Breakdown Vans and Wagons.

Rail vehicles run great when on the rails, however from time to time for various reasons they find their way into the dirt. This is not good for any railway, often causing delays to trains on the network with many knock on effects.

To assist in a timely recovery, breakdown vans were located at various centres across the state.  Most vans were located at depot stations were there was maintenance workers, fitters, wagon builders etc.  Generally, locations where regular engine changes took place.

At smaller western depots, this could be just one van containing jacks, rerailers, packing blocks/timbers, tow ropes, “D” size first-aid box, stretchers etc. Stretchers are to washed and tested every six months and also blankets are aired. Most had a Guard’s compartment as most locations would not have a spare Guard’s Van available at the time of the incident. Some may have a wood burning stove to boil the billy and to cook meals for the breakdown gangs. Most breakdown gangs included the local fettling gang to assist with track related matters.

At District Superintendent locations (Roma, Warwick, Maryborough, Mackay, Hughenden to name a few) extra wagons of equipment formed a small train. The vehicle on each end had Guard’s compartment to save shunting moves reversing the train or for pushing the wagons to the derailment location on the section. Gladstone for example had a CB van, CJ box wagon, FJM open wagon and another CB van. Both CB were different and not the same as a standard CB van. Both were converted from standard C wagons with the Guard’s compartment down one end. One had windows on the other end with a single side door, the other had two side doors.. Bowen and Toowoomba had similar type vans.

Divisional Locations, Brisbane (SED), Toowoomba (SWD), Rockhampton (CD) and Townsville (ND) also had travelling breakdown cranes and match wagons.

1962 General Appendix shows Breakdown Vans are stationed at Mayne, Gympie, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Emerald, Alpha, Mackay, Bowen, Townsville, Charters Towers, Hughenden, Cloncurry, Innisfail, Cairns, Wooloongabba, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Warwick and Roma. 

The 1989 General Appendix showed the following locations, Mayne, Maryborough, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Emerald, Alpha, Jilalan, Mackay, Townsville, Hughenden, Cloncurry, Cairns, Toowoomba, Roma. 

Not two vehicles except for the cranes were the same, often locally modified to suit the local gang. The plan book does show a Breakdown Van. 

Wooloongabba

Cairns ?? (Power connection for other wagons on the end)

Rockhampton

Linville 2020

I’m aware of seven such vans, no two were the same. Some had end windows, others had no end windows, one had an intercar connection gangway on one end, some had additional side windows, some had a stove. Even the bogie type and wheel size varied between the vans, as did the roof. One even had electric light that could connected to adjoining wagons. Such vans were at Charleville (single vehicle only), Wooloongabba, Ipswich, Toowoomba, Maryborough, Rockhampton and may be Cairns. Some were classed CB, other were C or just Breakdown Van 9711 (BDV). There is one of these van in the Linville collection.

 Maryborough Van has electric light and beam strapped to running board

The more common CB with the centre Guard’s compartment was used at a number locations including Mayne, Gympie, and Maryborough. The other van on the Mayne train was a mail van (MV 501). The Mayne train also included car 47, this was the Western Mail dining car before the Westlander. Bowen had a similar van to the two at Gladstone and a CB. 

Other wagons included were C, CJ, ALG class wagons, many modified with extra side door. S wagons were used at some locations to carry spare bogies, wheelset and tool boxes.     . Some locations had a camp wagon included. Sunshine Express shows in 1985 the Roma Train consisted of C 5684, CJ 7130 and BDV 13928, it was withdrawn in 1986 and replaced with a standard breakdown van.

Maryborough

Maryborough 1962. (Attached to an “S” wagon, is this part of the train).

Gympie Breakdown ALG with S wagon attached. 

Gladstone FJM wagon.

Alpha Breakdown Wagon.

