Bulk Cement on QR.

Queensland Railway commence carrying bulk cement from the early 1940’s. “FF” wagons were steel lined, floor and part of the side and ends had sheet steel added. The hinged ridge pole was replaced by a fixed tarpaulin supports. The wagon were for Jas Hardie & Co Pty Ltd. Around 1944 these wagons were further modified into cover wagons and reclassified “FFC” wagons. In 1946 additional “FFC” entered service for Wunderlich Ltd. FFC 20045 in 1951 was shown as belonging to James Hardie & Co. Around 1955 both companies wagons were pooled. In 1959 the rectangular roof loading hatches were converted to circular hatches due to new loading plant at Darra. The wagons were marked Darra – Brisbane Cement, some had a white JH in a black square and remained in service to 1962.  Most wagons were scrapped, however a few were converted back to FF wagon and remained in service into 1970’s. 

1954

Modified VJM wagons fitted with a steel canopy classified “VJC” replaced the “FFC” wagons.

 

The wagons remained in service to around 1989. 

Around the same time, 1961, 5 ton cement bins commenced service to regional area. These bins were placed on various wagons, platform and open wagons with the doors removed were used.  Bins could be removed if required, only at major locations that had lifting capacity for that tonnage. Most locations I saw there was a siding available next to concrete plant and the bins remained on the wagon.

 

Year	Wagon	No of Bins	Class	Remarks.
1961	MTW	4	WBC
1963	SJ	4	SBC
1967	FJS	2	FJC
1967	HJS	4	HJS/HJSF
1984	QFX/C	8	QFQ
1984	QFX/C	4 X 5 T Bins 2 X 10 T Bins	QFQ	Some were in captive traffic
1988	WHE	5	WCC

 QFQ wagons had some or all of their timber floor removed, this increased the tonnage of cement that could be carried by about 4 tons. 

Only the odd wagon history card shows the bin capacity.  

Photo HJCF 25696. 

HJC 22732 Converted Ipswich Workshops in March 1972, Converted to PTM Northern Division Nov 1988. Condemned Sep 1994 ND. 

Other notes from history cards.

HJCF 25713. Feb 1972 Townsville fitted 4 Cement Bins painted green. Wagon written off Feb 1985.

HJS 25772. In Service as HJS Sep 1953. Has wool waste in axle boxes. Modified to HJSF Ipswich Workshops July 1962. Converted HJC Townsville with bins off SBC 11658. Converted HJSF Ipswich Dec 1984.   

HJS 25776. In service as HJS SEP 1953. Converted to HJSF Ipswich Mar 1973. Converted to HJCF Northern Division May 1981. Converted back to HJSF Ipswich Mar 1985.Written Off July 1993.

HJS 25778.In Service Sep 1953, Modified to HJSF Toowoomba June 1965. Reclassified HJCF Townsville Jun 1972 fitted with bins from WBC 120. Written off Central Division Nov 1993.  

HJS 25801. In Service Oct 1953, Modified as to HJSF requirements Toowoomba Mar 1962. Temporarily fitted with bulk cement containers ex road transport operations, Townsville Apr 1970. Converted to HJC Townsville 1971. Entered Ipswich Workshops as HJSF Feb 1977. New doors & Ends fitted Townsville Sep 1977. Modified to PCS Ipswich 1979. Written off Jan 1994.   

HJS 25825. In service Nov. 1953. Modified to HJSF Townsville Dec 1963. Converted to HJC Ipswich May 1971, Converted to HJSF Ipswich Apr 1984.Written off Aug 1994.

HJS 25845. In service Dec 1953, HJSF Townsville Sep 1962. Converted to HJC Townsville Dec 1969 with the cement bins from SBC 18063. HJCF ND Aug 1980, Written off Feb 1990.

HJS 25857. In Service Jan 1954. Modified to HJSF Toowoomba May 1963. Converted to HJCF Townsville Nov 1971. Converted to PJSF South West Division Mar 1988. Written off Feb 1993. 

HJS 25688. In Service Feb 1954. Modified red circle added Toowoomba Aug 1967. Reclassed HJSF Maryborough Nov. 1971. Convert to HJCF Ipswich Jun. 1973. Townsville May 1986 as a HJSF. 

