WR wagons were
converted from the W / MTW / NW family of wagons. Wagon Plan P 245 dated 2001
shows six (6) alterations has been made to the class. Not a lot of help for
someone wanting to model of the wagon back in the 1960’s to fit in with my era.
I have photos
of them in that period as single wagons, very much the same as an “S” wagon, a
little longer in length and painted red oxide.
But I wanted a
rail set for welded rail, I recall they had a yellow band on the side. I was
planning on building a five wagon set and one for general traffic. With some
digging, I found welded rail in that era was 200 ft. long and conveyed on 5 WR
wagons doubled coupled using “D” Links. That’s great, I was thinking they were
8 wagon sets. When I working as an acting Number Taker/Shunter at Whinstanes in
1968/9, rail (40 ft. long) arrived by ship and was unloaded at the BHP wharf.
Just about any wagon that could carry rail was used to convey the rail from the
wharf to Banyo. I recall there was four (4) water side cranes on the wharf and
a number of sidings.
In later years
(1982), rail (27.5 mts) was conveyed to Brisbane on the standard gauge wagons
and transhipped at Acacia Ridge onto WRB wagons (5 wagon set), for the trip to
Banyo, yet another modification for the class. Around 1993, IROA/IROB (modified
HO wagons) replaced the WRB wagons. IROA/IROB wagons are still in service today
conveying shorts/seconds from Yeerongpilly Rail Welding Plant. Standard gauge
wagons deliver the rail to the plant.
IROA/IROB set.
If I recall
correctly, welded rail on WR wagons was secured at one end with cables. Plates
between the stanchions were greased/oiled were placed between each layer of
rail. From 1969 onwards, the wagons were painted grey.
In the early
1970’s, rail was welded into 110 metre (360 ft. approx.) lengths and conveyed
to work sites on special wagons. QR sets were converted from QFX/QFC wagons
with 7 wagons making the set. All up three (3) set were made, later one set was
converted for part worm rail and reclassed QRG, later others wagons were
built/modified for this work and were classed IRG. Ipswich Workshops built three (3) RY eight
(8) wagon set, 1974, 1976, 1978. In 1977 the first set was fitted with fold
down ramps on the ends and was classified RYS. Since I retired, a couple of
other sets have been observed in service.
QR set at Banyo.
There was some differences between the two current QR sets.
RY set being loaded at Yeerongpilly.
Ramps on RYS set.
When loading
long lengths of welded rail (ribbon rail) on rail sets, the rail is loaded on
its feet, in other words, as we see it in the track and is secured to plates
near the centre with special bolts.
A crane located
at the securing point remove the securing plates at Banyo for loading. After a
number of incidents of the cranes hitting passing trains, (mainly when the sets
were returning to Brisbane empty), the cranes were removed around 2002.
Due to limited
room at Banyo, the RY/RYS set had a north/south end for loading. If the set
arrived back in Brisbane the wrong way round, they were turned before going to
Banyo. A trip around the big circle, Normanby to Corinda, Yeerongpilly back to
Normanby.
Other rail sets
have been set up for recovery of part worn rail, rail would be picked up after
being replaced and moved to another location. In the 1990’s the CQ coal lines
were relayed with heaver rail, the lighter rail taken out was recovered and
sent to the SWD.
QRG set.
QRGE rail wagon
QPS power van used with QRG sets.
QRI set
As time
progress, the WR wagons bar frame bogies were replaced with cast iron bogies
and they were reclassed as WRA wagons.
This did
increase their carrying capacity by a couple of tonnes. With the newer wagons
doing the heavy lifting in rail traffic, many WR were again modified replacing timber
“S” wagons being withdrawn from service, the wagon looked much the same as the
original WR’s, but were given “WS” classification. By the early 1990’s, most were out of
traffic.
Floors were not always clean, a nice
modelling project ??.
A summary of
history cards below will provide some idea of the class alterations/modifications
over the years.
Queensland
State Archives has QR wagon history cards online. Not every trip to the
workshop or the work done on the wagon is recorded. Information on the cards are
hand written and some are hard to read. Some of the information has no
application to modellers building a wagon. In reading a number of cards you do
grab an understanding of what happen over the years the wagons were in service.
In short, for a platform wagon, they did receive a number of modifications. For
me in reading cards does generate more questions.
Some
modifications made to the W / NW /MTW family of wagons included -
Replacement of
King Pins
Buffing
transoms strengthened
Bogie chains
removed
Hand brake rack
altered.
Bogie spring
planks strengthened and additional springs fitted.
Modification to
truss rods.
Carrying
capacity reduced from 26 T to 25 T
Headstock
modified.
Fitted with Waughmat
draft gear, late 1960’s onwards. When entering service, the drawgear was not continuous.