The wagons were allocated a siding, mostly a dead end siding so the wagons could be grabbed quickly. At Wooloongabba the siding was between the coal stage and the engine shed. Mayne was much the same, next to the roster office and the erecting/washout sheds beside No. 2 Main Line (via Exhibition). Both were in the loco area. The Roma train was much the same near the engine shed. The Charleville van lived on the blocks on the western end of the station in the ramp road.   

The wagons did not do all that much work and didn’t see the paint shop every often. The divisional train would do a trip through the division every couple of years to recover wagons pulled from the track and left lineside. Additional empty wagons would form part of these trains to convey the damage wagon recovered back to the workshops. A camp wagon for the crane operator and his crew could be included. 

With the demise of wooden wagons in the mid 1980’s, BLC and CLC replaced most breakdown wagons. Around the same time the roll was move to road vehicles for quicker response and they handled smaller yard derailment. . By the late 1990’s even the size of these trucks were cut back to  a small 4 x 4 truck with hydraulic equipment to drive travelling jacks. The gang consisted of a foreman and two wagon maintainers. Cranes were hired for the big jobs. 

The breakdown train on Westgate is a mix of wagons from various locations, I don’t have a complete set of photos for one location. 

Breakdown van 9711. This was the Charleville unit.

CB breakdown was modeled on one of the Gladstone van, one of the Toowoomba vans was much the same.

C class equipment wagons was modelled on a Maryborough wagon, similar wagons were also at Roma and Toowoomba. 

All of the above wagons were painted with PGC QGR Oxide. The roof was made from aluminium foil, etch grey primer was applied before using Vallejo Model Color # 70.862 Black Grey or Model Air # 71.072 Gunmetal. Washes and weathering pigments added to give a forgotten look of setting around in a loco shed environment. 

The S wagon I didn’t have any photos, it a mix of what I could recall from the Gabba and Mayne wagons with a bit of modelling licence. The wagon was painted with Mirotone etch primer black.  

All wagon were weathered by hand using washes I made using Vallejo Model Color and Armoeall glass cleaner. The glass cleaner is ammonia free and was purchased from SuperCheap for about $ 12.00. All wagons were hand printed with Dullcote first, stroking along the timber sides with the grain. No set formula was used, a couple of spurts of cleaner with a drop of paint in a paint pallet. The CB van received two washes, the first wash was applied by a small brush using Model Color #70.989 Sky Grey. You need to wait until the wash has dried to see if you want more. A few hours later a wash of black (Model Color # 70.862 Black Grey) was applied in the same manner. The C wagon only received the black wash. Breakdown Van 9711 the wash used was Model Colour # 70.983 Flat Earth.      

At this point a search is on for a smallish branch line breakdown crane. The 15 ton Krupp crane could be a nice scratch building project. Tichy Train Group have a 120 ton Industrial Brownhoist steam crane (kit 4010) not that much different to the QR 15 ton one. Maybe some parts could be used from the kit, a complete new wagon frame and bogies would be required. I guess if it is too big, it can run on the standard gauge network.     

         

 Acknowledgements   

General Appendixes.
AMRA Qld Library   

Sunshine Express
Chatting with club mates, other modellers and work colleagues.

Railways of Queensland, an album of …. Volume Five

Gabba loco showing one end of the Gabba “S” wagon. 1967 Peter Kennedy
Part of the Gladstone Breakdown train. 1986.  Chris Malone

Railways of Queensland, an album of …. Volume Six.

Charleville Breakdown Van 9711 1967 D. Campbell.
Mayne Breakdown Car 47 1963. Stan Moore
Breakdown Van BDV 13929 Maryborough 1987, J. Salomon. 

The next project is the YK cattle wagon, this class of wagon had a very colourfully history on the QGR network for around 90 years.  

The staff at Westgate would like to wish you all a Blessed Mary Christmas and trust 2021 will be much better than 2020.    

Arthur H. 

