"GV” Guard’s Vans - Part #1.

Queensland Railways “List of Classes of Coaching Rolling Stock and Description” dated 3^rd January 1963 lists a number of GV class Guard’s Vans. The list shows 102 vans, all except three vans are shown as having second class passenger compartments.

Five separate listings are shown for the vans with passenger accommodation. All with the exception on one van are known at “Griffith’s Vans”. The name comes from the manufacture of the first contract “Griffith Brothers” (Toowoomba Foundry). The vans are shown in four categories within three types. One, two and three passenger compartments conveying 10, 20 or 30 passengers respectably. All vans were equip with dog boxes and the one and two compartment vans were the only goods van to be fitted with coffin chambers

GV 640 (Blackout Van)

GV 725 (Blackout Van)

GV 622  (Blackout Van) 

Plans show the vans were fitted with gas lights, some notes showed a few had electric light. In the 1960’s, most vans in the class were “black out” vans, in other words they had no lights. Kerosene tail/side lights marked the end of the train at night. The Guard used his kero shunting light for his compartment. Most of the livestock vans were the same, in the late 1960’s on the Mt Isa line guards were issued with battery Latten lights when working train with these vans.   

Some of the class had electric lights fitted in the late 1960’s early 1970’s. Around the same time the vans were classified BGV, I guess to reflect they had 2^nd class passenger compartments. 

GV 668 Van fitted with electric light. 

One group of 31 vans were shown as 28 feet long, tare 12 ton 15 cwt with one compartment for 10 passengers. Numbers shown are 627, 648, 650, 653, 654, 656, 657, 659, 660, 662, 668, 669, 671, 673 – 676, 678 – 681, 683, 685 – 689, 691, 692, 694, 695. There was also 5 vans with one compartment that were 32 ft long (Nos. 629, 631, 640, 642, 643). 

The vans were 7ft 6 inches wide, the timber wall boards were wider than the later vans and passenger cars.  Most vans appeared to have 4 ft 6 in Angle Iron Bogies with 2 ft 2 in wheels, some also had the bar frame bogie. Buffer did very a bit for van to van.  

GV 659 (Blackout Van)

GV 657 (Blackout Van) These two vans have bar frame bogies. 

As built the luggage compartment had double outwards swings doors fitted with windows. The 32 ft vans had a single sliding doors for the luggage compartment. 

John Armstrong book “Brake Vans of the Queensland Railways 1864 – 1980” shows 52 28 ft vans were built between 1897 and 1902. Eight 32 ft vans were built between 1902 and 1905 A plan for the van 28ft van came be found in John’s book.

BGV 631 (Blackout Van)

BGV 643 (Blackout Van) 

Photos show a few modifications surfaced over the years, In later years the doors did not have windows. Some also lost their coffin cambers and were fitted with electric light.

BGV 631. (32’ Van) Altered luggage compartment doors, coffin chamber gone and fitted with electric light. QR Logo and grey ballast hopper places the era in the mid 1970’s. It’s no longer 2^nd class passenger accommodation, it’s Economy Class

I think this one could be a project down the track!! 

Wooloongabba

The transportation of dogs and corps are covered in the Coaching By-Laws, that’s item carried on passenger trains in Guards Vans and Baggage Cars.  Both were still carried by QR up to the early 2000’s. This is one of the reasons why MMV vans stayed on the western mails after two driver operation (TDO) can in. In 1970, a corps was conveyed at the rate of 10 cents per mile. Special conditions were required over 100 miles. They were allowed between Brisbane and Toowoomba (101 miles) and Gympie (106 miles) without these conditions. At one time before the rule was changed, a special stop was made at Harlaxton (99 miles) to unload coffins for Toowoomba.       

