Coal hoppers have been converted to convey
many bulk products on the QR network, grain, sugar, lime, fertilizer etc.
Loading of bulk apples
from "The Summit" for juice commenced in the mid 1990’s, VAO class coal was used
for this traffic. To identify the wagons allocated to the traffic, they were classed VAOA. Other factory fruit in bins was loaded into QLX type wagons.
The wagons were conveyed to the Golden Circle Cannery at Northgate in Brisbane.
Apples arriving
at The Summit. July 1995.
(I just
love farm trucks, they are a great project to add realism to the layout).
Sidings at "The Summit" were not that big, often loaded and empty wagons
were conveyed to Wallangarra, some day’s 12 wagons came to Brisbane. (100 metre = 6 wagons).
Combined Goods/Cream
Shed
Empty VAOA
wagons arriving at The Summit
Empty wagons
being placed at the siding to be loaded.
The Summit Yard,
cases of Apples being loaded into VAOA wagons. (Eastern side of the Main Line).
The station building, combined Cream/Goods
Shed and the loading bank were all on the Main Line. The location would make a great modelling
project.
Arthur.
Apples being
loaded.
As much as
possible, red and green apples were loaded into separate wagons.
Likewise at the
cannery red apples were unloaded first before the green apples to save on
cleaning the plant between to two types of apples.
The Summit
western side of the main line, loading bank, station and fruit shed.
QLW in the
fruit shed for factory fruit.
This wagon has
tail light brackets on the end, suggesting it may have been a QLXP and a QLDP
before becoming a QLW. That’s a long story, I will leave that for another day.
VAOA Wagons at
Wallangarra
Train 7F09 leaving
Acacia Ridge for Bindha with apples.
VAOA next for
the unloading pit.
Golden Circle Cannery
Rail Vehicle Placer shunts a QLX of apples.
(This
unit takes first place for me).
Trust you enjoy.