Beaudesert Goods

 

Modelling a prototype can bring so much more to our hobby. We tend to run what we see or recall from an earlier time period. Some of us model a location on a given prototype, some may put a time period on what they are going to model. To me modelling a prototype is more than just have a collection of rollingstock that we place on the layout to form a train to run. In this post, I going to cover trains on a Branch Line that we worked from my first depot at the started my railway career. Even today we can look at these quant parts of our railway network, even with most of the lines closed and no trains running, we can recreate history.  By doing so, we add so much more to what we are doing, it gives a new meaning and much more enjoyment to the hobby. Even with a freelance layout, prototype trains can be made up and operate just like the real thing. Let’s start with a train I saw for many years, the Beaudesert Goods.  

During the steam era the train departed Wooloongabba worked by a PB15 locomotive as Train 134. The load for the train was 240 tons, that’s equal to around 12 loaded K wagons of cattle. All trains travelling passed Kingston were restricted to PB15 locomotives due to the Logan River Bridge.

The 1967 Working Time Table showed the section Bethania to Beaudesert was laid with 42 lb. or lighter rails. The maximum speed of trains on the branch was 25 miles per hour. The maximum speed of Rail Cars was 30 miles per hour for 50 hp. units, and 35 miles per hour for 102 hp, 1800 class and 2000 class units. In order to minimise delay to 134 at Beaudesert, butter wagons and any other loading for Logan and Albert Butter Factory at Beaudesert was be placed next to the road wagon from Wooloongabba and detached at siding before drawing into Beaudesert yard.    

The crew for 134 would of been on duty around 12:00 PM. 15 minutes to sign on, check Train Notices and roster, 30 minutes to prep the engine for traffic (Oil loco, raise steam, fill lubricator, clean tender filters, clean fire, clean cab fittings, blow boiler down, top up tender), 10 minutes traffic to place engine on train. 15 minutes to pump up train, safety test and receive train details from the guard. Train 134 departed Wooloongabba at 1:17 PM, Yeerongpilly 1:39/2:14 attach loading. Kingston 3:01/13 loco (take water, clean fire, oil & check loco) & load roadside sent from South Brisbane on 96 Up, Bethania 3:23/50 attach loading, Jimboomba 4:55/5:10 meal and safe working, arriving at Beaudesert 6:05 PM. The train returned as train 161 leaving departed Beaudesert at 7:30 pm, Bethania 9:20 pm, dump train at Yeerongpilly, light engine to Wooloongabba arriving at 10:58 pm. Beaudesert is less than 50 miles from Brisbane, yet to run a train there and back, it was over an 11 hours job for the crew. 

In 1967, second contract 1600 class diesel electric locomotives (DEL) commenced working trains on the southside, the Working Time Table provided a timetable should the train be worked by DEL. The train was numbered 534D departing Wooloongabba at 1:32 PM, Bethania 3:22/50, Beaudesert arr. 5:43 PM. The load for a 1600, 1620, and 1700 class DEL’s was 560 tons (=28 loaded K wagons). The load for a 1720 class DEL was 640 tons (= 32 loaded K wagons) D.H. locos had a load of 360 tons (=18 loaded K wagons). After 1970, 1720 DEL’s were the go to loco for the line. D.H locos were rostered to work trains on the branch, often they didn’t make it, stalling between Salisbury and Altandi. Regularly, they pushing them into the Refuse at Sunnybank for an engine change before continuing towards there destination.

I recall at cattle train with 2 D.H’s stalled between Salisbury and Coopers Plains. The train was over the load for one 1720, over length for the cross overs at Coopers Plains and over length for the Refuse at Sunnybank. It was up to yours truly to come up with a plan to take the two 1720’s on the rear of the train and replaced the two D.H’s on the lead of the train. On top of this was the regular passenger trains to be juggle through the station. The task was achieved without adding any extra delay to passenger trains, not the average day at the office.

I also recall working a 1600 class DEL to Beaudesert on a cattle train one Sunday in 1968. We were lucky to make it back in a timely manner. After unloading the cattle, the bell started ringing in the cab to draw our attention to low oil. The loco was shut down and a checking the engine room was made, oil was raining down all over the engine. A pipe union had let go allowing oil to be spray all over the engine room. A walk to a local service station had the pipe repaired, a phone to the local Shell deport saw a truck turn up with a couple of 44 gallon drums of oil and a hand pump. After a couple of hours we returned to Mayne without further trouble.         