Senders of dogs needed to supple a chain to secure the dog into the dog box on guard’s vans. Other small animals such as goats and sheep will not be accepted for conveyance by passenger trains unless they are contained in suitable crates, in which case they may be loaded in either the guard’s van or dog-boxes. The Commissioner will not be responsible for the safety of dogs and other small animals and when necessary a drinking vessel must be supplied by the sender. 

The rate for conveyance of dogs in dog-boxes or Guard’s Vans which must be prepaid in all cases, were as follows in 1970. 

10 miles and under	$0.35 each
11 to 20 miles	$0.40 each
21 to 40 miles	$0.50 each
41 to 80 miles	$0.70 each
81 to 100 miles	$0.90 each
101 to 130 miles	$1.10 each
131 to 150 miles	$1.35 each
151 to 200 miles	$1.80 each
201 to 250 miles	$2.20 each
251 to 300 miles	$2.65 each

and 30c for each additional 50 miles or part thereof, but in no case shall the charge for a dog be in excess of the second class passenger fare. 

Dogs and other small animals must be removed from the station premises immediately after the arrival of the train, otherwise they will be maintained at the owner’s risk and expense; and if not claimed within three days they may be sold at auction, and the proceeds applied in payment of all expenses incurred and the balance handed to the owner or consignee. 

I have observed up to four dogs in the dog box on the Westlander at Charleville. 

Model 

For the layout I chose a 28 ft version with double luggage doors with windows. For me a short van at the back of a train looks better on a small layout. In operational prototype practice any vans were used on trains regardless of their length, at times 50 foot vans worked trains consisting of four wheeled coal hoppers. In later years conditions was placed on the weight of a van working express freight trains, I think they had to be over 16 tons tare. 

 

A spare crew is travelling passenger returning to their depot with their tucker boxes on the seat. A water bowl of drinking water for the dog has been supplied in the dog box.  Styrene blocks have been painted for goods/parcels in the luggage compartment.  

The van was built with guard’s doors open and the windows in the passenger compartment down. I think this beings a new dimension to the layout and was very prototypical for a good’s trains.  

Evergreen scribe and strip styrene was used to make the van. The roof was made to be removable. The canvas top is a washed out used tea bag and glued into place with super glue. The strips were cut three scale feet wide. 

Caintode Flats bogies, brake cylinder and buffers, the air hoses on the end and queen posts are Queensland Railway Miniatures brass parts. 

The sides and ends were airbrushed with PGC “Passenger Red” Acrylic Lacquer.

The underframe was painted with SMS (Ready to spray) Acrylic Lacquer “Chassis Black” 

After the decals were applied, sides, ends and underframe was sprayed with SMS “Flat Clear”

The roof was hand painted using Vallejo Model Color # 70.862 Black Grey. 

The van was weathered with the following

Vallejo Model Air # 71.139 US Field Drab

Vallejo Model Air # 71.133 Dirt

Vallejo Game Air # 72.762 Earth

AK # AK 723 Dust.

The paints were thinned using a mix of Vallejo Flow Improver 70%, Vallejo Thinners 30% with a couple of drops of Vallejo Retarder Medium. I mix this up in bulk and decant into smaller usable dropper bottles.  I start with the darker colours and applying the lighter colours last. So all models are not the same I will drop out one of the colours from time to time. Some modellers apply the lighter colours first and the darker colours last. I feel the darker colour has been on the vehicle longest and the lighter colours is recent dust.  

Inside was hand painted using Vallejo Model Colors.

Seats # 70.862 Black Grey

Walls # 70.860 Medium Flesh Tone.

Passenger Compartment Floor # 70.983 Flat Earth  (Lino)

Guard’s and Luggage Compartment Floor # 70.988 Khaki  (Floor boars) 

Passenger and Guard was painted using Vallejo Model Colors 

Part 2 next time will cover the construction of the 32 ft, 2 compartment van.

Acknowledgements.

Brake Vans of the Queensland Railways 1864 - 1980 by John Armstrong.

