Queensland
Railways “List of Classes of Coaching Rolling Stock and Description” dated 3rd
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 2nd
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 2nd
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.