HJS 25881. In Service Mar. 1954. Modified and red circle added Rockhampton July 1961. Converted to HJSF Maryborough May 1971. Converted to HJB Toowoomba Mar 1972, Converted HJSF Ipswich July 1974, Converted to HJCF Ipswich Aug. 1981. Derailed Julia Ck. Mar 1990. Written off Jul 1992. 

 

QFQ 35679 Cairns Jun 1986. In service Jan 1972 as QFC,

Converted QFQ Central Division Jul 1983 – 2 x 10 T & 4 x 5 T Bins.

Oct 1985, Northern Division 1 x 10 T & 6 x 5 T Bins 

QFC 35681 In service Jan 1972. C/D 10/83 Converted to QFQ. 

The first 10 ton bins started appearing around 1982 on HJSF wagons, making the HJCF class for “NACL”. Looking at photos over the years there were various types of 10 ton bins.   

HJCF 25735.In Service as HJS July 1953, Modified to HJSF T’ville Jan 1971, Converted to HJCF Central Division Feb 1980. Repairs in ND 1978, Converted to PTM CD in Jan 1989.

Paget June 1983.

HJS 29426 – In service May 1954. Side bearers repositioned Toowoomba Mar 62. (Red Circle) Converted to HRC Ipswich Aug 68. Converted to HJCF Mar 73. Converted to HJSF Sep 87. Written Off Oct 94.

Photo caption shows HCF 25722 Stuart Nov 1991. A search of my records cannot find any reference to the class. The “J” has been dropped in the classification which I feel is correct, the wagon has more than an 8 ton axle load.  Notice a bogie change for the extra tonnage. History cards show the three bins being fitted, no classification change. Most likely the wagons were captive to Northern Division traffic. 

HCF 25878 had the same bin arrangements. In service as a HJS March 1954, Converted to HJC Ipswich Workshops in May 1971. Converted to HJCF Central Division (CD) in July 1980. Written off Southern Division June 1994.

HJCF 25792. In service Sep 1953 as HJS. Converted to HJSF Toowoomba Apr 1970.  Converted to HJCF Northern Division Dec 1980. Fitted with 2 x 10 t and 1 x 5 t bins Townsville Sep 1985. Derailed Mt Surprise Oct 1987, Written Off June 1994.

HJS 25877. In service Mar. 1954. Modified HJSF Townsville Jun 1973. Converted to HJCF Ipswich June 1973. Northern Division Sep 1985 fitted with 2 x 10 t and 1 x 5 t bins. Written off ND Feb 1988.

HJS 25895. In service Apr. 1954, Modified and red circle added Townsville Mar. 1963. Reclassified HJSF Ipswich Aug. 1971. Fitted with new door & end CD Oct 1979. Converted to HJCF Northern Division Dec. 1980. Sep 1985 fitted with 2 x 10 t & 1 x 5 t Bins, Northern Division Sep.1985. Written off ND Feb 1988.  

HJS 25711. HJSF Aug 1971. HJC Oct 1984. HJSF Feb 1985. 2 x 10 t x 1 x 5 t bins Sep 1985. 

Classification of HJS Wagons.

Within QR there was quite a bit of confusion around classifications of HJS wagons and other wagons converted from HJS wagons. Many carried the incorrect classification for some years. It was bugger trying to marshal trains with wagons with the incorrect drawgear class.

HJS wagons – Bar frame bogies or QR 4 cast steel bogies not modified. Drawgear D3. Max speed 35 HMP/60 Km/h.

HJSF wagons - QR 4 cast steel bogies modified with Red Circle. Drawgear D3.  Max speed 50 HMP/80 Km/h

HJST wagons – QR 4 cast steel bogies modified with Red Circle and fitted with Auto Couplers & T/Links. Drawgear D1. Max speed 50 HMP/80 Km/h. 

QFP 33057 - Mackay May 1988.

QFX 33057 In service Oct 1965. Converted QFP May 1980 Ipswich. 

QFC 35682 – In service Jan 1972. Converted QFCA Mar 1989 Ipswich.

Converted QFP N/D Jun 1990.

QFP 33008 Mackay Harbour  Oct 1992

QFX 33008 In service Jul 1965. Converted QFP Ipswich Feb 1980

Pozzolanic Cement Hoppers fitted.

 QFP 33098 Townsville 1981

QFC 35768 – In service May 1972. Converted QFQ Central Division Aug 1983.