QR Working Time Tables

QR Plans

QR Coaching By-Laws

Australian Model Railway Association Queensland Library

QR List of Classes of Coaching Rollingstock and Description. 

Trust you find the information helpful and assist you in your modelling projects.

Until next posting stay safe.

Arthur H.  

More "S" Wagons.

In my second blog on “S” Wagon back in July 2017, (Westgate - South Western Rail: S Wagon (westgateswr.blogspot.com) I indicated there was various lengths, some with 8” X 4” journal that carried heavier loads. Since then I have made three more batches of wagons, many with loads. Yes, I had falling back into my old habits by adding loads, some should be empty, thus another batch to run empty. Plus a new manufacture with a liking to older wooden wagons has been producing some very nice detailing brass parts for their kits and are available separately for guys like me building other wagons.      

Generally, S class wagons only carried a load in one direction, like logs to a saw mill and then the wagon returned empty for the next load of logs. One or two may of carry a load of timber to another destination before returning empty for another load of logs. The class had limitations due to loads they could carry, this lead the class as a go to wagon for quick easy conversation for special traffic. As branch lines closed, timber and log traffic fell off, modifications allowed the class to be adopted for other traffic quickly. Remove the stanchions and you have the base for just about anything. Removing a few floor boards increased their carrying capacity.   

This wagon was in Townsville in the late 1970’s and used as a pollution wagon between Cloncurry and Townsville diesel sheds. The end side boards remain on the wagon and the wagon kept the “S” classification.  

The wagon was scratch built from styrene sheet and Evergreen strip. Bogies buffers, bogies  and brake cylinder are Caintode Flats products. Brake pipe hoses, queen posts and drain pipe are Queensland Railway Miniatures brass parts. Rivets are Micro-mark decals. The wagon was painted with Mirotone etch primer (gloss) and weathered with Vallejo acrylic paints, at first home brew wash of black and grey was applied, followed by dry brushing grey and finally a dusting of various browns with the air brush. 

Another similar wagon was also in Northern Division at Townsville as a water wagon. At first I could not find any plans for the wagon and started building a 30 ft open underframe. Before adding the tank plans surfaced and the underframe was 26 ft. Bugger, start again and find something for the 30 ft frames.

The plan suggest only five were built. Some were classed SWP and carried petrol, I think that must have been many many years ago.   

Construction was similar to the pollution wagon, detail on top of the tank was Queensland Railway Miniatures brass etch parts. The wagon was painted with PGC acrylic lacquer QR Rollingstock Grey. Weathering was light air brush dusting using Vallejo Model Air acrylic paints.

The frames I had started for the above two wagons had underframe detail I did not wanted to hind with a floor. Plus, I normally fill under the floor with lead sheet, the extra weight on the other two wagons was in the tank. Searching the plan books and photos came up with “S” class molasses wagon used in the Northern Division.

Tanks were made from acrylic rod turned in the lathe and provided some extra weight.  

Same construction methods and parts were used as the other wagons. The frame and tank were painted separately with black Mirotone etch primer. To finish the tank off, it was painted silver using SMS acrylic lacquer paint. Weathering was applied aging the wagons differently highlighting different times for workshop visits.   

SJ wagons carry about 10 tons more that the S wagon, the wagons have longer bogies (5 ft wheel centres) fitted with 8” x 4” journals. Some have 2’ 91/2” wheels. Regardless of wheel size the floor needs to be much the same height from rail level, buffers need to line up, loading platform are a standard height etc. The larger diameter wheels are every close to the underside of the floor. On the model there is no room for adding extra weight above the wheels reducing the amount of weight that can be added out of sight. Sure, you can raise the floor height and adjust couplings etc to add weight above the wheels, but the wagon will not look right with other wagons on the train. 

Bolster stanchions are brass castings purchased from Queensland Railway Miniatures.  