Fitted C.S.S.
C. (Cast Steel Self Contained) Buffers. Late 1960’s onwards.
Extra drawhook
slides fitted.
Fitted with
securing lugs.
Fitted with C.
D. Collectors (Dust collector brake system)
A few wagon
histories are shown below highlighting time frames for work and modifications. .
WR 2
|
Date
|
Work
|
Remarks
|
|
Dec 1943
|
In Service as a NW Sheep Van
(Carry 225 sheep)
|
Evans Deakins (Frame)
Ipswich W/s (Body)
|
|
Sep 1950
|
Converted to W wagon
|
Toowoomba
|
|
Sep 53
|
Standard type king pins fitted.
Provision made for continuous drawgear when available.
|
Com Eng
|
|
Aug 1956
|
Converted to MTW. Continuous drawgear
fitted. Modified for sugar boxes.
Safety chains on bogies removed.
|
Com Eng Rocklea
|
|
Oct 1958
|
CD stencilled on Sole bars
|
Maryborough
|
|
Jan 1960
|
Converted to WR (Painted Red)
|
Ipswich Workshop
|
|
Aug 1965
|
Modified as Rail Set of 5 units.
Draft gear & extra bolsters added.
Yellow line painted on both sides
|
Ipswich W/s
|
|
Aug 1983
|
Modified 6 Bolsters to 8 Bolsters
|
Ipswich W/s
|
|
Dec 1992
|
Condemned
|
Ipswich W/s
|
A white CD in a
white outlined square on its side showed the wagon was fitted with continuous
drawgear. In some locations, MTW’s in Sugar Traffic etc., these wagons could be
used on the front of a train to increased train loads for larger engines. In
the Mackay area, C 17 engines could haul a train load of 650 tons on the main
line, this was the maximin load for draw hook rollingstock. On local shunt
trains, i.e., Mackay to Mackay Harbour the load was 700 tons for a C17. If you
stopped short going up into the bulk terminal roads, it was all over. To clear
the rear of the train, the train was cut into two, placing the front half into
another road. The usual plan was to take a runup, if you stop short you would
never live in down.
WR 12
|
Date
|
Work
|
Remarks
|
|
July 1943
|
Entered service as “W” wagon
6” x 1½” hardwood decking
|
Waddington NSW
Ipswich W/s.
|
|
May 1951
|
Converted to WR
4 bolsters, stanchions & chains.
|
Ipswich W/s
|
|
Jan 1967
|
Modified for long welded rail
|
Ipswich W/s
|
|
Aug 1969
|
Manganese plates fitted to stanchions
|
Ipswich W/s
|
|
May 1992
|
Condemned
|
|
WR 15
|
Date
|
Work
|
Remarks
|
|
28 May 1943
|
Entered service as “W” wagon
|
Waddington NSW
|
|
Mar 1958
|
Converted to MTW
|
Com Eng Co
|
|
Mar 1960
|
Converted to WR (50 ‘W’ wagons
converted A/c Mt Isa Railway Trust
|
Ipswich W/s
(Painted Red)
|
|
Apr 1969
|
Fitted with C.S.S.C. Buffers.
|
|
|
Nov 1971
|
Bolsters reinforced
|
|
WR 17
|
Date
|
Work
|
Remarks
|
|
2nd June 1943
|
Entered service as “W” wagon
|
Waddington NSW
|
|
Jan 1960
|
Converted to MTW
|
Ipswich W/s
|
|
Feb 1960
|
Converted to WR (50 ‘W’ wagons
converted A/c Mt Isa Railway Trust
|
Ipswich W/s
(Painted Red)
|
|
Feb 1969
|
Fitted with C.S.S.C. Buffers.
|
|
|
Jan 1985
|
Converted to WS
|
|
|
July 1992
|
Condemned
|
|
WR 30
|
Date
|
Work
|
Remarks
|
|
14th July 1943
|
Entered service as “W” wagon
|
Waddington NSW
|
|
Apr 1951
|
Converted to WR
|
Ipswich W/s
|
|
Jun1967
|
Modified to carry long welded rails
|
Ipswich W/s
|
|
May 1992
|
Condemned
|
|
WR 49
|
Date
|
Work
|
Remarks
|
|
6th
Dec 1943
|
Entered
service as “NW” wagon
|
Waddington
NSW
|
|
Sep
1950
|
Converted
to W wagon
|
Toowoomba
|
|
Oct
1956
|
Converted
to MTW
|
Com
Eng Co
|
|
Nov
1956
|
Converted
to WR
|
Com
Eng Co
|
|
Jan
1959
|
Stencilled
CD
|
Wacol
|
|
Mar
1967
|
Modified
for long welded rails
|
Ipswich
W/s
|
|
July
1970
|
C.S.S.C.