Safe working system on the branch was Staff and Ticket, two sections, Bethania to Jimboomba, Jimboomba to Beaudesert. Trains could work through both staff stations unattended in accordance with Rules 229 & 442. Should trains cross at Jimboomba, the Goods Shed siding was to be used, no crossing loop. In short, the way this worked was the guard of the first train to arrive became the officer in charge of the station until his train departs. If there is another train at the station when he departs, the guard of the second train become the officer in charge. Bethania would issue the crew with a “Working” advising safe working arrangements, times of the train in advance, authority to run on (Staff or Ticket or Line Clear if Staff was at the other end of the section), trains to be crossed and following train and their expected time of departure. 

The Branch was a popular line for ARHS excursions. Trinder Park. OHLE masts are placed ready to be installed. 

For a prototype modeller, this begs the question, what was on the Beaudesert goods. Let’s have a look at what’s on the line and see what we come up with as a possible train.

 Stations on the Branch are as follows.

Miles from Sth Brisbane	Station	Remarks
20 Miles 44 Chains.	Bethania	Branch Station. Supervising station when Beaudesert not on duty.
22 Miles 5 ch.	Waterford	Shelter, Siding loading bank, No siding, light item only.
25 Miles 57 ch.	Buccan	Shelter, No siding, light item only.
27 Miles 35 ch.	Logan Village	Siding, Pig yard, end loading bank, Shelter and Cream shed.
34 Miles 28 ch.	Jimboomba	Unattended Staff Station. Siding, Pig yard, side loading bank, Shelter, Goods, Cream sheds.
37 Miles 66 ch.	Cedargrove	Siding, Cattle, Pig & Sheep yards, end loading bank, Shelter, Goods, Cream sheds.  Timber stage.
40 Miles 51 ch.	Woodhill	Shelter & Cream shed, No siding, light item only.
41 Miles 73 ch.	Veresdale	Siding, side loading bank, Shelter, Goods, Cream sheds.
43 Miles 70 ch.	Gleneagle	Siding, side loading bank, Shelter, Goods, Cream sheds.
46 Miles 71 ch.	Lahey’s Pty	Siding. (1963 points spiked over)
47 Miles 16 ch	47 Miles Siding	Butter Factory (Clause 344)
47 Miles 38 ch.	Beaudesert	Staff Station, 40’ Turntable, Cattle, Pig & Sheep yards, side & end loading bank, 7 ton cart weighbridge, 2 ton crane.

 Clause 344 General Appendix.

Logan and Albert Co-operative Dairy Company Siding, 47 Miles 16 chains.

A dead-end siding with the points facing Beaudesert. A train must not be sent to the siding unless it can be back and clear of the main line at least twenty (20) minutes before a main line train is due.

Looking at local industry in the area and facilities at stations on the line, we can work out what goods/freight is being carried by trains on the line. In the mid 1960’s, not a lot was happening between Bethania and Beaudesert. At Beaudesert the Lahey’s siding is closed to traffic, the Butter Factory is operational along with the meatworks at Bromelton. With an operational buttery factory in the town, there would be a good chance the surrounding industry would be dairy farms.  In this era, public servants (Police, teachers, railway employees Etc.) on transfer had their furniture and effects convey by rail. The section of track requires looking after, sleepers to replace, inspections, bridge repairs etc. Staff was position at various locations on the branch in departmental housing, many not on town water supply. Talking of water, I recall there was a period when cattle trains were few and far between (summer), an engine, FGW of water and a van would run to supply water to these places.    

Guard tuition train carrying out watering duties. Photo- Late Ron White.

Camp wagons at Beaudesert

Beaudesert and Bethania regular had visiting worker camped in the yard.

Fettling gang waiting for Driver’s tuition train to pass.