This wagon is fitted with Far North Hobbies brass bogies fitted with Steam Era spoked wheels, sadly both are no longer available commercially. Caintode Flats Models has a white metal bogie with either spoked or disc wheels and Wuiske Models produce a injected moulded bogie with spoked wheels. 

To add weight to the wagon a merchant bar load was added. To make the load galvanised tie wire purchased from Bunnings (plumbing section) was used.  The wire is 250 mm long with a 1.25mm diameter, its straight in 1 kg bundles. A jig was made from styrene to form the lengths of wire into bundles, super glue was used to fix the wire lengths together. Cotton thread was used as wire ties.     

The next two wagons are 26 ft wagons with the same construction methods. The Far North Hobbies bogies are fitted with 2’ 2” wheels. The gridgers and corbels a left over from the new bridge on the layout.   

The next wagon has been built using the same parts except the bolster stanchions are scratch built. The wagon is more or less not long out of workshop with a fresh paint work. 

For a change this wagon is the three bolsters version with a weathered floor. Vallejo Model Color acrylic Khaki # 70.988 was used as a base colour.

This wagon forms part of the Breakdown Train (Westgate - South Western Rail: Breakdown Vans and Wagons. (westgateswr.blogspot.com)), the queen posts are the hardwood bean version.   

This next wagon is my “What is That” load, something to create discussion around the layout. I’m sure you have observed a passing train and a load goes past and you don’t know what it is. Often, a “one of” plant items were manufactured in engineering works for a project could fall into this group. You may recognise the main body if you have been pulled over at a RBT. It’s the blow tube attached to a breathalyser unit to check alcohol levels in motorist. The tube has been modified by adding rivets (decals), other pipes and lifting rings. The plant has be secured in a cradle for transporting.  

 If you know of something similar your comments would be appreciated.  

The wagon is fitted with double trust rods.

A recent addition to the Queensland Railway Miniatures range is the double queen post. Many of the class and other wagons carrying heavier loads had this arrangement with a truss rod on each side of the sole bar.

Brass detailing parts referred to in the post are available from Queensland Railway Miniatures via Facebook, local SEQ buy & sells and at exhibitions.

https://www.facebook.com/queenslandrailwaysminiatures.

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

Currently, the wagons are all together on a train and will be part of the next YouTube video.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJeqCUO7hR_qpv0ruPiMN_Q

 

 

Arthur H.

CLC Wagons

These wagon had a very colourfully life on the QR Network stretching over forty plus year. At first as Baggage Cars, express freight louvered wagons and maintenance wagons.

Reading John Armstrong book “Iron and Steel Wagons of the Queensland Railways steam era” the contract for the wagons was called in 1948 and the wagons entered service in 1955/56 with running numbers 30801 to 30841, 41 wagons in all. Commonwealth Engineering made the louvered body and Evan Deakin made the underframe. The body shape was similar to the “M” series air-conditioned Lander cars. The wagon had “Fox” bogies similar to the wooden passenger cars at 18 foot centres. The wagons came into the spotlight due to the number of derailments. Plan P 50 (Drawing 5504) shows there Red Diamond status for passenger trains were revoked in 1958.

24/4/57 - 408.5m Julia Creek – Gilliat.  Derailment of CLC 30806 on 42 Up (hauled by C17 785), possibly due to a buckle.

14/3/58  - 44m60c Main Line.  Derailment of CLC 30823 on 17 Down, due to cant of the track and a sudden application of brakes due to a detonator exploding - gang at work lifting track.

21/3/58 - 743.5m Guthalungra – Gumlu.   Derailment of three CLC wagons on 247 Down, due to swaying caused by varying uneven cants of track. Springs are being modified on these wagons.

18/4/58 - 487m NCL.  Derailment of two CLC wagons on 247D, due to a hole in the road and the springing of the CLC wagons not of a design to give good riding characteristics

21/12/58 - 645m39c Yalboroo – Bloomsbury. Derailment of CLC 30838 (loaded with general goods and fruit) on 247D, due to the  modified springing not being sufficient to counter the conditions existing (curve and soft spots).

