft. “P” wagon, securing timbers from a previous load are still on the wagon.

Decals for the wagons were produced by Ted Freeman Secretary of the Toowoomba Model Railway Club.

The wagon can be seen in action on a goods train crossing a passenger train 19 down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCDoUKTWN0M

 

Acknowledgements

Peter Kennedy.

John Armstrong.

Keith McDonald.

Stan Moore.

AMRA Qld.

QR General Appendix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photos shows part of the hand brake bracket on the R/H end.