Buffers fitted
|
|
|
Feb
1971
|
Spring
loaded bolster fitted
|
|
|
Mar
1975
|
Derailed
Isis
|
|
|
Nov
1986
|
Converted
to WRA (ASF Ridge control bogies)
|
Ipswich
W/s
|
|
Oct
1986
|
Modified
Centre Casting
|
|
|
|
|
|
WR 55
|
Date
|
Work
|
Remarks
|
|
31st
May 1943
|
Entered
service as “W” wagon
|
Waddington
NSW
|
|
Mar
1951
|
Converted
to WR
|
|
|
May
1967
|
Condemned
|
|
WR 62
|
Date
|
Work
|
Remarks
|
|
11th Dec 1943
|
Entered service as “NW” wagon
|
Evans Deakins
|
|
Mar 1951
|
Converted to NWB
|
Ipswich W/s
|
|
Feb 1972
|
Headstock Modification and C.S.S.C.
Buffers
|
Rockhampton
|
|
Mar 1983
|
Converted to WR
|
Ipswich W/s
|
|
Oct 1983
|
Converted to WS
|
Ipswich W/s.
|
|
Jan 1992
|
Condemned
|
|
WR 108
|
Date
|
Work
|
Remarks
|
|
15th June 1943
|
Entered service as “W” wagon
Buffers & drawgear fitted at Evans
Deakin Rocklea.
Timber deck fitted Ipswich W/s.
|
Waddington NSW
Cost £ 670.00.00
|
|
Sep 1958
|
Converted to MTW
|
Maryborough
|
|
Feb 1959
|
Buffing transoms strengthened.
Standard king points & additional bogie springs fitted, Bogie safety
chains removed,
Drilled for sugar boxes.
|
Com Eng Coy
|
|
Feb 1970
|
C.S.S.C. Buffers fitted, Truss rod
modification
|
Townsville
|
|
Oct 1982
|
Converted to WRB
|
Ipswich W/s
|
|
Feb 1993
|
Condemned
|
Ipswich W/s
|
Model:-
All six wagons
were all made from styrene, floors
being Evergreen “V” grove and strip of various sizes were used for other parts
and underframe.
Couplings (Kadee
158) were built into the underframe.
General
traffic WR Wagons.
Under the
wagon was kept simple, only detail the can be observed with the wagon on the
track was added.
Rail Set
(yellow band) WR wagons.
Vallejo
(acrylic - water) Paints was used on the floors. I tried to vary the weathering
between to rail set wagons to that of the general traffic wagon. The rail set
wagons have plates between each layer of rail, these plates were oiled to
assist with rail move along the wagons on curves. The wagons were painted with
red oxide including the floors. Thinking the floor would be hardwood, the floor
was painted brown, then various shades of grey were dry brushed for aging. The
rail set wagons had a black wash applied for the oil. I made my own wash using
Vallejo Paints, a drop of paint in some water, it was a weak mix. The wash was
applied to various sections along the floor. Let the wash dry to see effect,
various coats to various different areas were applied. My guess, no two wagons
would be the same, thus you can’t stuff it up.
Rail set WR wagons
on the layout.
DH 56 returning to the depot after carrying out watering duties, and
unloading rails etc The train consists of a SW water wagon for watering duties,
general traffic WR for shorts (40 ft rails), or crossing parts (vee, check
rails, switch blades etc.) or bridge timbers and five rail set WR wagons (welded
rail). Plus a suitable Guards Van, maintenance workers may be required to
travel between unloading locations.
Commercial Parts.
Bogies:- Far North Hobbies lost wax brass.
Buffers:- Caintode
Flats Production - CFD 1.
Queen Posts:- Queensland Railway Miniatures.
Turnbuckles:- Tichy Train Group.
Couplers:- Kadee:- 158 Whisker
couplings. (Bulk Pack – box built into underframe during construction).
Brass wire:- Keiran Ryan Models:-– Trust rods, (0.3 mm),
Stanchion (1mm filed flat on 3 sides).
Paint:- PGC Scale Models Red Oxide. (Acrylic
Lacquer paints that require airbrushing).
Decals:- Turntable.
Floor and Weathering:- Vallejo acrylic (water) Paints.
Acknowledgements.
Iron and Steel
Wagons of the Queensland Railways steam Era by John Armstrong.
QR Plans.
Loading &
Securing of Freight Manual.
Queensland
State Archives.
Australian
Model Railway Association Queensland Library.
Trust, you find
the information helpful for your modelling endeavours.
Many thanks for
your feedback and comments during the year, it was very much appreciated.
We wish you a Merry
Christmas and trust you have a very blessed New Year.
Arthur H.