22/12/58 - 743m60c Guthalungra – Gumlu.  Derailment of CLC 30824 (loaded with fruit and general goods) on 247D, due to a hole under the sleepers, irregularities in track, speed, loading of the wagon and the spring arrangement of the wagon.

CLC 30802 As built – Fox Bogies, Red Diamond, Stem buffers.

Reading the Working Time Table for that period there are three types of trains shown, Passenger Trains, Goods Trains and Through Goods. Train 247D is shown as an Express fruit and goods train.

The rear section of the Time Table shows the following. Train 247D will convey ordinary goods in addition to fruit and other perishables may be made up to a gross load of 520 tons and must be worked with a diesel electric locomotive. The train must be composed of bogie wagons, ("C," "CLF," "CJF " "CM " '•CMIS" and "HJ") which may be fully loaded to marked carrying capacity. As far as possible box wagons ("CJF," "CMIS," &c.) must form the make-up of these trains but when necessary wagons of other types may be attached to make up the train to full load or length on the approval of the General Manager or District Officer. Care must be taken to distribute the load evenly and to place light packages on top off heavier packages on the floor of the wagons. 247D will not shunt or stop at Intermediate stations.

Reading on a bit more in the Gympie and Bundaberg section the following is stated, No. 247D will be worked with a diesel electric locomotive and may be made up to a gross load of 520 tons. (See instructions on page 126 regarding composition of this train, as above.) The train will not stop for passengers, shunt nor perform roadside work for stations south of Mackay except to attach a CMB of butter at Theebine when required for Townsville, which will be marshalled next to the engine. Preference must be given to 247D Down over all trains, except Mail Trains. Bundaberg to Rockhampton section indicated the train could convey 650 tons between Rockhampton and Townsville.

Most of the wagons listed on the train are ordinary goods wagon rated at 35 MPH wagons, not 50 MPH wagons (Red Circle) required for Express Freight Trains a few years later. The train must be worked with a diesel electric locomotive, thus no water stops and changing engines at depot stations. Express train in the 1960/70’s had a through load of 650 tons for a single loco, this train has a limit of 520 tons.

The back pages of the Working Time Table gives sectional running for trains, that is time allocated for a train to run between two stations. Trains under 75% of the full load are given less time between the two stations. With express type running on a faster time table, goods loading in Brisbane on Monday morning was available for delivery in Townsville Wednesday morning.   

Over the next couple of years the bogie centres were altered to 21 feet (2 wagons) and 22 feet 3 inches on the rest. The wagons were fitted with QR 2 cast steel bogies and in 1961 the wagon were given “Red Circle” status and were allowed to run on express freight trains at 50 MPH.  

CLC 30811 QR 2 Bodies

Cooroy Jan 1961. QR 2 Bogie extended. No speed marking

The class was not over popular with loaders, the area between the doors the loading area was around 8½ feet, little less in the door opening and 7 feet 7 inches between the door shields on the end of the wagon. The height at the sides was 6 feet 5 inches and in the centre was 8 feet 4 inches. The inside sliding doors allowed water to enter the loading area during wet weather. The underframe was 32 feet long, with a 32 feet 6 inches long body that was 9 feet wide. Average Tare of the wagon was 13 ton 3 cwt and they could carry 22 ton 17 cwt. Gross 36 tons. At first the wagons were painted Red Oxide/Tuscan with black bogies. 