As they say, what goes “UP” comes “DOWN”, trains to Beaudesert are “UP” trains, trains returning to Brisbane are “DOWN” trains. What goes out on one train, returns on the next a few days later. Stock trains unload and return mainly with the same train empty, it’s just getting the van on the other end being the issue in a smallish yard.

Research and looking at photos can also assist the modeller to run prototype trains in their selected locations.   

Once again I looking in Railways of Queensland an album of .... Volume Two, load and behold there is a photo of train 134 at Kingston taking water by Stan Moore, the photo was taken on the 28 January 1963. Some factors to consider are, school holidays over the Christmas period, public holidays (26^th Australia Day) and not the cattle season. The train consisted of PB 15 # 443, 2 - ABG, 2 – CMB, F wagon, FJS, ALG Box wagon and a van, in short empty butter wagons and general goods.   

 This next photo shows a D.H. on Train 594 at Coopers Plains. Date unknown, looks like mid 1970’s. On the train is a FJS covered with a tarp (slat, maybe), 4 – K and a KKB of cattle, 2 – open type wagons, 2 box type wagons, one looks like an ABG for butter and a van.  At times, the salt going to Beaudesert could be around equal to 10 F in HJS and FJS wagons. 

Sunshine Express shown the follow for train 594 in March 1976.

DEL 1707, 2 CMB, FJS, ALYT, Van 1159.  Once again, empty butter wagons and a couple of wagon of general goods.

1981 Working Time Table showed trains running as required on the branch. Trains would be published on Train Notice when required.

All of the above trains are great size trains to model on a layout.

The branch regularly saw stock trains of all sizes, at times more than one a day. 

DH works a small cattle train through Coopers Plains

The QLX’s in the siding is tobacco leaf for W.D. & H.O. Wills from Mareeba. Each year there was four sales in Mareeba, over 100 wagons would consigned to Coopers Plains following the sales. This traffic also went to Corinda and Bundamba. 

DH returning on a Cattle train at Sunnybank

1720 class DEL works a cattle train up grade through Coopers Plains.

After KKB van were withdrawn, TDV vans were marshalled behind the hauling loco on TDO trains.

1705 running wrong road Sunnybank to Coopers Plains.

Shortage of K wagons, 1720 class hauls a load of Beaudesert cattle in IC wagons at Sunnybank.

Two 1720’s hauls a cattle/sheep train at Woodhill. Photo Late Ray White

Loco 1620 returning with an empty sheep train at Waterford. 

                            Guards Tuition train at Logan Village Photo - Late Ray White.                                              Note, behind the Rail Car in the siding is a couple of FJS wagons, mostly likely sleepers for the local gang. 

1741 works a cattle train, stopped at Jimboomba for staff working (Rule 442).

The next photo shows Loco 1707 on a sheep train at Veresdale, note the canvas cover on the No 1 end grill to stop star grass entering the air intake and causing a fire hazard. 

Each day a Train Notice was issued advising employees of the conveyance of livestock for the next few days. This is half of the list on TN 816 issued on the 30^th April 1993. 

Have a look at Train 6043 from Quilpie to Dinmore on Sunday the 2^nd of May, that’s equal to 55 K wagons. Maximum length of a train without an authority at the time was a train equal to 45 K wagons. This a just about a full load for 2 x 1700 class DEL’s from Quilpie to Roma, over half of the train would have to be steel K wagons. 

Some Trivial, the biggest train I’m aware of to leave Quilpie was 3 x 1700/1720 hauling equal to 64 K wagons (Aug 92).  Other stations receiving livestock on the Train Notice were Churchill and Cannon Hill.  Stock consignments to the Cannon Hill area was mostly on a separate Train Notice. 

This Train Notice gives the running for Train 8U96, there is a typo for the arrival time at Beaudesert, should be 1018.  The Station Master at Beaudesert was not on duty for all trains, he would be called out for over length trains.