2 X 10 T & 4 x 5T bins.

HOQ 37149 Mackay

HO 37149 - In Service Nov 1973. Tipping block fitted, door latches pinned, Townsville Oct 74. Converted HOF Ipswich Jul 1976. Converted HOQ Ipswich Jun 86. Converted QFXC Ipswich Jun 1996. 

In the S.E corner of the state, in 1974 bulk PFCC wagons entered service, the bulk cement was carried in 20 ft. containers.

PFCC 22720 - In Service as HJS Oct 1950.

Converted Ipswich W/Shops to PFCC Sep. 1974. Written Off Sep 1992.

PFCC 22654 – In service as HJS Sep 1950, Converted to PFCC with container QRCC 2009 Sep 1974. Written Off Jun 1992. 

PFCF 25610 – In Service as HJS Jan 1953. Modified and red circle added Toowoomba Jul 1963. Converted to PFC for Fertiliser Traffic Ipswich Apl 1970, Classified PFCF Townsville Mar 1983. Written Off Jun 1990. 

PC 25721 

In the northern part of the state, 40 ft. containers were being used.

QFQ 34496 Cairns.

QFQ 35764 Cairns

QFC 35764 In Service May 1972. Converted to QFQ Central Division Jun 1982 

QFC 35717 = In service Feb 1972. Converted QFCA Ipswich Aug 1989. Converted QFQ ND Mar 1991, Converted QFXS Southern Division Jul 1995. 

QFXP 33044 Stuart.

QFX 33044 In service Sep 1965. Converted to QFXP Ipswich Feb 1981. Converted QPX Jan 1989. Converted QFXS South West Division Sep 1994. 

QPC 38633 Cairns

QPX 33067 Cairns.

QFX 33067 – In service Oct 1965. Converted to QFXP Jun 1981 Ipswich. Converted QPX Jan 1989 (RICS). Converted QFXS South West Division Oct 1994.  

On the Mt Isa line from around 1969 onwards there was the dual purpose PCC wagons. These wagon carried cement from Stuart to Mt Isa and on the return carried copper anodes back to Stuart. Once again they were converted from HJS wagons. In later years the class was allocated a set of new numbers. Around 1980 a small number of PCCL wagons converted from CMIS wagons entered service, these wagon carried a few ton more than the PCC wagons. 

Today, a number of 20 ft. ISO Containers are carrying cement on NC line express freight services. Around 2010 there was a special train that ran twice a week from Mt Miller (Gladstone) to Acacia Ridge conveying cement for Yatala. The whole train was 20 ft. containers

Mackay

Mackay

Mt Miller 24.06.2006

Queensland Train Page (tripod.com)

 There are other companies with similar containers. 

What’s available for the QR Modeller. 

Queensland Railway Miniatures produces a SBC kits with 5 ton bins as built.

This wagon was covered in more detail back in April 2020.

Westgate - South Western Rail: SBC Cement Wagon Kit (westgateswr.blogspot.com)

The bins kits are available separate, which give you an opportunity to build other cement wagons.   

Wuiske Models produces the HJC wagon RTR, the wagon is fitted with 5 ton bins with pneumatic discharge equipment for a later era.

They are available to run on both H0n3½ (12mm) and H0 (16.5 mm) track.

Wuiske Models www.wuiskemodels.com 

Modellers Warehouse have just added the 10 ton cement bins to their Tyson’s Trains range.

 

The wagon have been scratch build using styrene and Caintode Flats bogies and parts. Some additional detail was added to the bins as well.

Modeller's Warehouse | Australian Scenery Supplies (modellerswarehouse.com.au) 

If scratch building is not your cup of tea, Canitode Flats have a PCS wagon kit in H0n3½ and Wuiske Models have a RTR PCS wagon sets in both H0n3½ and H0. The PCS wagons are much the same HJC and HJCF wagons, except they were container wagons similarly converted as the HJC wagons, just different fixing arrangements. 

If you model the container train era, Walthers have a 20 ft. Tank Container Kit (undecorated)  # 948-8100 that could be adapted.

Add some pipes along the side and make up Cement Australian decals and you are good to go.

 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.

Queensland Train Page website.

 Trust, you find the information helpful for your modelling endeavours.

 Back on the road again, just need to slow down a bit. The surgery went are good as could be expected, with great pathology results.

Till next time, happy modelling.

Arthur H.