In the mid 1960’s a number of the class were allocated to Brown’s Transport, these wagons were repainted and looked quite smart. Grey roof, underframe and bogies, yellow body lined with a red strip top and bottom and a red lighting flash with black lines the full length of the body. Words “Brisbane Co-ordinated Toowoomba” in black was along the flash. The Turntable Hobby shop produced a decal for this colourful wagon, I understand Wuiske Models now has the decal. Caintode Flats website site also shows a decal for this wagon on his web page. In the instructions from the Turntable decals, the running numbers of the wagons are different to that in John Armstrong book. John shows 14 wagons, 30801, 30806, 30807, 30812, 30813, 30816, 30817, 30824, 30826, 30827, 30832, 30834, 30837, 30841. In Brisbane the wagons were loaded on the Milton end of the Roma Street Parcels shed. Ipswich Workshop Museum has one on display showing running number 30826.  

CLC 30801  White Wall Types.

Ipswich workshops.

In the early 1970’s the co-ordinated wagons returned to general traffic. Others were painter yellow all over with black bogies, 30802 was one such wagon with a red QR logo on the L/H end door.

Other were painted freight grey in the same manner as other goods wagons from 1969 on wards. With the removal for wooden wagons from traffic in the late 1980’s, many replaced wooden material wagons attached to camp wagon, breakdown trains etc. The final fling for the class was on the Cairns to Forsayth “Great Train Journey” carrying general freight from Cairns for the Atherton Tablelands as roadside wagons.

Around 1978, some of the class had the bodies removed and the underframes were use to make single slot 20’ container wagons as the PCE class. The first few being 30805, 30831, 30834

A number of CMIS refrigerator (ice) wagons made up other members in the PCE class.  One PCET wagon converted from a CMIS wagon was modified with a recessed floor to transport two smaller transforms within the loading gauge for Main Line Electrification Project, the wagon could still carry one 20’ container when not required for transformers. This wagon carried PT classification.     

CLC 30840 Roma Station Plumber’s Tool Wagon

Cowan Shelton No 7 Supply Wagon. 

Panels on the door suggest the wagon was a Co-ordinated wagon. 

Workshops Dump Wagon.

                      The class had standard brake equipment similar to most wooden wagons

CLC 30826 Ipswich Workshop Museum

Models 

A number of manufactures over the years have produced a model of the wagon.

This wagon was a Fox Model produced about 25 plus years ago. This wagon has now been placed in the Westgate SWR Museum. 

Currently, Caintode Flats produces a one piece body kit that requires very little effort to make a very nice model with great detail.

On the layout at present I have three Caintode Flats wagons, two painted red and one in Toowoomba Co-ordinated colours.    

The decals used were purchased from the Turntable some 25 years ago. They were somewhat past there use by date. The red lining was applied in various small sections, on the prototype the names on the doors are on panel sheets attached to the wagon. I forgot to paint these when painting the wagon. The red flash did not match photos I had of the wagon, it was far to wide for the Canitode Flats wagon. On side one the letters were cut from the sheet and the flash decal ripped when being slid into position. Red paint was used to patch the gaps. Plus I was using new decal setting solutions and I keep on mixing up the two, that didn’t help the situation any. When building the kit I added all hand rails that just happen to be where the decal were to go, bugger, more issues. Side two in an effort to place the flash in the correct position the names were cut from the sheet and some sections of the flashed was reduced, the flash was cut into three sections. One section I over lapped the flash, this showed up and is still visible after a weathering.

After I finished the wagon I saw photos of a wagon completed by a modeller in Toowoomba using Caintode Flats decals, the end result was much better than my effort. Well done Gary.   

(Toowoomba Model Train Club, Train Talk Newsletter August 2021 Issue # 362). 

The wagon will certainly bring colour to your layout and will be a talking point. Nice to have something that’s a little different.  Having said that, for the prototype modeller the wagon has very limited application.

 

Trust my mistakes can assist you to make a better model.

Acknowledgements.

IRON and STEEL Wagons of the Queensland Railways Steam Era by John Armstrong.

QR Working Time Tables

QR Derailment Reports

QR General Appendix’s

QR Plans

Australian Model Railway Association Queensland Library

Toowoomba Model Railway Club “Train Talk” Newsletter.  

Arthur H.