 This is part of the Orders issued to Mayne Yard on the 13^th March 1984. 

This also highlights a change in train numbering for the branch.

 Train Notice 94 issued on the 10^th of January 1986 shows 5 N and 1L from Cramsie (Longreach). This train would have been 6 NA wagons, one loaded with a single deck of sheep. Freight charges for the consignment would have been as 5 N and 1L.    

 Train 594 is currently running on the layout. The hauling loco is a Far North Hobbies (Chivers) etch brass and white metal kit produced about 25 years ago. A North Yard (NZ) mechanism is fitted to the locomotive. Both the kit and the mechanism required alterations to have the couplers near correct height. The loco was painted with SMS (Scale Modeller Supplies) ready to spray acrylic lacquer paints, this was the first time I painted a brass/white metal kit and used SMS paints. The paint dries quickly and has a gloss finish. I made a few error and the end result could of been better, at this point it’s OK on the layout providing you don’t look to hard. On the scales the loco comes in at 227 grams. At this point, I have not added any extra weight. On the layout the loco run well and makes a great little shunter. Just like the prototype, you need to think about what you are doing and the load you are going to pull.  

The leading four (4) wagons are salt for the meat works, this would come down from Bajool in FJS and HJS wagons covered with tarps on portable supports. My four wagons are scratch built from styrene, an open box with some underframe detail. The HJS wagons run on Caintode Flats bogies. The FJS wagons run on “Model Etch” brass “W” irons with white metal axles boxes fitted with “Steam Era” wheels. 

The KSA/KS wagons are Wuiske RTR models that have been weathered and extra weight added under the floor. In the video you will notice some have been repainted and modified to reflect the era in which they were built.  In the1960’s/70’s/80’s the wagons were cleaned at Mayne and sprayed with white wash before being returned to the west, which was a tick free area.  East of the Great Divide was considered a tick area. The 3D cattle poo was made using Vallejo Model Color Khaki 70.988 paint mixed in with Vallejo plastic pulley. The mix was randomly applied to the lower half of the wagon with a tooth pick. I need a bed to sleep in at night, thus no smell. 

The two wagons of sleepers are Chivers fine scale kits, the sleepers are bass wood cut to size.   

The H wagon is a PGC kit running on Caintode Flats bogies. The farm machinery is a mix of Wiking and scratch built. 

CMB Butter wagons are scratch built, the roof is covered with tea bag. Caintode Flats bogies.

C class box wagon (Road Wagon) and the ABG Butter wagons are Caintode Flats Kits. Note, the train is marshalled in accordance to the instructions in the Working Time Table. Butter wagon to be marshalled next to road wagons).

CV 286 is scratch built on Caintode Flats bogie. More information on this Guard’s Van can be found in the previous post. (October 2020).

 The train can be found on YouTube 

Not two trains would be the same, during the stock season the train could be deferred to run to a later time table to connect with trains coming from the north or west convey Beaudesert cattle. Gangs with camp wagons and their gear could be moving onto the line to work or be relocating closer to their job site. Materials to maintain the line (sleepers etc.) in open wagons from time to time. The Working Time Table indicates there is a “Road Wagon”, this is a box wagon carrying small consignments for stations on the line received in other wagons coming into Roma Street.  This wagon would also carry goods/freight for Beaudesert, items for stations on the branch would be loaded in front of the door for easy access by the Guard. The buttery factory needs butter boxes to send they butter out to the Butter Board at Hamilton. This would be a box wagon from time to time.  Above I indicated about Public Servants on transfer, this was generally an eight (8) wheeled box wagon.  Slat to treat the hides at the meat works sometimes went forward on the stock trains subject to load and hauling loco, otherwise it went forward on the local goods.   

 This is an overview of my observations, I didn’t see or record every train, I’m sure there would of been much more I missed or I have forgotten.

 If you model another branch line or a given location, the same excise can be completed to work out what loading/wagons you need to have on your trains.  

 Trust you find the information helpful and assist you with your modelling.

Arthur H.